Hopper Fire

[Czech]

So my Mom just called, seems they had a hopper fire in their Quad Castile insert. Good new is all is well. She had some problems a couple of days ago and I believe it has been smoldering since then. She happened to open the hopper lid today and it ignited. Although I've heard of this rarely happening, what causes it? I know it's burn back, but how does one avoid it? I've always vacuumed the hopper on mine every month or so just to remove fines, and I always scrap the chute with routine cleanings and have never had a problem. Thoughts? Very glad she's ok, hoping she can get some confidence back as she loved the stove prior to this. Oh, yeah, she mentioned a blackish liquid (?) in the chute and ash pan prior to this, could the liner be leaking? It was installed by the dealer. Thanks.


B

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

first report i have heard of a hopper fire in a quad. Something doenst sound right. The pot would have to be complety full of pellets to back up the chute to start the burn back. Something sounds SERIOUSLY wrong. Feed rate is wacked or something. You need to get a tech out there.

 

[Czech]

They're on the way if not there already. Weird. She called yesterday, said the stove was dead. I asked her what happend, she said something about a big flash (?) fire and then it went dead. I couldn't really tell what she meant, then Dad said something about blackish liquid in the chute and pan (on the phone). I coundn't make it to their place due to work and sick kids. They trouble shot it over the phone with the installer yesteday, and made an appointment to come out. Then the call this morning, I'm just glad all is ok, she almost called the FD.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

This liquid seems to part of the culprit. Please let us know what you find out. What kind of pellets are they burning? If you have looked at the quad desing, you would see that it is almost impossible for that to happen under normal operation.

 

[Czech]

Yeah, I agree, that's one of the reasons I bought mine. If you recall when I got the stove last year, I put it through the paces and couldn't get it to do that if I tried. Whole thing seems weird. They're burning Kentucky Komfort out of Slave Lake Ontario, CA. I burn the same, good softwood pellet. Also some corn thrown in. Mom just called, the installer is taking the stove out and back to their shop, I'll let you know. Thanks MSG.

 

[Czech]

The dealertore the stove out last Friday, they called today to say it is going back to H&H and that they are replacing it with a new one (other one was a floor demo, so that's cool). They did confirm that it did have a hopper fire, but didn't say much else as far as cause goes. They asked what kind of pellets (premium, sold by them) and asked if the corn was clean (shureclean clean), that was it. I'll let you know when we hear from H&H.

 

[drizler]

Me thinks the liquid will be your culpret. Pellets and even more so corn will barely burn at all with no forced air across them. By themselves I can't see how they could flash. Some sort of vapor will do that.

 

[Czech]

Yep Driz, I wish I saw it first hand. I did inspect the vent and alcove after they took it out, all looked fine. Maybe my 5yr twin boys were experimenting again? Seriously, that came up, but they know better to mess with the stove and the hopper lid on that model is a little tricky to open. Even if liquid did get pour inot the hopper, I can't see it getting pulled up by the auger to get it down the chute unless you're talking gallons. I think the hopper combusted due to the inflow of air into day old smoldering pellets when the lid was opened, I can see that happening. How one gets a burn back up the chute, down the auger and into the hopper is a bit hard to envision and remains a mystery!

 

[HarryBack]

black liquids likely a product of incomplete combustion....creosote? I wonder if they were seeing any smoke out the pipe prior to the problem, or smelling smoke? Hopper fire? What abt the possibility of the bin getting hot enough to start the pyrolysis reaction in the hopper...it'll smolder along until it gets a higher temp or more fuel (in this case, air). I dont sell the Quad, its a good unit, and Ive not heard of many hopper fires recently. Im glad to hear that the dealer is out making it right tho! By the way. is this one of those "new and improved" Quads, I wonder? I guess someones gonna be tearing into that stove!

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

black liquids likely a product of incomplete combustion....creosote? I wonder if they were seeing any smoke out the pipe prior to the problem, or smelling smoke? Hopper fire? What abt the possibility of the bin getting hot enough to start the pyrolysis reaction in the hopper...it'll smolder along until it gets a higher temp or more fuel (in this case, air). I dont sell the Quad, its a good unit, and Ive not heard of many hopper fires recently. Im glad to hear that the dealer is out making it right tho! By the way. is this one of those "new and improved" Quads, I wonder? I guess someones gonna be tearing into that stove!

It cant be the new one, there not out yet.