Blowback/Explosion?

[Grigs1]

I have an Avalon/Newport Bay, about 8 years old. Good condition, I clean regularly and there is no obvious ash/creosote/gunk buildup anywhere I can see. I also pull it out (insert) once a season or so and vacuum everything I can possibly reach. Had a chimney cleaner out about a year ago for the first time ever and he said things were dirty but not scary.

Problem - a few times per winter I get a long light time and then a very loud WHOOMPH! where there appears to be an explosion inside the stove, all sorts of ash and odd stuff is blown into the room, and there are flaming clinkers outside of the burn pot for a long time. I assume this is blowback, and think this occurs when I mistakenly start the stove with a full burn pot (unintentionally).

Also, I wonder about the seal around the door, it is loose and I carefully pack it back in to make a decent seal after cleaning, but am not positive there is one. Otherwise, the stove runs fine and has done so for a long time.

Thoughts? Advice?

 

[Snowy Rivers]

What is happening is that the pellets are smoldering and producing a combustible gas that when it reaches just the right concentrations and the temp is just right it flashes over, WHUUUUMPH


My stoves will do this at times on real low setting. The nut shells will at times fall into the pot and nearly smother the tiny little fire.
Once the coals heat the shells and the air flowing through gets just right it will go Pooooof and at times will blow a little smoke out the air wash passages over the tops of the glass windows.


I dont really think its a serious issue but more of a nuisance thing.


Snowy

 

[imacman]

....... I wonder about the seal around the door, it is loose and I carefully pack it back in to make a decent seal after cleaning, but am not positive there is one.

Thoughts? Advice?

My thought is that the door seal needs to be replaced. Even with an "explosion" of the built-up smoke from a slow ignite, there shouldn't be any smoke or ash coming out of the stove into the room.

And the slow ignite may be directly caused by that same worn-out door gasket.....air is coming in through that instead of through the burn pot.....replace the gasket and you may fix 2 problems at the same time. 8 years is way beyond what you should expect one of those to last.