Help! Hello all, I have a BK Ashford 30. It's about 5 yrs old. I have observed a phenomenon of some kind of sudden combustion inside the stove over the years -- dark stove then a combustion throughout the box -- but last night's was greater by a factor of 10 (or 100). It woke me up. The stove actually shook I realised after looking around for something that had fallen in the room and noticing the cat trying to figure the same. I turned the thermostat to full and opened the cat handle and cracked the door and there was another booomph which sent grey smoke (ash?) out the crack. It's been burning well since then but I need to know what's happening. Thanks for any help!
!Booooomphh! inside stove shook stove & woke us!
- Thread starter green pacific
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Usually caused by a build up in the flue or in the secondary chamber. That happened to me when I went to engage the cat in my intrepid - stove got red/dark and built up pressure/heat. The secondary chamber had gotten clogged with ash and eventually it puffed, shooting ash and flame up the flue to release pressure. It was fine to burn after that (and I eventually cleaned it out) but the cat should be inspected before operating further. Flue should be inspected as well now that you probably have ash in there.
When you went to open the damper, you have a sudden release of said pressure and increase of oxygen and explains the additional puff.
When you went to open the damper, you have a sudden release of said pressure and increase of oxygen and explains the additional puff.
Sounds like a "back draft" or what some folks here may call a "back puff" where the fire is starved for oxygen (sometimes due to the air control being turned down too low), but temps are high enough so the wood is off-gassing . . . enough gas collects in the fire box and if there is enough of a temp it will ignite. How much excitement you may experience with such an affair depends a lot on the amount of gas being produced . . .
I agree probably a back puff. Usually happens when folks fill up the stove on hot coals then crank down the air to stretch out the burn overnigth. If its gusty out, a backdraft down the stack can set it off.
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