eko 60 coughing/sneezing

[barnartist]

I need help solving this problem. It coughs about every 20 seconds while in full combustion. The cough blows upper chamber smoke back out through the fans.
I turned my secondary air down and it may have helped a small amount.

I also searched the forum but couldn't get any results for what its worth. I'm sure this has been covered before.

 

[hartkem]

I need help solving this problem. It coughs about every 20 seconds while in full combustion. The cough blows upper chamber smoke back out through the fans.
I turned my secondary air down and it may have helped a small amount.

I also searched the forum but couldn't get any results for what its worth. I'm sure this has been covered before.

I had this problem with my EKO 40 using really dry small splits. There was to much surface area and so much wood gas that it would puff out the fan. The fix was to mix in some larger split wood.

 

[barnartist]

I had this problem with my EKO 40 using really dry small splits. There was to much surface area and so much wood gas that it would puff out the fan. The fix was to mix in some larger split wood.

My splits are pretty thin and the woos seems very dry...maybe too dry. I have some larger cuts that still have a high water content. I will try mixing it in. Thanks

 

[TCaldwell]

If you are going to burn very dry small wood in general, cut your primary air down and open up the secondary air

 

[barnartist]

If you are going to burn very dry small wood in general, cut your primary air down and open up the secondary air

OK. My fans are only open about 1/2 inch, the secondary at about 40%

 

[BoiledOver]

The fan baffle will cut flow to both the primary and secondary ports. To adjust your air for the concerned ports is done by removing the fan panel to access the slides for the primary inlets and tube baffles for the secondary inlets. I would guess, based from experience and the fact that this issue is new to you, that the huffing is coming from too small of splits. Best of luck.

 

[NateB]

One issue I run into with my 40 is if I put a 2nd load onto hot coals. I some times have that coughing fit. The solution I found is to run the hook tool up through the secondary nozzle, and create openings for the air to get through. If you leave the top fire box chimney flap open, and the bottom front clean out door open, you should hear it sucking air into the upper fire box. If you don't hear it sucking air give the coals a stir through the nozzle, or it will cough on you. Also make sure your heat exchanger is open.

 

[Fred61]

Don't bother changing your air adjustments. It'll just bring you back to square one and you will have to tune it again.
When the nozzle or nozzles get a layer of hot coals over them it restricts the air flow so that it starts puffing. You get an explosion then it starves for combustion air then explodes, etc,etc. Mix in larger, even moister wood to slow down the production of charcoal which will slow the build-up over the nozzle.