We occasionally get back puffing. It typically happens a little after closing the damper. The fire dies down and then it suddenly bursts alive again accompanied by a burst of smoke that escapes from the stove. I can then usually open the damper back up and clear it up. We're burning very dry wood and closing the damper at around 500 or so. Any idea on what might be causing this?
Back Puffing in VC Defiant 1610 (non-cat)
- Thread starter bdl
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What kind of chimney is it hooked up to? Backpuffing is a chimney symptom and usually means it is not hot enough or your draft stalled out for one reason or another.
I'm sorry what type of chimney information do you need? I believe it's a masonry chimney and it runs to the top of the second story of our house. I'm sorry, but I'm not very knowledgable about this type of thing, so I don't know what the relevant information is.
We burned last year without this problem and the person who owned the house before us burned constantly for years without problems. We had it swept and inspected recently (have only had a few fires since sweeping and have had this problem each time).
Diabel
Minister of Fire
Cause on any stove is really the same... too much wood, not enough fire. Or to elaborate... you load a bunch of wood and it starts to smoulder. Wood smoke is flammable, (borderline 'explosive') - especially the first smoke coming out of a new log. So you fill the firebox with smoke, then the race begins... can you vent the smoke out before it lights off?!?!
Some things that may help:
Reload stove before the old coal bed has cooled off too much
Open the air prior to re-load to 'wake up' the coal bed and get it hot again
Leave the air open wider after a reload to encourage hot coals and vacate the smoke before it can build up to explosive/flammable levels.
Don't close the air down too fast and snuff out existing flames... This seems to be the worst for me. If flames go out, that wood is still smoking. Smoke can accumulate and you only have one option to get rid of it...open the air. If the fire heats up before the smoke vents out.... WHOOF!!
A masonry chimney takes longer to heat up than, say, a metal chimney or insulated liner. If you have extra dry wood, you may be closing it down sooner than is typical which gives the chimney less time to warm up. As others have suggested try running it with the damper open a little longer and don't shut down the air quite as fast.
I'm guessing this issue is the worst after a cold start? Does it still happen 2-3 hours into the burn?
I'm guessing this issue is the worst after a cold start? Does it still happen 2-3 hours into the burn?
jetsam
Minister of Fire
If I wasn't sure how my stove was vented, I would never light a fire in it!
Any time you have increased symptoms of poor draft, you should at sweep and inspect the whole length of your flue. Takes 15 minutes and it can save you from a chimney fire.
Let us know what you see when you inspect it- sounds like maybe you need an insulated liner.
Any time you have increased symptoms of poor draft, you should at sweep and inspect the whole length of your flue. Takes 15 minutes and it can save you from a chimney fire.
Let us know what you see when you inspect it- sounds like maybe you need an insulated liner.
Thank you! It does keep happening. The strange thing is that I haven't been putting very much wood in at all (only three or four small to medium sized pieces)and I haven't been letting things get too cold (reloading soon after it drops below 450). And it's had those bursts even before I've turned the air down (the damper is closed but the air is open to full blast), so it doesn't seem to be about shutting the air down to quickly. In short, I've been trying smaller loads, more heat, and more air and still have the problem.
I have found that if I notice the flames disappear rapidly rather than gradually, a burst will usually happen soon after. If I open the damper in advance, I can prevent it and then let it get going again before closing the damper. Once the logs have turned to charcoal, I'm fine, but the new longs do seem to have these bursts for the first hour or so after loading them.
I can't help but feel that there's some problem with the stove, but our chimney guy looked at it and found nothing wrong (he's rebuilt some of these before it seems). At present the only solution seems to be to watch it like a hawk for the first hour or so after reload and then preemptively open the damper if the flames die abruptly. I'd love to know if there's another way.
I have found that if I notice the flames disappear rapidly rather than gradually, a burst will usually happen soon after. If I open the damper in advance, I can prevent it and then let it get going again before closing the damper. Once the logs have turned to charcoal, I'm fine, but the new longs do seem to have these bursts for the first hour or so after loading them.
I can't help but feel that there's some problem with the stove, but our chimney guy looked at it and found nothing wrong (he's rebuilt some of these before it seems). At present the only solution seems to be to watch it like a hawk for the first hour or so after reload and then preemptively open the damper if the flames die abruptly. I'd love to know if there's another way.
We've had it inspected by certified professionals and cleaned. It doesn't seem to be an issue with the chimney or venting.
How does one know about internal degradation of the combustion assembly? Is there an easy way for a novice like me to tell. The wood is extremely dry.
Yes, it's definitely worse after a cold start. It gets better (but doesn't completely stop) as the day goes on.
So you're saying you see the flames disappear even when the air intake is fully open? That's not normal. I would check the primary air flap to make sure it's opening all the the way and that the thermostat isn't closing it too early. Then check the combustor to make sure it is not clogged up.
This thread might help
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Update....Vermont Castings Defiant 1610 Non-Cat
Hello, several weeks ago I asked for some help on issues with my VC Defiant non-cat stove. I was having back puffing and the stove was starved for oxygen.....it would really only run with the damper open or else I would get visible smoke from backpuffing or a strong smoke odor. I replaced my...
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