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sites 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.
Inspection & Cleaning
Your stove comes with a new stainless steel combustor already installed. The stainless combustor is a honeycomb foil
block located under the top lid of the Ideal Steel . Typical lifespan for a well maintained catalytic combustor is 4-6 years.
There are a few ways to determine if your combustor needs to be cleaned. If you notice the smoke exiting your chimney
is thicker and darker in color, the combustor may need cleaning. Additionally, if you notice reduced draft or backpuffing,
or performance and heat output has diminished, then the combustor may not be working as efficiently as designed.
Plan to clean and inspect your catalytic combustor about every 4-6 weeks. Any fly ash deposits on the combustor will
need to be brushed or vacuumed off. An accumulation of fly ash can reduce the draft, causing backpuffing, sluggish
burning, and inefficient heating performance. You should clean and check your combustor before the heating season
begins, as well as on a regular 4-6 week basis.
COMBUSTOR CLEANING HOW TO:
Tools needed: (1) work gloves and safety glasses; (2) soft bristled paint brush or vacuum
cleaner (preferably one designed for ash removal).
1. Be sure the fire is out and the stove is cold. If you are using a regular home vacuum, it
is extremely important that no hot ashes or embers be sucked into it as this could result
in damage to the vacuum or cause a serious fire. Remove the center burner, if equipped,
from the stove. Open the top lid. The combustor is located under the radiator. Lift the
radiator up and remove it from the stove.
2. Lift the combustor out of the stove. Brush or vacuum the combustor thoroughly, from
both sides. Do not use high pressure compressed air to clean the combustor, as this could
damage the reactive coating. Be sure to remove all fly ash from the combustor. Inspect
the gasket that the combustor housing rests against.
3. Return the combustor to the stove. Be sure that it is seated properly. Place the radiator
over the combustor. Raise and lower the bypass lever to be sure the radiator is
seated properly.
4. Close the top lid and return the center burner to the top of the stove.
NOTE: A more thorough cleaning can be done as needed, by following the
same directions above. After the combustor is vacuumed or brushed off, rinse
(or soak for 10-15 minutes) the combustor with a mixture of 50% white vinegar
& 50% distilled water. After rinsing or soaking in the 50/50 mixture, rinse with
distilled water. Allow the combustor to dry before reinstalling in the stove.
Catalytic Combustor Replacement
If you feel that your catalytic combustor is not working properly, please
contact Woodstock Soapstone Company at 1-800-866-4344 for instructions
regarding return and replacement. Accessing the catalyst in your new Ideal
Steel Hybrid Woodstove is simple. Just lift the top stove lid. Then remove the
radiator (pictured above right) using the two finger holes in the top. You can
lift the catalyst plate from the stove.
.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How does the catalytic combustor work?
A. The catalytic combustor breaks the bonds that hold the chemicals contained in wood smoke together. The result is
that these chemicals begin to burn at temperatures of about 500 degrees F (the normal range of exhaust gas
temperatures). Without the catalytic combustor, wood smoke would have to be brought up to a temperature of 1000
to 1200 degrees F in order to start to burn. A stove with a catalytic combustor will generate up to 25% more heat from
each piece of wood, thus reducing the amount of fuel used during the year.
There are three advantages to burning the smoke created by burning wood. First, the smoke becomes another source of
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The Catalytic Combustor is easily accessible. Just
lift the lid, remove the radiator using the two fin-
ger holes, and the catalyst is visible. The catalyst
can be removed by lifting the catalyst housing.
Simple radiator installed
above catalyst
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