Have an old St Croix Auburn that we don't run all the time. Woke up this morning to a basement full of smoke. Handle was melted inside the hopper. Not sure what happened. Anyone have any ideas, and what I should start looking for?
thanks.
thanks.
Hopper Fire
- Thread starter setterboy
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JRemington
Minister of Fire
Sounds like a positive draft stove issue. I have no idea if it is but it sounds like it is and why stove builders quit building positive draft stoves some years ago. If it is, I'd be upgrading before you burn your place down or turn it into a smokehouse.
There could be another issue as well. Is the gasket intact that surrounds the lip of the lid where you put in the pellets? The gasket on the lid MUST be intact and LEAKPROOF to insure that no partially burned pellets can ignite the fuel feed and burn back up through the pellet supply. If that gasket is at all compromised, it will allow heated air and embers to flow up the auger and into the hopper (remember, hot air rises) and in your case, rises into the pellet hopper. Very first thing you need to do is inspect the gasket and if it is any way compromised, REPLACE it.
I think if it's a positive draft stove (where combustion air is pushed, not pulled through the firebox, I'd be getting a new stove and sending the old one to the scrap yard. Positive draft stoves are inherently dangerous especially when the hopper lid gasket is compromised.
There could be another issue as well. Is the gasket intact that surrounds the lip of the lid where you put in the pellets? The gasket on the lid MUST be intact and LEAKPROOF to insure that no partially burned pellets can ignite the fuel feed and burn back up through the pellet supply. If that gasket is at all compromised, it will allow heated air and embers to flow up the auger and into the hopper (remember, hot air rises) and in your case, rises into the pellet hopper. Very first thing you need to do is inspect the gasket and if it is any way compromised, REPLACE it.
I think if it's a positive draft stove (where combustion air is pushed, not pulled through the firebox, I'd be getting a new stove and sending the old one to the scrap yard. Positive draft stoves are inherently dangerous especially when the hopper lid gasket is compromised.
Ssyko
Minister of Fire
The auburn is a negative pressure stove. And it must be plugged up pretty bad to fill the pot and chute then down the auger shaft then smolder in the hopper. I would tear that stove completely apart “outside”and take some serious high pressure air to it in every crevice, with a leaf blower sucking out the tail pipe
Acting like a positive pressure unit but negative pressure, must be real nasty inside. Probably the venting is loaded as well. Nothing beats a regular maintenance schedule....right? 
Yes my bad only run the stove when it gets real bad outside. Will give it a good cleaning tomorrow but wait until spring to take it out to open it up. Thanks for the help. TimActing like a positive pressure unit but negative pressure, must be real nasty inside. Probably the venting is loaded as well. Nothing beats a regular maintenance schedule....right?
You might be right it was running fine until now. Will take vent off and check. Thanks Tim
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