Gulping, Gasping, Thumping fire Ball!

[Grouper]

Hey guys, Like I mentioned in my other threads, Im VERY new to the whole wood stove thing.
I was wondering if anybody would be able to tell me what cause's these noises!
Im running an OLD Blaze King in my shop. Im experimenting with the chimney right now. I recently learned you need one to create a draft, and the draft is what keeps your house or shop smoke and smell free! I think ive got it close now. On my last burn, There was no smoke at any point. But what did happen, sort of scared me!

I had just installed my "somewhat makeshift temporary chimney" and I started her up. I wanted to really get her cooking hot, to help clean er out from previous learning attemps. (which created a good amount of this stinky stuff we call "creosote".) So there I am Just feeder her wood like no other, and MAN o MAN she was hot.
I know I HAVE to get a temp guage on the stovepipe above the stove. Just havent been to town yet. I never let the fire burn un attended, untill I can get a profesional chimney built. So there I am, enjoying the heat she's pumping out, and not the smoke. I walk outside to see how the chimneys smoke is going. Its all going great, and I watch the smoke tumble out of the chimney! YEA!! (I think my recent small wood scraps from the lumber store might be slighty damp) I dont "think" there should be so much grayish smoke from a roaring fire... But anyway I start to notice The smoke starting to almost Pulse out of the chimney. hm.... havent seen that before. I head back into the shop and I can hear the fireplace almost "thumping" ....thump....thump....thump.... Huh! weird!
So I crack the door on the stove (I always crack it for about 10 seconds befor fully opening it,(I think thats the correct thing to do?)) And POOF theres a loud noise, and a fireball shoots out from the opening I opened up!

After that I left the door opened for a minutes, closed her back up, and everything was peachy!

Can anyone tell me what happend there? It almost seams to me like the fire was so hot, There wasnt enough oxygen for it, and it was gupling it down the chimney and stove pipe..... Is this what happend... What did I do Wrong!?
Thanks again everyone!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

My guess is you had the stove closed down too much when you noticed the stove was hot. While you stopped the air coming in, you didn't stop the wood from gassing off fuel. It sat there until you opened the door and let lots of fresh air in to combust the gasses. Poooff!

You really should get a safe chimney on your setup if you are going to burn.


Matt

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Everything you are learning about the stove now is going to change when there is a chimney. It will be a completely new system.

Matt

 

[madrone]

If I close the primary too far down, I have at times had a situation where secondary combustion is intermittent and explosive. I'm pretty sure it's the result of high temps with insufficient oxygen. It's cool to watch, but puts smoke in the room. Opening the primary just a little corrects it instantly.

 

[Grouper]

Thanks Guy! Yea I know I should have one. I really know. But my argument is im on the west coast of BC, and the rain here is so bad, Its been on national TV. I know my stove and stovepipe are to code. And I know where the pipe goes through the wall is class A and to code. I just dont have the 1000 dollars kicking around right now for the propper chimney! Im only going to use this fireplace in late nov, dec, jan, and early feb. It rains almost everyday. And Im carfull. Still no excuse.... But I "think" its ok for now considering.

I would NEVER run this chimney setup in a house with people in it, or in the dry times of the year. Its a prety mild climate. Its Nov 27, and we've been below 0 one morning so far. only once! So you can tell it wont be used to often. I know its not propper. But like I said, I "Think" given the situations its ok... Please let me know if im dead wrong!

Thanks for your reply! Yea, That makes sence about the gasses being let off by the wood. I know I didnt have the (damper I think Its called) closed when it was doing this, But im pretty sure my damper is on a mechanical thermostat. Maby there was so much air shooting through that the damper was just waving open and closed...?

Anyway, like I said I appreciate the replys and conern for my chimney!
( I think were going on like 35 days here with rain in a row!)

Everything you are learning about the stove now is going to change when there is a chimney. It will be a completely new system.

Matt

And O yea, I do have a chimney on it now, about 9 foot tall with a galvanised cap. But its single wall.

 

[sandie]

Grouper, Why do I think you are pulling our legs? IF you are really doing what you say you are doing, you are going to hurt yourself badly. YOU opened the door and a fireball came out so you left the door open for a few minutes, HUH??? come on, get yourself a chimney and make sure your damper does not just float in the breeze as you indictated, it should be the sort that is either open or closed or it closes in increments but it is not something that floats open and closed really. IF you are for real, be careful.

 

[PapaDave]

Thanks Guy! Yea I know I should have one. I really know. But my argument is im on the west coast of BC, and the rain here is so bad, Its been on national TV. I know my stove and stovepipe are to code. And I know where the pipe goes through the wall is class A and to code. I just dont have the 1000 dollars kicking around right now for the propper chimney! Im only going to use this fireplace in late nov, dec, jan, and early feb. It rains almost everyday. And Im carfull. Still no excuse.... But I "think" its ok for now considering.

I would NEVER run this chimney setup in a house with people in it, or in the dry times of the year. Its a prety mild climate. Its Nov 27, and we've been below 0 one morning so far. only once! So you can tell it wont be used to often. I know its not propper. But like I said, I "Think" given the situations its ok... Please let me know if im dead wrong!

Thanks for your reply! Yea, That makes sence about the gasses being let off by the wood. I know I didnt have the (damper I think Its called) closed when it was doing this, But im pretty sure my damper is on a mechanical thermostat. Maby there was so much air shooting through that the damper was just waving open and closed...?

Anyway, like I said I appreciate the replys and conern for my chimney!
( I think were going on like 35 days here with rain in a row!)

Is there something about that 3 month period that makes it safe to run the stove with what you've led us to think is an unsafe flue setup?
Unsafe is unsafe, no matter the time of day, month, or year. Pics please, and folks here can REALLY tell you what's up.
If you only have 9ft. total, that's several feet too short.
Be safe, and good luck.

Dave

Everything you are learning about the stove now is going to change when there is a chimney. It will be a completely new system.

Matt

And O yea, I do have a chimney on it now, about 9 foot tall with a galvanised cap. But its single wall.

 

[begreen]

Thanks Guy! Yea I know I should have one. I really know. But my argument is im on the west coast of BC, and the rain here is so bad, Its been on national TV. I know my stove and stovepipe are to code. And I know where the pipe goes through the wall is class A and to code. I just dont have the 1000 dollars kicking around right now for the propper chimney! Im only going to use this fireplace in late nov, dec, jan, and early feb. It rains almost everyday. And Im carfull. Still no excuse.... But I "think" its ok for now considering.

I would NEVER run this chimney setup in a house with people in it, or in the dry times of the year. Its a prety mild climate. Its Nov 27, and we've been below 0 one morning so far. only once! So you can tell it wont be used to often. I know its not propper. But like I said, I "Think" given the situations its ok... Please let me know if im dea[removed]nullo;d wrong!

Thanks for your reply! Yea, That makes sence about the gasses being let off by the wood. I know I didnt have the (damper I think Its called) closed when it was doing this, But im pretty sure my damper is on a mechanical thermostat. Maby there was so much air shooting through that the damper was just waving open and closed...?

Anyway, like I said I appreciate the replys and conern for my chimney!
( I think were going on like 35 days here with rain in a row!)

Everything you are learning about the stove now is going to change when there is a chimney. It will be a completely new system.

Matt

And O yea, I do have a chimney on it now, about 9 foot tall with a galvanised cap. But its single wall.

Not sure how in one breath this is considered ok because "I think given the situation it's ok" and in another "I'm clueless". The stove does have the potential for a serious explosion the way it's being run. Essentially what you experienced was a pulse engine. Get out the manual and follow it, starting with increasing the flue pipe height to the proper length. The weather is not an excuse for irresponsible burning. Sorry to be blunt, but the way this stove is being burned, you could end up dead wrong, literally. READ THE MANUAL.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/46579/

 

[brokeburner]

you are gonna kill yourself and your employees. Step back from the stove with your hands up.

 

[littlesmokey]

I stopped reading these posts when he said he stubbed the stack at the thimble and then used well casing, then described six feet horizontal pipe outside, plus his buddy who attacked his square stack to an oak beam.

At least he's not burning cardboard and wet newspaper.

It was funny at first, but not so now. Have a nice time, don't take our advise and join the buckaroo billie forum for potential Darwin award winners.

 

[Grouper]

Thanks for all your concern guys.
to answer a few questions for you:

Grouper, Why do I think you are pulling our legs? IF you are really doing what you say you are doing, you are going to hurt yourself badly. YOU opened the door and a fireball came out so you left the door open for a few minutes, HUH??? come on, get yourself a chimney and make sure your damper does not just float in the breeze as you indictated, it should be the sort that is either open or closed or it closes in increments but it is not something that floats open and closed really. IF you are for real, be careful.

Yes I left the door open. So the fire wasnt starving for oxygen.
I read this post this evening, and I beleive it was the right thing to do. Let the un burned wood catch, so the released gass were burning off as they were released.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/46785/
Maby I was wrong....?
For the Damper floating on the breeze: I believe my damper is on a thermostat, connected via a spring. I believe there was so much heat, and so much air flowing through the pipe, past the damper, it was causeing it to wave open and close possibly

Is there something about that 3 month period that makes it safe to run the stove with what you've led us to think is an unsafe flue setup?
Unsafe is unsafe, no matter the time of day, month, or year. Pics please, and folks here can REALLY tell you what's up.
If you only have 9ft. total, that's several feet too short.
Be safe, and good luck.

Dave

I know the stove is to code inside the shop. Nothing is going to get so hot as to catch on fire. Says my local code. The only thing Not to code is the single wall chimney, and its about 6 foot to short.
I would only worry about starting a huge forest fire. Or burning the shop down. Its not possible for a forest fire in these months because it rains every day in these months. This is a rain forest. Try as hard as you can, it wont happen. And If my shop goes down, well Its not to likley, im in it whenever the fire is going now, and when the fire is going very very hot, there is no area at all around the chimney of the shop that get warm, or even dry out.
I know its still not right. but again, correct me if im WAY outa line here....

Not sure how in one breath this is considered ok because "I think given the situation it's ok" and in another "I'm clueless". The stove does have the potential for a serious explosion the way it's being run. Essentially what you experienced was a pulse engine. Get out the manual and follow it, starting with increasing the flue pipe height to the proper length. The weather is not an excuse for irresponsible burning. Sorry to be blunt, but the way this stove is being burned, you could end up dead wrong, literally. READ THE MANUAL.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/46579/

Your right! I am clueless, but spending alot of time on this site, and learning a bit more each day! I did purposly type "I think" - i ment it in an unsure way. If you know what i mean! I should have types Thiiiiiink! lol
I do not want a serious explosion obviously. I wouldnt thiiiiiiink =) that single wall vs double wall insolated pipe would make that differnce. I do understand now, that a impropper chimney would do that. I believe I have learned from my mystakes, and Have corrected the chimney lenght issue.

you are gonna kill yourself and your employees. Step back from the stove with your hands up.

Its a private shop on an acerage. Its only me risking my life and shop and objects in the shop. I dont beleive im risking my life. I believe driving to the super market bosts higher odds of death. (considering I have corrected my chimney length issue.)

I stopped reading these posts when he said he stubbed the stack at the thimble and then used well casing, then described six feet horizontal pipe outside, plus his buddy who attacked his square stack to an oak beam.

At least he's not burning cardboard and wet newspaper.

It was funny at first, but not so now. Have a nice time, don't take our advise and join the buckaroo billie forum for potential Darwin award winners.

Whats well casin?. I mixed up horizontal and vertical. I sometimes have a beer after work =) I have added more height to that 6 feet =)