The chimney is clean, one year later.

BarnyardEngineering · Nov 9, 2022

Roughly one year ago I posted a thread titled "The chimney is clean" about my struggles with the wood stove at my parents' farm.

The stove is a Vermont Castings Dutchwest with a catalytic converter.

Fired it up when it got chilly back in October, and what a mess. Would not burn. Puffed smoke into the house out from under the lid until it warmed up.

So when it got warm again, I pulled the top cover off, sealed all the visible seams with a heavy bead of furnace cement, poked out all the holes in the catalytic converter grate (some were plugged), and installed new rope seal on the top cover.

Fired it yesterday. It's a whole different stove. Not even the slightest hint of smoke smell in the house. No puffing.

So knock on wood, I won't freeze to death this winter.

This post was edited by BarnyardEngineering on 11/09/2022 at 10:09 am.

hanovertom · Nov 9, 2022

I had that stove. Followed the maint schedule. Then the catalyst failed, all of the materiel in the back started breaking down AND it cost a small fortune to get the clogged
chimney cleaned.
Replaced with a Jotle, have been happy ever since

bmack95hd · Nov 9, 2022

Had a Vermont Castings with the catalytic converter. Was
supposed to reburn smoke and be more efficient. Nice sales
ploy but never did what they said it would. Stove for new house
Ill do more homework before buying.

warbaby · Nov 9, 2022

Ive been using a Consolidated Dutch West XXL (bought out and rebranded by Vermont Castings) catalyctic stove for 30+ years. They are a well-built, great looking
stove. It can be a bit fiddly to get a good draw going when the combustor is engaged, but when its in the zone it heats great and is very efficient. It also makes
great hot chocolate and roasts a mean weenie.

I think I'm on my third replacement catalyst now, and I re-sealed it a few winters ago. I also clean it and the chimney every few months just to be safe- no
chimney fires since 1988!

BarnyardEngineering · Nov 9, 2022

(quoted from post at 08:01:20 11/09/22) Had a Vermont Castings with the catalytic converter. Was
supposed to reburn smoke and be more efficient. Nice sales
ploy but never did what they said it would. Stove for new house
Ill do more homework before buying.

Funny last year nobody heard of these and most could not fathom the concept of a catalytic converter in a wood stove.

Sounds like a familiar sales pitch. Then in a couple years you happen to be in the neighborhood so you stop in for advice, "Oh we don't sell those anymore. They were no good."

GordoSD · Nov 9, 2022

Nice looking Tuxedo.

da.bees · Nov 9, 2022

Everyone i know that was suckered into one of those either sold it as scrap or
got their money back. Not worth the hassle.

BarnyardEngineering · Nov 9, 2022

(quoted from post at 08:39:43 11/09/22) Ive been using a Consolidated Dutch West XXL (bought out and rebranded by Vermont Castings) catalyctic stove for 30+ years. They are a well-built, great looking
stove. It can be a bit fiddly to get a good draw going when the combustor is engaged, but when its in the zone it heats great and is very efficient. It also makes
great hot chocolate and roasts a mean weenie.

I think I'm on my third replacement catalyst now, and I re-sealed it a few winters ago. I also clean it and the chimney every few months just to be safe- no
chimney fires since 1988!

I'm sorry that's the one I have! The Dutchwest, not the Defiant.

Think the only real difference is the Dutchwest has a glass door.

"Fiddly" is being way way too nice. Dad always struggled with the thing.

The grate under the catalyst rusted out on it and we had to tear it completely down to replace the top. That's when it started "puffing," clouds of smoke coming out from under the top from time to time until the stove got HOT, which was virtually impossible to do because it would NOT draw for love or money.

Now I know the puffing was because we didn't use enough sealant to glue the stove back together. They told me one tube was enough, and that's all we had. There was barely enough to put one small bead in every seam.

Problem is it took me over a year to figure this out. Everybody I asked just shrugged their shoulders. Nobody else has one of these or anything like it.

BarnyardEngineering · Nov 9, 2022

(quoted from post at 10:47:59 11/09/22) Everyone i know that was suckered into one of those either sold it as scrap or
got their money back. Not worth the hassle.

I only wish I could do that. Not sure if you can even buy a new wood stove in NY state anymore.

Mike(NEOhio) · Nov 9, 2022

I've been using a Riteway for 35 years and used to get a lot of huffing at times. It's in the basement and the flue goes into the chimney with an
elbow. One night the puff blew the elbow out and filled the house with smoke so I added a plumbing strap to keep it in place. Problem was I cut most
of my wood in early fall and started burning in mid november. It just wasn't dry enough and I got a lot of creosote so I got to cleaning the chimney
every four to five weeks but I can do it from inside. I found the best way to eliminate the puffing is to let it burn low late in the evening then
load it up for overnight. The puffing happens when I's load it up when it was burning really hot. The damper would stay closed while the wood got
hot and there's always some leakage. Eventually enough air gets in to ignite.

Traditional Farmer · Nov 9, 2022

Look foe a used Fisher Mama or Papa Bear,its been a great stove bought it new in 1975.What wood are you burning? Some wood will build creosote worse then others.

Buckhammer · Nov 9, 2022

I have a Fisher woodstove. IMO best
woodstove ever made. Just a stove, pipe
and a chimney. It has heated my home
since 1998. Never a problem. I only turn
my furnace on if it gets below zero to
keep the pipes in the basement from
freezing. My parents have the same stove.
It has been heating their home since 1980

Buckhammer · Nov 9, 2022

Russ from MN · Nov 9, 2022

I have heard that the stoves with catalytic converters are a pain in the ash! Our friend bought a super
efficient outdoor wood furnace and it's a money pit, I have helped him fix it a few times. We have this
Jotul, very efficient, and maintenance free for 13 years, other than cleaning the chimney. It's running at
525 degrees right now!

Russ from MN · Nov 9, 2022

Most wood should be cut, split, and seasoned for a year before you burn it!

warbaby · Nov 9, 2022

I slightly modified mine by putting an adjustable draft port in the ash door (that brass knob below the window) so I could get regulated airflow through the grating to the coals. The original design routed air through a pair of registers into the stove and then over the inside of the glass window to keep smoke off the glass and keep it from getting all sooted up, THEN to the fire. It works fine for that primary purpose, but it really needed some extra air at the base of the fire to help keep the fire hot and the catalyst in the reburn range.

Once the firebox gases get into its operating range (according to a magnetic temp gauge stuck on the side door) I shut down that bottom air, flip the lever to route the smoke and gases through the combustor and it quickly heats the entire house to the point where on a mild day when it is only around freezing, we gotta crack open a window or two! Also, when it is burning/reburning, the exhaust plume is crystal clear- all you can see is the ripples of heated air coming out of the chimney, and the exhaust also gives off a slightly tangy smell, somewhat like smelling a hard coal fire from a distance.

warbaby · Nov 9, 2022

Thanks. The cats (4 usually, 6 on a really cold day) love laying around that woodstove when its burning and soaking up the heat- until I step on someone's tail bringing in more wood!

stevieb49829 · Nov 9, 2022

I thought our tuxedo died, and melted into a pool of fur on the hearth. She was so comatose, I thought I'd have to douse her to cool her off and get her away from the heat. My shop cat nests on the concrete at the point where the boiler pipes enter the slab. Cats do love their wood heat.

stevieb49829 · Nov 9, 2022

BE, I followed your thread last year, and it perplexed me too. Sounds like you found and fixed it. steve

in-too-deep · Nov 10, 2022

I've been wondering how the fancy, efficient outdoor boilers were working. I bet you sure can't stuff it with wet popple and walk away!

Russ from MN · Nov 10, 2022

Your correct about that! Our friend found out that his wood has to be split smaller and dryer before it will work properly. Any modern stove works better with dry wood, if you have to burn green wood you need a leaky old barrel stove! We are burning some wood now that's been in the woodshed for about 5 years.

Russ from MN · Nov 10, 2022

Our son has had a couple of Lopi stoves, in 2 different houses, and they work very well. Be sure to get the one with the bypass damper so the chimney is easier to clean.

in-too-deep · Nov 10, 2022

I think I'd still get one of the fancy boilers over the old wood hogs that have been around. IF (and that's a big IF) they are proven reliable with the right fuel.

The chimney is clean, one year later.

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