First "puffing?"

[ArsenalDon]

As many of you know I am a new burner. I have seen posts about "dreaded puffing" I believe the term was used......I think I had my first time of it this AM. These micro bursts of puffing sounds accompanied by little fire bursts.

What is the cause? How to stop it? etc...

 

[raybonz]

As many of you know I am a new burner. I have seen posts about "dreaded puffing" I believe the term was used......I think I had my first time of it this AM. These micro bursts of puffing sounds accompanied by little fire bursts.

What is the cause? How to stop it? etc...

This is caused by the wood smoldering then the smoke ignites all at once which creates pressure that can't all make it up the chimney due to the volume of the expanded gasses. Increase your air a bit, burn larger DRY wood and adjust your air down slower and in stages and maintain some flames during a new fresh load of fuel. Burning large loads of small wood will cause this and sometimes this just happens due to atmospheric pressure..

Ray

 

[ArsenalDon]

This is caused by the wood smoldering then the smoke ignites all at once which creates pressure that can't all make it up the chimney due to the volume of the expanded gasses. Increase your air a bit, burn larger DRY wood and adjust your air down slower and in stages and maintain some flames during a new fresh load of fuel. Burning large loads of small wood will cause this and sometimes this just happens due to atmospheric pressure..

Ray

Makes a ton of sense....I had shut down the air too soon and some of the wood was a bit wet....1+2=3.....thank you

 

[ridemgis]

Do a search on the term "whuffing". As I understand it, you get a load of wood hot enough to crank out a lot of combustible gas and then slam the air feed down all at once. You burn off all the oxygen creating a slight vacuum that pulls a fresh charge of combustion air down the chimney and whuff!

Lot's of youtube videos on the subject.

 

[Sprinter]

It happened to my wife early on with our stove and scared her pretty good. It was during mild outside temps and she turned it down too early. Classic scenario.

I don't know where Meadow Valley is, but if the temps are mild there, you may want to watch for that, as the draft is not strong then, especially if the chimney happens to be short as well.