Common causes for poor draft.

Several things can cause poor draft:

1. Top of the chimney is too low, not extending above the top of the pitched roof or surrounding trees.

2. Dirt, creosote or soot lodged in corners or along the flue walls.

3. Loose mortar or cracks in the brick-work cause draft leaks.

4. Spaces between liner tiles.

5. Dislodged bricks or tile wedged in the chimney.

6. Connecting stove pipe projects too far into the chimney.

7. Chimney clean-out door too loose.

8. Leaks around chimney connector pipe.

Catalytic wood stove - Operation Do's

Burn only dry, seasoned wood, not wet or freshly cut wood. Season wood at least six months; store outdoors, loosely covered, to allow air to circulate freely through the pile. "Green" or wet wood releases less heat because energy from the fire must first evaporate the moisture before producing useful heat.

Build and maintain moderately hot fires quickly after loading the wood. A hot initial fire will help your catalyst light-off faster. However, once lit, the catalyst will stay lit even if the fire burns lower. Catalyst temperatures of 1,000°F or more are typical in normal operation. Once a catalyst "lights-off," it will stay lit at temperatures of about 500°F.

Burn moderate to full loads of wood that will provide several hours of uninterrupted burning and minimize door openings. By minimizing door openings, you allow the temperatures to stay high, which reduces pollution. Frequent door openings increase pollution both inside and outside your home.

Operate your stove in the bypass mode initially (i.e., so that smoke bypasses the catalyst). Wait until the stove is hot enough before engaging the catalyst, but be careful not to overheat the stove. The reason for this is that, to some extent, the catalyst may reduce the draft. With poor draft, the fire will take longer to develop and the catalyst will take longer to light-off.

Operate the stove's internal fans, if your stove has them, in strict accordance with the operating instructions. Some manufacturers recommend leaving the fans turned off for 30 minutes after start-up and refueling, and setting them on low for small fires. This is important because fans remove heat from the fire; cooler fires result in more pollution.

Catalytic wood stove - Operation Don'ts

Don't burn trash, treated wood, particle board, plywood, or other fuels (such as coal, kerosene, or lighter fluid) unless they are listed on your stove's permanent label. Trash produces fly ash. Treated wood, particle board, and plywood contain chemicals that, when burned and inhaled, are hazardous. Burning other fuels may poison your catalyst or damage your stove. Cardboard, foil, and plastic may block exhaust flow through the catalyst, causing smoke to spill into your room. Don't operate your stove in the catalyst bypass mode after the catalyst has reached the recommended temperature (350 to 600°F). At this point, your catalyst should be working for you (to produce more heat using less firewood) and for the environment (destroying smoke and the cancer-causing pollution in the smoke).

Don't over fire your stove, especially when the catalyst is engaged. Avoid catalyst temperatures near or above 1600°F. This is another reason to use a catalyst temperature monitor. Catalysts can be damaged or destroyed by prolonged high heat. If temperatures are above 1600°F, switch to bypass mode and allow the catalyst to cool down to about 1000°F before resuming normal catalytic operation. Don't open the ash pan while catalyst is engaged because this will lead to overheating.

Light-off instructions.

Catalytic stoves require special firing techniques.
Instructions for these techniques will be found in the stove manufacturer's manual. If the manual for the appliance has detailed firing instructions, they should be followed. This is very important for smooth operation of the stove and to the life of the catalytic combustor.

In short, the combustor needs light-off temperature before the by-pass should ever be closed.
A temperature of 500 degrees F. must be focused on the catalytic combustor for as least 25-30 minutes before the by-pass is closed.
This will assure you that the combustor has had ample time to light-off. This is just a rule of thumb for most catalytic stoves.
Remember to read the manufacturer's manual before building the first fire in you stove or contact Applied Ceramics.

"Hot Firing" a catalytic stove.

Is it all right to 'hot fire' a catalytic stove?

Do not "hot fire" your catalytic stove with the by-pass closed.
If this is done with the by-pass damper closed, flames will be directed to the catalytic combustor and cause damage to it.
For many years retailers and installers have advised customers to build an extra hot fire to burn the creosote deposits in the flue system.
This advice is harmful to a catalytic stove and the combustor.
Why not? Because the catalyst is reducing the particulate, or creosote build up, therefore the need to hot fire for this purpose is eliminated.

What to do if the combustor is not working properly.

-Check your fuel supply for moisture content. Fuel should be seasoned dried wood. Rain and snow are considered moisture and will produce damp smoke and steam. Both harmful to your combustor, especially when refueling and the combustor is burning hot.

-Check the flue and chimney, making sure the stove’s exhaust system is not blocked nor has any obstructions.

-Make sure the stove is getting the proper draft.

-Check all movable stove parts to be sure they are working freely.

-Make sure the combustor has not fallen out of it’s holding device.

-Check the combustor for plugged cells. Follow cleaning instructions.

-Check if the combustor has been in the stove for more than six burning seasons, it might be time to replace it.

Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper firing. Different manufacturers and stove models require different procedures.
as a rule of thumb, the catalytic combustor needs a minimum of 500 F. temperature focused on it for a period of 20 to 30 minutes to achieve light-off.
This is done with the bypass in the open position.
Nothing but heat will be going to the combustor at this stage. The catalyst will receive the heat it needs in this period of time.