Wood stoves are an excellent source of heat for a home. If you are in the market for a wood stove, you will have to decide between Catalytic or Non-Catalytic as these are the two choices the market provides. I have been a wood stove owner for over 40 years and understand the use and maintenance of a stove better than most. This article will discuss the pros and cons of each type and hopefully inform you of the best option for your needs.
Which is better, catalytic or non-catalytic? Non-catalytic wood stoves are more popular and comprise about 80% of the market today. They are typically less expensive and are easier to use. The catalytic stove does have its place in the market. A catalytic stove can be more efficient but must be consistently attended to, to achieve higher efficiency. Hybrid catalytic stoves are even more efficient but you will pay even more for these models.
Each type of stove has pros and cons depending on how you plan to burn and various other issues regarding your location and home. To understand which stove is better for you, we need to look at how stoves burn, how each type of stove works, and then what each stove can do better than the other.
Why Wood Heat
A wood stove is a simple home appliance that burns wood for heat. You may be burning wood because you have an ample supply of wood to burn. You may want to save money on your heating bill. The comfortable feel of the warmth from a wood stove may be your motivation. Whatever the reason for a wood stove, the equation is the same.
Fire
Fire is a chemical action. There must be three items present for a fire to occur. Heat, fuel, and oxygen. If one item is removed, the fire will go out.
In a wood stove, the heat is applied when lighting the stove, usually with a torch or self-lighting system. The flame is applied to the fuel by either manually placing a lit torch to the wood or igniting the gas fired internal lighting system in a stove. It could also be accomplished by a simple newspaper placed under the wood and lit with a match.
Whatever the method, the initial heat needs to be applied and maintained throughout the burning process.
The fuel for a fire is obvious. Wood is the fuel source. A constant supply of wood must be applied and reapplied to the fire for it to continue. If you stop adding wood, the fire goes out. Unless you are only burning a fire for temporary heat, wood needs to be applied to the stove every four to twelve hours depending on the stove.
Oxygen is the controlling factor to maintain the wood stove’s temperature. An air valve on the stove is used to control the fire. When the valve is opened, the fire burns hotter. When the valve is closed, the fire is reduced and the temperature of the stove declines. Wood stoves operate under this simple set of rules. More air plus fuel (wood), more fire! Less air and no fuel, less fire!
The EPA Complicates Things
In 1988 the first regulations were imposed on the wood stove industry. These regulations, aimed at the manufacturers, forced them to build and test stoves with lower PM (Particulate Matter) output. Over the years, the restrictions on PM stove output have increased. The EPA is able to raise these levels with very little backlash as the industry does not have a strong lobby (compared to the big money lobbies) to counter the government agency.
Manufacturers devised the two methods to reduce the PM output level of wood stoves. From the start there have been catalytic and non-catalytic stoves. Each method has its pros and cons. Let’s look at how each works and how it may, or may not, be beneficial to you.
Catalytic Stove
A catalytic stove uses a catalytic device much like a vehicle catalytic converter. This device will re-burn the smoke when heated up to temperature and thus lower the PM that is exhausted out the smokestack.
If you have ever climbed under a vehicle after (or while) it has been running a few minutes, you know the intense heat that is generated by the catalytic converter. That catalytic converter in your car burns up most of the harmful gasses that used to be exhausted into the air. In the same way, a catalytic device in a stove burns up the harmful gasses and particles that would be sent into the air.
One of the drawbacks of a catalytic device is the need to bring the stove up to a very high temperature for it to operate at peak efficiency. To get to this point, the catalytic device needs to be bypassed when it is first lit. This allows the smoke to exit the stove without going through the catalytic device. This helps keep it clean and free from blockages.
So besides burning the stove at a higher heat, the stove does need to be “watched” and the owner needs to understand the proper operation and timing of opening and closing the bypass. In addition, the catalytic device should be removed and cleaned at least once a season. It will need to be replaced after about five seasons. This may be a fairly expensive replacement. Prices are typically $100 – $350 each.
Non-Catalytic Stoves
Non-catalytic stoves make up a much larger share of wood stoves in homes and for sale today. A non-catalytic stove uses a secondary baffle above the firebox to re-burn the smoke. Above this baffle, pre-heated air is introduced to the smoke stimulating the secondary burn. This process has a similar effect as the catalytic device.
The first benefit of a non-catalytic stove is the lower price. They are typically lower but this may just be because there are more stoves built and on the market that are this type. The more likely reason for the higher price is the actual cost of the catalytic device.
The second benefit of the non-catalytic stove is the lower temperature that is required during burning. This provides two positive results including burning less wood since the temperature can be reduced. The additional benefit is when you are heating your home in the spring and fall, the stove temp can be reduced without a negative impact to the wood stove.
The third advantage of a non-catalytic stove is the reduced amount of maintenance. The secondary plate does require cleaning, but this is the same as the rest of the stove. No special cleaning is typically required and no parts need to be replaced.
The Third Type
There is another type of stove that is available and is a combination of both stoves. They are called a hybrid stove. This stove combines a catalytic device and the non-catalytic system into one stove. These stoves are the most efficient when it comes to eliminating the PM and burning up the particles that would be exhausted into the air.
The down side of a hybrid stove is the cost. They are the most expensive wood stove on the market. You will still need to monitor the stove to open/close the bypass system when the stove reaches the correct temperature. In addition the catalytic device will require annual cleaning and replacement when it is no longer collecting the PM as required.
How to Decide
Now that you understand how these stoves work, let’s look at all the other factors that can affect which stove is the right one for you.
One of the first factors to look at is your supply of firewood. A continuous supply of firewood is key to whether a wood burning stove is right for you. As more people burn wood for heat, the supply of firewood is divided between more end users. That means less wood is available for each user as the annual supply is tapped. Under the rules of supply and demand, this raises the cost of firewood for those who purchase it.
Some of you may have a ready, long term solution available. A family owned woods or a pallet factory with cut offs available. Whatever your source, it is a valuable resource to you as long as it is accessible. See my article on The Best Sources of Firewood if you want more information on this subject.
When You Heat
A huge issue is how often you will use your wood stove. Do you plan on heating 24/7 for the entire heating season or do you just want a stove for occasional burning.The type of stove you purchase makes a huge difference. Just getting a catalytic stove up to temperature can take some time and requires a learning curve depending on the stove.
If your stove is only for aesthetic value, the type of stove makes a difference. Most stoves have glass doors for a view of the fire. Less glass is typical with an efficient wood stove. A large set of glass doors would be a good investment if only occasional burning was the plan. Sacrificing efficiency for aesthetics is a good trade off in this case.
On the other hand, if you intend to burn your stove from October to May, the efficiency of the stove is paramount. Depending on your perspective, stove efficiency can have varying meaning to you. If reducing the amount of PM released from your stove into the environment is your primary goal, a hybrid stove with the lowest rating would be the best choice.
If burning the least amount of wood in return for the largest quantity of heat, then a non-catalytic stove is probably the best choice for you. You will also save money on the purchase of a non-catalytic stove.
The Size of Your Home
What room or rooms will you be heating with your wood stove? Do you intend to just heat a single room (where the stove is located) or heat the entire home? Depending on the layout of your home, heating an entire house may easily be accomplished.
Wood stoves are built to heat a square foot area range. The size of the stove determines the size of the area the stove will heat. Some large stoves are capable of heating up to 2500 square feet of home area. This is a large amount of space for a single wood stove. It is also not possible in all homes depending on the layout of the home.
The open area layouts that most recent homes have been built upon will allow a single stove to radiate the heat to a larger area without walls to reduce the movement of air flow. The long, spread out ranch homes, with a 40 foot hallway, built in the 1970’s made the movement of air much more difficult. The bedrooms at the end of these halls would be much cooler due to the lack of air movement required to heat them equally as the rest of the home.
The fan systems in current stoves will move large amounts of air, but not through, around, and behind multiple walls and doors if they are closed. All these layout and design features must be taken into consideration if you plan on heating an entire home with a single wood stove.
Options
Wood stoves typically are a stand alone unit that heat a firebox, take in air from the room they are in and blow that air out in a hotter form into the room. If that air can be sent to other rooms through a duct system, the system becomes more like a furnace for that home. Some wood stoves are designed to do this while most are not. This type of system is an option that can greatly enhance your heating with wood.
The question becomes; do you want a wood stove that looks great or do you want a wood stove that heats great. They can be but are typically not the same piece of equipment. Manufacturers typically build one type or the other. The wood stove that heats great, meaning a large area consistently and evenly is also one that looks and acts more like a furnace.
Furnace-like wood stoves usually are designed to be placed in an area (basement or utility room) that is not a living area. These units are an excellent addition to a home, if you just want a less expensive heat source. If you want a show piece fireplace where guests sit around and enjoy the glow of a wood fire, this is not the wood stove for you.
Conclusion
Catalytic and non-catalytic stoves are both excellent sources of wood stove heat in a home. The advantage goes to a non-catalytic stove in quantity of sales, ease of operation, and price. The catalytic and hybrid stoves are a cleaner burning version when heating with wood. It is a personal decision as each has its place in the wood burning world.
Additional Questions
If you would like more information on wood stoves and which are the best, take a look at my article The 25 Best Wood Burning Stoves. This may help you narrow down your choice of a wood stove if you are in the market or just browsing.
Another question you may be interested in is Can I Operate a Wood Burning Stove More Efficiently? There are many ways to improve your efficiency that are explained in the article including:
- Type of stove you use.
- Fuel.
- Type of wood.
- Preparing your wood (Drying properly).
- The actual operation of the stove.