Is a stove 'going nuclear'...
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Well if I understand it right (and I probably don't)... it is caused by the burn going 'out of control', which from reading, seems to be from the wood offgassing too quickly, and causing the secondaries to just rumble like a freight train.
It can happen to both. Its just that Cat stoves are less apt for it to happen. As the control is much greater. Secondary combustion is possible with a Cat stove also. Lots of videos out there (and pics) on that.
For example, one way a Cat stove may get away, is if the gaskets are leaking and the air control isnt totally at your control? This is only one scenario, I am sure there are more.
With secondary burn stoves. Its much more prevalent..
For example, one way a Cat stove may get away, is if the gaskets are leaking and the air control isnt totally at your control? This is only one scenario, I am sure there are more.
With secondary burn stoves. Its much more prevalent..
Wasn't this just covered in the How to cool down the stove thread?
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cooling-a-hot-stove.90928/page-4#post-1197009
You can make any stove get too hot by using lots of smaller pieces of super dry wood. Load a cat stove with lots of pallet scraps and forget to close the bypass. About 15 minutes later something is going to be glowing red.
The only stove we've seen go nuclear here is Hogwildz's and that's cuz he has a nearby source of fuel.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cooling-a-hot-stove.90928/page-4#post-1197009
You can make any stove get too hot by using lots of smaller pieces of super dry wood. Load a cat stove with lots of pallet scraps and forget to close the bypass. About 15 minutes later something is going to be glowing red.
The only stove we've seen go nuclear here is Hogwildz's and that's cuz he has a nearby source of fuel.
An occasional backpuff or rumbling, while disconcerting and even frightening, isn't really super scary. An out of control burn IS. That's what I woild call "going nuclear". Backpuff and/or rumble stops immediately with any attention, in my (thankfully) limited experience.
Interestingly to me, while I had my Fireview get hotter than I liked on one or two occasions (my fault...distracted at the beginning of a long burn), I never had a backpuff or rumble in many years of heating. PH, both backpuff and rumble last year, but never anything anywhere near a too hot fire.
They burn very, very differently.
Interestingly to me, while I had my Fireview get hotter than I liked on one or two occasions (my fault...distracted at the beginning of a long burn), I never had a backpuff or rumble in many years of heating. PH, both backpuff and rumble last year, but never anything anywhere near a too hot fire.
They burn very, very differently.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
jharkin
Minister of Fire
Cat stoves can certainly go nuclear. I've had the cat chamber get so hot...over 1800F... that you get spontaneous secondary combustion in the cat inlet which causes the cast iron inside the firebox to glow orange. Scary.
The cause is similar... strong draft and a full load of small splits.
The cause is similar... strong draft and a full load of small splits.
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