Catalytic Combuster Burnout????

[jimabbey]

Recently I had pause to repair the blower on my Lakefield Catalytic Fireplace Insert and in the process of searching for parts noticed several sites selling new catalytic replacements.

The argument seems to be that over time these things either wear out or become too contaminated to be effective.

I was lead to believe that these things were ceramic honecombs that become super heated in the act of burning residual gasses. They are effective when a hot fire is directed over them on route to the chimney.

My stove is over 15 years old. I clean it and the chimney anually. There is almost no creosote in my chimney. I do burn hot fires.

Do I need to replace these square honeycombs? My unit has several, two deep and two high and about four units long. Each square is about 3 inches on a side.

The sites I stumbled on indicated that this retro-fit could well cost in excess of $150.00.

Any opinions / suggestions.etc.?????

 

[ozarkjeep]

they might still be useable, but probably wont produce the heat that a new catalyst would.

if there isnt visible smoke from your flu when the cat is hot and engaged it is likely working.

the newer units often ignite at lower temps than the older original units, thus saving some fuel and gaining some heat output duration.

visible glowing of the combustor is often used to guage the condition, but the unit can still be working without visible glowing.

Do you have a catalyst temp probe in your stove? you can determine whether its functioning or not by the tempature.

If your temps and heat output are still normal, and your flu emissions are clear, you likely have perfectly functioning combustors.

I do vacume or blow out the 'fly' ash from mine whenever I clean the fireplace out.

and they can be soaked in a vinegar water solution as well, or probed thru with pipe cleaners if they are particulary clogged.

 

[jimabbey]

Catalytic Combustors

Thanks,

The emissions for the most part are clear. They used to glow when the unit was new but there is no longer any cherry red glow from them. The unit is poorly designed and has a small inspection hole that can be slid open for a quick view.

The firebox holds a fire overnight with a goodly supply of hot coals in the morning. The unit seems to need a lot of air to burn really hot. It has sliders on both sides for air intake and I built an outside vent so that it uses outside air to burn.

My best rule of thumb is that there is little or no creosote in the flue after a season on burning.

All that said and done the unit also does not give off the heat that it used to. I am atributing that to buring wood that is probably 3 / 4 years old, a mix of maple / oak / elm. The stuff is really dry but burns with a bright flame. I have less than a cord left so the newer wood is only a year old, at least at the front of the pile in the woodshed. By the time I get to the stuff at the back it will be around 3 yrs old too.

I used to get a fire with a rolling orage flame that indicated it was HOT. I am getting well past the half way point for this year's heating and think I will take the entire combustor down this summer and do a thorough cleaning.

The water and vinegar is a good lead.