Wood stove folks a question
Mr. Perfect
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Ok, so I haven't run a wood stove for any significant time before. I've used a fire place and a fireplace insert and neither of those as the main source of heat for any significant time.
I've been running this stove for about two months now and feel like I am starting to get the feel for how it runs.
But it threw me for a loop yesterday. It was running hot coals and I threw two logs on. Stove temp was measuring about 300+ degrees. I didn't open the damper because usually the logs just catch flame and all is good. But about a half hour later they were still not aflame and the stove was still hot.
So, I opened the damper up. It was like a small bomb went off in there. It blew smoke past the seal on the shut door. I was worried the glass was going to break.
I assume this is a bad condition, but is it normal? Is there a way to avoid it that doesn't involve me opening the damper every time and waiting for flame before shutting it back down a bit?
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Comments
three sides to the fire triangle;
heat
fuel
air
the logs had fuel and heat. they were starved for air to ignite, so they just kept pre heating. Once they got some more air, poof explosive flame. Think of the movie years back, 'backdraft', or how a raging forest fire causes trees to explode into flames. Can be a dangerous situation. If you blew smoke past the door seals, you now know this. Be careful.
Yep.. that would be an experience. The damper must be open to run .
Yep, what Joe said. Super heated smoke(fuel) got a dose of oxygen, and kablam.
Also check to make sure you chimney is clean and unstopped. My mothers chimney will almost stop up from using green wood and will do that, until I brush the chimney inside good.
Like they said above, open the damper and the vents and wait 'till you hear it going again before opening the door. Are you throwing a little creosote remover in there on the hot coals about once a week? I use the Rutland brand, it comes in a little quart tub and has a scoop. ACE hardware should have it in stock.
Are you mixing that pine in with some tamarack and Douglas Fir?
Have your wife do it.
Seriously, the fire was sitting there waiting for oxygen. When you opened the damper, the superheated coals began accelerated combustion. Then it's like a runaway train.
Remember the movie "Backdraft"?
Thats what I said,,
And you said so well.
Sounds like it was starved for air. You gave it air and it took off.
I heat my house 100% with wood in South Dakota winters. 15 degrees this morning. Wind is 16 mph.
Burning some old elm this morning. It is not the best firewood and takes more attention than other to keep a good fire going. I have a large stockpile of dry hackberry and box elder that I will be switching to in the next couple weeks as I run out of elm.
Two weeks ago I cut a a winter's supply of maple. It is wet and needs to dry.
100 percent wood heat in South Dakota. Good God! That strikes close to home, as my family homesteaded in Mina SD and lived there for decades. I have many stories from my father about South Dakota winters.
What kind of stove do you have?
I also heat my home in Wisc. with wood. lm about 4 years ahead with firewood, I only burn dry wood mostly oak. Ive got a boiler in the basement and can heat the house with 12 to 14 facecords per year. Im backed up with fuel oil and use maybe 50 gallons peer year. Ive got a tree farm so wood is readily available.
I am just going to guess and say it was starved for air. Don
Not sure what the stove is. Was in the basement when I moved in. House is 12 years old and I think the stove is as well. It is not a big stove but it heats a good sized house.
We keep the furnace set at 55 degrees and the stove keeps the house at 70 easy enough.
Mina is good deer and bird hunting. I just killed deer with an arrow by Summit SD, kinda in that neck of the woods. Got a friend in Stratford SD which is a little closer to Mina.
I am. We purchased some tamarack to blend in with it this year while the bulk of our pine dries and ages. I have found that dry pine is a great heat producer, contrary to a lot of what I have read. It does leave more ash in the stove than the tamarack does, but dry pine barely smokes at all and burns very hot, although quickly.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain