Englander NC30 - Creaking and cracking during heat up?

[DPurvis]

I am burning in my Englander NC30 for the first year and have noticed that whenever we get a fire blazing (just before the secondaries kick in) the stove has a tendency to "talk." The stove will begin to make creaking and groaning noises (I am sure it is from rapid metal expansion/contraction). I figured after a few weeks the noise would go away, but here we are several months into the burn season and so far it makes noise every time we hit that threshold. Is this anything to be concerned about?

 

[Doug MacIVER]

stove sonar, pings on the way up and on the way down. metal moving. some here will have the technical explanation.

 

[Hogwildz]

Normal.

 

[BobUrban]

You will have to melt it for that to not happen anymore. Listening to mine as I type and have been burning in it for years. The good news is you will eventually know what it is saying and be able to tell how hot it's getting from another room.

 

[Hunker Down]

I hear the same noises. I do not have seasoned wood, so when I hear the stove talking It says "Miller Time" it just dried out my splits and the secondaries are cruising nicely. I was worried the first few times as well. The hearth.com put me at ease. Hope it does the same for you!

 

[Dix]

Very normal.

I notice that both stoves ping a bit more for the first few fires in the fall.

 

[WoodpileOCD]

I love that sound. Music to my ears.

 

[firefighterjake]

My wife calls those pinging, occasional snapping and ticking noises the "sound of heat."

 

[DPurvis]

Good to know there is nothing to worry about. "The sound of heat" ...I like it

 

[fitter9]

That ticking sound is like an alarm for me if I'm not in the room with the stove. If it's ticking too long and loud it usually means I forgot to turn the air down.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

After 5 years mine still ticks. I let my nose tell me when I forgot to turn it down.

 

[Z33]

I let my nose tell me when I forgot to turn it down.

Same here... My wife looks at me like I have lost my mind when I say the stove smells hot. For some reason she just doesn't pick up on that hot steel smell like I do.

 

[DPurvis]

So you're telling me that the smell will not ever go away? When our stove gets hot (500-600 stove top temp) it lets off a smell that gives my wife an upset stomach. :/

 

[Z33]

So you're telling me that the smell will not ever go away? When our stove gets hot (500-600 stove top temp) it lets off a smell that gives my wife an upset stomach. :/

That sounds more like the paint fully curing out. If it were me I would push it a touch further to the 700 range ( the stove can handle it) and try and get it fully cured. I have no paint fumes smell from mine no matter how hot I run it now.

The smell I refer to my wife does not even smell....Its hard to describe other than to say when i run mine up to 750 or so I get that hot steel smell.... You never smell it at less than 700.

 

[BobUrban]

As a welder and black smith -you are spot on. The smell of hot steel.

 

[deere317]

My does it all the time good reminder to start turning the air down