SECTION 5 - CATALYST INFORMATION
TAMPER WARNING
This wood heater contains a catalytic combustor which needs periodic inspection and replacement for proper
operation. It is against federal regulations to operate this wood stove in a manner inconsistent with the
operating instructions in this manual, or if the catalytic element is deactivated or removed.
CATALYST TYPE
The combustor supplied with this wood stove is an Applied Catalysts ACI-5M combustor. Please refer to
section 6 for catalyst maintenance. Refer to section 7 for catalyst troubleshooting. Refer to section 8 for
catalyst warranty information.
CATALYST MONITORING
It is important to periodically monitor the operation of the catalytic combustor to ensure that it is functioning
properly and to determine when it needs to be replaced. A non-functioning combustor will result in a loss of
heating efficiency, and an increase in creosote and emissions. Following is a list of items that should be
checked on a periodic basis:
1.
Combustors should be visually inspected at least three times during the heating season to determine
if physical degradation has occurred. Actual removal of the combustor is not recommended unless
more detailed inspection is warranted because of decreased performance. If any of these conditions
exists, refer to Catalyst Troubleshooting section of this owner’s manual.
2.
This hybrid heater is equipped with a temperature probe to monitor catalyst operation. Properly
functioning combustors typically maintain temperatures in excess of 500°F, and often reach
temperatures in excess of 1,000°F. If catalyst temperatures are not in excess of 500°F, refer to the
Catalyst Troubleshooting section of this owner’s manual.
3.
You can get an indication of whether the catalyst is working by comparing the amount of smoke
leaving the chimney when the smoke is going through the combustor and catalyst light-off has been
achieved, to the amount of smoke leaving the chimney when the smoke is not routed through the
combustor (bypass mode).
Step 1—Light stove in accordance with instructions in section 4.
Step 2—With smoke routed through the catalyst, go outside and observe the emissions leaving
the chimney.
Step 3—Open the bypass mechanism and again observe the emissions leaving the chimney.
Significantly more smoke will be seen when the exhaust is not routed through the combustor
(bypass mode).
READING THE CATALYST PROBE
Follow the instructions in section 4 to build and maintain a fire. During normal operation the probe should
read in the active range. If, during normal operation, the probe reads less than the active range, the stove
should be refueled following the instruction in section 4. If the probe is climbing above the active range, you
need to decrease the primary air control so that you do not over-fire the stove or catalyst.
