trying to figure this gas explosion thing out

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mrmojo182

Member
Oct 18, 2009
59
East
all,

I have been burning for a few years now. Tonight, with the house really hot, I closed down the Englander 30 all the way. It was burning fine for hours, but just sitting here on the couch now, there was a large explosion in the firebox. The stove top temp was about 400, and there are about 3 splits of pine and 2 splits of oak in the stove (and had been for about 4 hours). When the explosion happened, it blew out the secondaries. I didn't see any smoke in the house, but I think I could see it. Before I could get up to open up the air, it did it again. So, I think this is what back puffing is, but I might be wrong. The explosion was extremely loud and a little large. I don't think I've had this problem in the past, at least, not that i have seen. And I have closed the air down all the way in the past. Anyway, I'm just looking for a little feedback on this. I have the damper open just a little bit now, no issues. I'm afraid to close it down all the way again.

Thanks for your help in advance (and for all the help over the years),

Jon
 
That sounds more like a pitch pocket in a pine split exploded than backpuffing. When it happens it blows out the flames momentarily and sparks fly in the stove.
 
Thanks BB. So even at this stage in the burn there would still be a pitch pocket left? Interesting. You think if I had left the damper open a crack, it wouldn't have mattered.

Jon
 
I've seen that happen in the PE. I stood up after flying over to see what was going on, and looked own at the glass. I could see the smoke rolling, and hitting the air, and "poof", it ignited the secondaries. It was pretty cool to watch .
 
If its loud enough for you to hear it down the hall it may be something of concern. At the very least I would contact Englander and see what they say about it, Perhaps they can replicate the explosion with a similar controlled setup using similar wood.
 
Listen to the wise Brother Bart. Four hours into the burn with a pretty small load doesn't seem like good backpuffing conditions. His theory makes pretty good sense.
 
With me being a newbie and I heard that, I would have done something that I haven't done since I was a wee little baby, and its not start crying. It has to do with diapers, you do the math. Let us know what comes up in your search for answers with the explosion.
 
What's being described is not back puffing.

Back puffing is when you open the stove door, and get nailed with noxious fumes and billowing smoke pouring out of the door. Complete with detectors, pets, and people, running.

Ask me how I know this.
 
Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:
What's being described is not back puffing.

Back puffing is when you open the stove door, and get nailed with noxious fumes and billowing smoke pouring out of the door. Complete with detectors, pets, and people, running.

Ask me how I know this.
You know this cause you own an Englander. Notorious for smoke coming out. LOL
 
KatWill said:
Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:
What's being described is not back puffing.

Back puffing is when you open the stove door, and get nailed with noxious fumes and billowing smoke pouring out of the door. Complete with detectors, pets, and people, running.

Ask me how I know this.
You know this cause you own an Englander. Notorious for smoke coming out. LOL


I know this because it happened in the PE.

Ain't seen it yet in the 13.
 
Do you have a damper?

I have a 30 and know that if I close my air control and close the damper the whole way, I will get explosions in the stove. You'll see a puff of smoke come from around the collar, between the stove and damper. It's coupled with a decent whooompff.

It's kinda scary when you see it and smell it.
 
Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:
What's being described is not back puffing.

Back puffing is when you open the stove door, and get nailed with noxious fumes and billowing smoke pouring out of the door. Complete with detectors, pets, and people, running.

Ask me how I know this.

Eileen, I would not call that backpuffing, but it is nasty to be sure. Backpuffing happens with the firebox door closed. Sometimes it is noisy and sometimes not. With our old Ashley we used to get lots of backpuffing and that also caused nasty smoke smell throughout the house.
 
we call it "precombustion" though the term may not be accurate, essentially the air in the stove is "stalling" being used up then fresh air is entering and reigniting the built up gasses. in most cases its caused by an alternative entry point for air to get into the flue thus robbing airflow from the firebox. suggest doing a lighter check on pipe joints and other potential air leak points , get these sealed so air MUST only flow through the firebox to the flue. BTW cleanout doors are NOTORIOUS for this kind of air leak, make sure they are gasketed
 
A very long time ago, I had a woodstove sharing a flue with an oil burner and the barometric damper on the oil burner would get that woodstove huffing and puffing like crazy. I think these sort of events are rhythmic in nature and in the case of the barometric damper, it had a very specific tempo. None the less, it doesn't sound like what the OP described.
 
stoveguy2esw said:
we call it "precombustion" though the term may not be accurate, essentially the air in the stove is "stalling" being used up then fresh air is entering and reigniting the built up gasses. in most cases its caused by an alternative entry point for air to get into the flue thus robbing airflow from the firebox. suggest doing a lighter check on pipe joints and other potential air leak points , get these sealed so air MUST only flow through the firebox to the flue. BTW cleanout doors are NOTORIOUS for this kind of air leak, make sure they are gasketed

Funny you just posted this suggestion. Last night I did a lighter test on the "T" cap and Stove flue collar, both sucked the flame right in.

I used some high-temp flue tape on the T cap, and will pick up some furnace cement for the flue collar joint.
 
Dang! I've been watching my Englander 30-NCH for run away fires, kinda sorta like BB gets on a rare occasion...

So what happens if you get a run away and a loud boom... ;)

Life with an Englander - Hot and exciting!!!!

Bill
 
Depending on the 'explosion' - 'pops' and 'bangs' seem to be more wood / pitch pocket related. Even if the wood has been in for a while, it can still give off a pretty big bang once one of these pockets heat up. When the stove goes 'woof' or 'whomp' or 'whoosh' - that tends to be a backfire / backpuffing.
 
I was reading in the Woodshed forum a while back how someone had problems with his wood disappearing and that he supected his neighbor was nicking it. He said something about drilling a hole in a split and putting some gunpowder in the hole. Hmmm...
 
I think I have been on Hearth.com too much, I remember that post!
 
LLigetfa said:
I was reading in the Woodshed forum a while back how someone had problems with his wood disappearing and that he supected his neighbor was nicking it. He said something about drilling a hole in a split and putting some gunpowder in the hole. Hmmm...

Yes, now that you mention it - it is my stolen wood which pops the loudest! Hummm??! ( :) )
 
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