About last night. . .

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Troutchaser

New Member
Jan 1, 2010
345
Zone 6
lopi leyden 2009
Got the adrenaline pumping last PM.
Leyden had been cruising in downdraft mode for about an hour with pretty stable temps. 600flue and 600 stove.
Then I started getting those syrupy blue flames rolling around the splits. Then some minor "explosions". This happens and usually I just watch the show. But I noticed a short time later the flue was reading 800, then 900, then 1000, then 1100. . .
At this point, I decided something was amiss and that I needed to kill the secondary air. No foil in house! So, I stuffed a couple of oven mitts into it and within a few minutes I went from 1200 right down to 600.
I cannot figure out what happened. Why did my flue temps skyrocket inside of a few minutes like that? Stove temp never exceeded 650.
Very high pressure and windy. But I don't like to think that means I can't run the stove safely in those conditions.
Any suggestions on what happened? I'm really bummed.

And if I hadn't been a part of this site, I would never have known to cover the secondary and snuff things out. Thank you all so much for that.
 
Is it possible your connector lit off some built-up creosote? My Equinox has done this, the flue thermometer was rising in 50 degree intervals each taking about 2 seconds, scary stuff. If not burn off, could this be similar to what DW owners call "going thermo-neuclear"?
 
Definitely felt like a thermonuclear event. I suppose the creosote burn-off was possible. But man I've been burning some hot fires in this thing.
Hard to believe that much creo. could have built right on the stove like that. Not ruling it out.
I was really suspecting the bursts of fire inside the box to have played a roll. Back of the stove was not glowing, but maybe I got to it before that happened.
 
I've heard this happen many times from other down draft type stove owners and no one seems to know why this happens. In fact many reported seeing the flue collar glowing dull red cuz it got so hot (mostly VC stoves). Maybe the windy conditions had something to do with it?

Also, If your using a Condar probe it seems lately many here have found them to read too high and we are waiting for a response from them and also waiting on a side by side test with a thermocouple from Wess999 to see how accurate they really are so you may be fine.
 
Happened again last night. Had just gotten into everburn mode maybe an hour-hour and a half. flames started rolling around in box and things went thermonuclear shortly thereafter. Finally started cooling after hitting 1200 probe temp and me covering air.
Most all everburns are interrupted by backpuffing. It seems that when these gases ignite in the box, my flue temps skyrocket in short order. These things are definitely related.

It seems that I'm getting leakage through the left door as told by the increased burn on that side of the box. Make sense? I did the $1 test and found some marginally loose areas on that door and the seam where the two doors meet. Could this start my wood burning actively in everburn mode and make for too much gassing-thus causing my problems. I literally ended up with flames rolling at the top of the box in everburn mode last night.
Call in to dealer. Travis seems to think I have a gasket leaking.
Also noticed inrush of air when I opened window and door last night. Definitely pressure issues messing with draft. Thinking of an OAK.
I'm at a loss-and tired.
 
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