Flare up...

[Mettlemickey]

So, I just noticed my stove was down to the last few embers of the wood it's been burning for an hour or two, so thought I'd pop another log on. Only when I opened the door a plume of flames shot out the top and nearly knocked me backwards!

As I say it was just down to the glowing embers, no flames in there before I opened the door.

Does anyone know how that happened? Makes me think I need to be more careful reloading and to warn the wife to do the same!

Thanks
JC

 

[mellow]

Sounds like it had a buildup of gasses and that extra air when you opened the door ignited them.

Open your primary air for a few seconds before opening the door.

 

[bwells794]

Sounds like it had a buildup of gasses and that extra air when you opened the door ignited them.

Open your primary air for a few seconds before opening the door.

and open the door slow... always. I usually open it to a crack and let anything that stirred up settle down before I open it the rest of the way. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Mettlemickey]

I certainly will in future bwells!

 

[Michael6268]

Ditto on previous responses. Gas builds up and goes "kaboom" easily sometimes.
I burn coal and you really have to be careful with that. You'll blow your eyebrows off !

 

[Mettlemickey]

Are there any kind of conditions that make this more likely to happen?

 

[mellow]

A smoky smolder with no active flames to help burn the gasses.

 

[Mettlemickey]

That sounds about right. Not sure this oak is as well seasoned as I thought. It's giving off a fair bit of smoke.

 

[mellow]

Once the fresh air hit the coals that was enough to get them up to temp which then ignited the flammable wood gas.

 

[Mettlemickey]

Will definitely open that primary air vent first next time mellow.

 

[xman23]

Not that I do this, but I recall reading, I think in my stove manual. They say before opening the loading door , fully pen the air control for 1 minute. So when you and I don't do that you get flare ups, popping splits. I'm ready to close the door to stop the sparks from flying out. I don't recall having a gas flare up that blue me away, but I guess it was the perfect storm.

 

[spirilis]

Yeah less-than-well-seasoned firewood might do that. I had something like that happen a week ago (unexpected smoke pouring out the door). Always hard to tell when the firebox is dark with red coals.