How often does the CAT need replacing?
That will likely depend on usage.
That's a nice looking stove!
Plugging up a catalytic element largely depends on the moisture content of the wood.
If you cut in the summer and burn in the fall, the fuel is probably not seasoned enough and will plug up the element in any stove.
Then add in people wanting long burns with the stove closed down, burning well seasoned wood is essential.
A temperature gage on the flue really helps.
The cat can be cleaned by poking out the individual holes, however most are ceramic, and as they age they become more fragile and crumbly.
They are intended to be replaced every number of years as regular maintenance.
The plus is burning cleaner (less chimney build up) and more heat from the fuel (or less fuel used).
Hot burns helps keep the cat and glass clean.
When cleaning the chimney I pull ours out as a precaution to keep it clean, and inspect and clean if necessary, or replace if fatigued.
We have two cat stoves that are the same, and keep a cat element on hand, as the one good wood stove store we had close by, closed many years ago.
Vermont Casting, also not as popular as it used to be, and dealers no longer stock many items they once used to, with mail order what it is.
