fuel, giving you more heat from the same amount of wood.
Second
, creosote causing materials will be burned up instead
of being deposited in your chimney, reducing the risk of a chimney fire.
Third,
air pollution will be drastically reduced.
Q. How can I tell if the catalytic combustor is working or “worn out”?
A.
First
- The best way to tell if the catalytic combustor is working is by observing the smoke coming out of your
chimney. If there is only a small amount of smoke, and/or it’s white in color, the catalytic combustor is working.
You will see significantly more smoke when the combustor is being bypassed than when the smoke is being burned
by the combustor.
Second
- One very noticeable effect of a well functioning combustor is the high efficiency of your stove. Catalytic
combustors produce lots of heat, which the stove radiates into your home. If you notice that the stove is producing
less heat, or that a load of wood doesn’t provide as much warmth, under similar circumstances, as it did before, it’s
time to check the combustor. If and when the catalyst ceases to function properly, the stove will produce noticeably
less heat.
Third
- Regular inspection of the connector pipe and chimney flue should show very little accumulation of soot and
creosote. Soot is typically brown and powdery when the combustor is working properly. Heavy buildup of black
sticky creosote may indicate the combustor is not functioning or needs cleaning.
If you suspect that your catalyst is not working, let the stove cool down and clean the combustor and try it again.
Q. How do I maintain my catalytic combustor?
A.
Combustors should be inspected and cleaned if necessary
every 4-6 weeks
during the heating season. When the
stove is cool, the combustor can be cleaned by thoroughly vacuuming or brushing both sides.
If the stove does not draft well when the catalytic combustor is engaged then the combustor cells themselves might be
partially plugged with fly ash. If this is the case, follow the cleaning procedure described in detail on page 20 of this
manual.
Q. Is it all right to burn my stove hot daily to clean any build up in my chimney system?
A.
It is not necessary to burn your stove hot daily to burn off any creosote build up in the chimney. This function is
performed by the catalytic combustor. It is there to reduce the emissions from the stove that contribute to deposits in
the connector pipe and chimney flue.
View more frequently asked questions and articles at our web site
www.woodstove.com
. Other very useful websites
on all aspects of wood burning are
www.hearth.com
,
www.woodheat.org,
and
www.csia.org
. CSIA is the Chimney
Safety Institute of America.
TWO OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS REGARDING CATALYTIC COMBUSTORS:
1)
The combustor uses wood smoke as fuel. Most smoke is created in the early stages of the burn cycle. When a bed of
coals is all that remains of your wood, there is little smoke left to fuel the combustor, and it will no longer create
substantial amounts of heat. Hence, the temperatures on the surface thermometer tend to fall toward the end of the
burn, even though the firebox is full of hot coals. This does not mean that you have to reload the stove or open the
bypass. Let the hot coals burn down to ashes.
2)
Since the combustor blocks the path of exiting smoke, it can reduce the draft in your stove. When draft is reduced by
warm or rainy weather, open the bypass damper longer when starting the stove to create more draft.
CATALYTIC COMBUSTOR WARRANTY
The catalytic combustor in your Ideal Steel Hybrid Woodstove is fully warranted for three years from the date of purchase
against any defect in workmanship or materials that prevent the combustor from functioning when installed and operated
properly. The catalytic combustor is additionally warranted for three years from the date of purchase for any deteriora-
tion in the stainless steel substrate material. For instructions regarding return or replacement of the catalytic combustor,
please contact:
Woodstock Soapstone Company, Inc.
66 Airpark Road
West Lebanon, NH 03784
Phone: 1-800-866-4344 • Web: www.woodstove.com
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