Woodstoves Catalytic on non Catalytic?

I have been looking at woodstoves to help with our winters here. I had one years ago, but the new ones seem a lot more efficient. Afew questions:

1) Do the catalytic elements need to be replaced?

2) Catalytic on not? why?

3) Cost of each?

4) Outside air system?

5) Reccomendations?

Thanx!!

I know the catalyst can be depleted. How long it takes, depends on temperature and usage. I was told in some places burning wood without catalyst was illegal. When estimates got over 2500 dollars for installation including stove, about 10 years ago, I lost interest. Probably would pay for itself now.

I've got an Appalachian insert with the elements that I got used that I've used for about 5 winters now. Based on what I've been told the elements do need to be changed at some point but I've never heard any definate lifespan. I guess you check them and if their gummed up, broke, or you start seeing alot of smoke you know their not working. That said they are very effecient. The elements in mine got broke winter before last when the damper jumped it's stop. They are still in place but in pieces but I could tell a definate difference in the output when they were in one piece and working properly and when they weren't. I heat a 1800 sq ft house (1100 downstairs and 700 upstairs) with mine with no problem. The stove is in the same room as the furnace return so I can cut on the blower and distrubute the heat throughout the house if I need to (tried it once but never have had a real need to do it continuous) and the stairs to the second floor are also in the same room so the heat naturally rises and heats upstairs. Burning a fireplace I used to bring in 5 or more bundles of wood a night in one of the canvas totes and got very little heat but with the stove burning good, dry hardwood I can keep it going and heat the house using maybe two tote fulls (about 10-12 pieces) in a 24 hour period. Mine has been discontinued but I think the new cost when I checked was in the neighborhood of $1500. My gas bill the winter before getting it was over $450, the first winter with it using free wood (minus gas to cut and split) the gas bill was $75. It's well worth the cost if you can get free wood to get one. As far as the elements if your going to buy new I think just about all of the have elements now tyo meet EPA regs., but regs or not the extra heat achieved from them burning off the smoke gives it a huge effeciency rating. Mine rarely has anything left after burning down but a super fine powder.

We"ve just replaced our catalytic wood stove after ten years (it reused out at the top of the fire bricks) with a pellet stove. Mainly for ease of use for my Mum, but the old stove was great, even in our Manitoba winters twice a day to load the stove kept the house warm all day (a newer house mind- but 2600 sq.ft). i think we replace the cat after 5 years and we were going to replace it for this upcoming season if we"d kept the stove. Catalyst was on once the fire got up to temp; if you engage it too early it shortens the cats life - it plugs up with crap for want of a better word. we brought in outside air, but the house was well sealed and couldn"t make enough draught with out it (the new pellet stove needs outside air too). we had a BlazeKing (Princess model if i recall right) we like it, and would have had another except for Mum"s age and me not always being around home to help. the catalyst stove do make for a cleaner burn, that helps with keeping the chimney clean, although it will still need cleaning every year, and they do i think use less wood per unit head, which in turn means not so much to cut and chop (or buy).

We put in a catalyst wood stove eight years ago (Blaze King Princess model) to replace a non-catalyst, "high-efficiency" baffle stove. The catalyst stove is leaps ahead of the older model. I am using about 1/3 of the wood in the catalyst stove as opposed to the non-catalyst model, and a more even heat output during the burn time for a load of wood (in very cold Saskatchewan winters). The first catalyst lasted eight years, with a few careful cleanings every third year or so (they are very fragile). Cost was $2000 (made me second-guess at the time), but I would buy one again without any doubts. No separate outside air supply, but we have enough drafts and also a separate fresh air supply for the back-up furnace.

Thanks - I think I will get the catalytic model, with outside air supply.