What is the purpose of a catalyst in a wood stove?

How does a catalyst work?

A wood stove catalyst isn't a filter. Instead of physically capturing particles, the combustor deploys chemical catalysis to break apart unburned particles. Platinum and/or palladium atoms loaded in honeycomb cells trigger the chemical reaction. Your catalyst converts smoke into water vapor, carbon dioxide, and HEAT.
Catalysis is used in other catalytic converters, such as automobiles, but wood stoves are virtually unique in benefiting from the HEAT that the catalytic reaction produces.
Emissions from chimney become invisible carbon dioxide and white water vapor. Chimney emissions from inferior or worn-out catalysts are dark.

What does light-off temperature mean?

Chemical catalysis doesn't take place at any temperature lower than light-off temperature. That's why your stove bypass diverts around the catalyst during warm-up.

For ceramic honeycomb catalysts light-off occurs when your woodstove reaches about 500° Fahrenheit (260° Celsius),

For

Condar steel honeycomb catalysts, light-off temperature is reached faster, at approximately 400° Fahrenheit (204° Celsius).

Why is using a thermometer important?

Use a catalytic thermometer, like the Watchman electronic catalyst monitor, to monitor temperature of the catalyst and achieve maximum catalytic reaction during your burn. If you do not have an insertion point for a catalytic probe there are other thermometer options. Using any wood stove thermometer is helpful.

Catalytic reaction maxes out at about 1300° Fahrenheit through any combustor. Exceeding this temperature is destructive to the combustor and to the components of your stove.

What Our Customers Are Saying:

Dan James; Hamilton, Michigan

"My woodstove is ten years old, I was surprised to find Condar offered my catalyst at half the cost of the original!

The installation and fit is perfect. I recommend Condar to every woodstove owner I know.

"

Why it's false economy to operate without a catalyst!

Over time, the money invested to maintain or replace the catalyst will pay off in improved performance, more heat from less wood, and less creosote build-up.

• Efficiency: Your catalyst converts smoke into additional heat. If you operate a catalytic woodstove without its catalyst, you cheat yourself out of warmth you would otherwise be getting.
• Longer Burn Time: Engaging your catalyst allows fuel to burn longer in slow-burn mode. This means heating longer with one load of wood.
• Safety: Catalysts help prevent build-up of hazardous creosote in flues and chimneys. Removing your catalyst risks chimney fires that can damage property and people.
• Voiding Manufacturers’ Warranties: Catalytic stoves are designed to operate at high temperatures with the catalyst engaged. If you remove the catalyst, you have an uncontrolled fire that may damage your stove, or render it inoperable. Due to this risk, operating your stove without a catalyst voids the manufacturers’ warranty. 
• Losing Insurance Coverage: Operating woodstoves in any manner warned against in manufacturers’ manuals, including without the catalyst, may cause insurance companies to reject claims for damage or injury.
• Reducing Air Pollution: If you operate your catalytic woodstove without its catalyst, polluting smoke is released into the environment instead of being converted into heat and harmless water vapor.
• It’s the Law: Federal law requires that EPA-certified catalytic wood stoves be operated with catalysts to reduce air pollution over the entire life of the stove.

What Our Customers Are Saying:

; Black Mountain, North Carolina

"Condar's replacement catalyst restored my Jøtul stove to its original capability, allowing me to heat my 2,100 square foot home without using another heat source."

Which is better a Catalytic or Non-Catalytic Wood Stove?

One is not inherently better than the other, catalytic and non-catalytic wood stoves operate differently and therefore have different applications. Catalytic wood stoves are better suited to long, stable, continuous primary heating applications, whereas non-catalytic wood stoves are suited to intermittent or supplemental heating applications.

You can still use a non-catalytic wood stove as a primary heating source and get long burn times, high efficiency ratings and warm a large area, however catalytic wood stoves offer extended burn times and a more stable heat output when compared to the non-catalytic versions.

Note: A Hybrid Catalytic unit utilizes triple burn technology, whereas a Catalytic unit uses double burn technology. For discussion purposes assume these units operate and perform similarly – see Technology Explained section below for more detail about the differences.

Wood Stoves vs Wood Inserts

When it comes to the base technology and functionality wood stoves and wood inserts are essentially the same. Now there are some differences but for the purposes of understanding the difference in technology, burn rates, efficiency etc. you can use the term Stove or Insert interchangeably in your mind.

Comparison of Catalytic vs Non-Catalytic Wood Stoves

The following graph shows the difference in fuel consumption, burn temperature, and total burn time of a Regency F2500 Hybrid Catalytic Wood Stove (blue) compared to a Regency F2450 Non-Catalytic Wood Stove (red).

As you can see the F2500 (Hybrid Catalytic) burns for up to 12 hours, maintains a higher, more consistent heat output over a longer period, and uses the available fuel slower than the F2450 (Non-Catalytic).

Note: the above burn was done under a specific set of conditions and not all burns will be equal, it is meant to be used for demonstrative purposes only to highlight the difference between Catalytic & Non-Catalytic models. Heat outputs and burn times will vary based on local conditions, installations & wood type.

Questions about burn times and how they are calculated? See how Regency calculates burn times.

Watch: Our Regency F2450 Non-Catalytic Wood Stove burn for 10 hours

Which Stove Do You Need – Catalytic or Non-Catalytic

Here is a quick guide to help you identify if you should be shopping for a catalytic or non-catalytic wood stove.

Note: The most efficient and environmentally friendly stoves on the market today are 2020 EPA certified to produce less than 2.5 grams/hour of emissions.

Catalytic stoves/Hybrid catalytic stoves are ideal for serious wood burners who are seeking longer, overnight burns. If you live in very cold climate and/or are using your unit as the primary heat source in your home or if you are an eco-conscious consumer looking for the lowest emission wood burning product available a hybrid catalytic wood stove will be your best fit.

Non-catalytic stoves are well suited to someone looking for a straightforward, traditional wood burning stove. Thing to consider for non-catalytic stoves are whether you use your wood stove for supplemental heat, do not live in an extremely cold climate, or only use your wood stove occasionally. In addition, these units are better suited to rental or holiday homes as operating them is very straightforward.

To get expert advice about your specific heating needs and how to choose between a catalytic or non-catalytic wood stove for your application contact your local authorized Regency dealer.

Technology Explained – What is the difference between Catalytic, Non-Catalytic & Hybrid?

The difference between a non-catalytic, catalytic, or hybrid catalytic stove has to do with the way that the fuel is burned after initial combustion. Catalytic and non-catalytic stoves burn the fuel twice – either with a catalyst or with air tubes, where hybrid catalytic stoves burn the fuel three times – with both air tube technology and a catalyst.

What is a Non-Catalytic Wood Stove?

A non-catalytic wood stove uses air tubes and super-heated oxygen to mix with and generate a secondary burn with the gasses and particulates released from burning wood. This results in a fewer emissions and greater efficiency.

Benefits of Regency Non-Catalytic Wood Stoves

• Easy Operation
• Highly Efficient
• Mid-Long Burn Times
• 2020 EPA Certified
• 96% Reduction in Emissions*
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

Looking for a non-catalytic wood stove? Check out Regency’s Classic series of wood burning stoves.

What is the difference between a Catalytic and a Hybrid Catalytic Wood Stove?

A catalytic wood stove uses a catalytic combustor to re-burn the gasses and particulates that are released from the burning wood. These gasses pass through the catalytic combustor, which operates at very high temperatures, and combust – providing increased efficiency, fewer emissions, and longer burn times.

A hybrid catalytic wood stove uses both air tubes and a catalytic combustor to burn the gasses and particulates three times – resulting in extremely efficient fires, very limited emissions, and the longest burn times. After initial combustion the gasses and particulates from the burning wood are mixed with super-heated air and combust a second time. After secondary combustion the remaining gasses and particulates are funneled through the catalytic combustor where they are then ignited for a third and final time, removing virtually all particulates and gasses.

Benefits of Regency Hybrid Catalytic Wood Stoves

• Hyper-Efficient
• Very Long Burn Times
• Stable Heat Output
• 2020 EPA Certified
• 98% Reduction in Emissions*
• Limited Lifetime Warranty
• Industry Leading 10 Year Catalyst Warranty

Looking for a hybrid catalytic wood stove? Check out Regency Pro-Series and Cascades series of wood burning stoves.

You May Also Like…

• Burn Times Explained, How To Maximize Yours
• The Truth About Wood Stove Emissions
• Tips for Properly Seasoning Wood

What does a wood stove catalyst do?

When should I engage my catalytic converter on my wood stove?

Which is better catalytic or non

How long does a catalytic converter in a wood stove last?