I just experienced this occurrence last week and I have already found this thread https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/88611/ confirming my theory on what had happened.
I had just turned down the air (incrementally) for the night cruise, top was 550, good load of 18 month C/S/S shagbark and ash. After about 20 minutes, the secondaries started to die, another 10 minutes later the end grain flames gone as well, top declined to about 450. Air control was in the 15-25% open range and never had a problem with smothering before. The coal bed was established and the chimney was up to temp.
I got up from my seat and opened the air to 50%. If I've turned down the air too quick this will always get the flames going again...no luck this time. I then opened it fully, coals in the trough starting to show signs of hell returning...go back to my seat.
The first one sounded like a THUD...probably a split shifting, back to Swamp People....then another WOOF, what the???...I looked over at the stove and saw a puff of smoke come out of the top oval plate. As I'm walking over to the stove I see it
Big secondary flame ignition and another puff of smoke, but this time the whole load maintained a normal fire...everything was back to usual. I then let it get back up to tempurature and turned her down again. She purred the rest of the night.
It was VERY windy and snow was blowing hard this evening, maybe it was a wierd atmospheric phenomenon combined with the air control turn down.
Next time I am going to crack the side door before expecting the air intake to provide the air needed for re-ignition. Seeing the top oval plate fart a smoke ring is pretty freaky!
I had just turned down the air (incrementally) for the night cruise, top was 550, good load of 18 month C/S/S shagbark and ash. After about 20 minutes, the secondaries started to die, another 10 minutes later the end grain flames gone as well, top declined to about 450. Air control was in the 15-25% open range and never had a problem with smothering before. The coal bed was established and the chimney was up to temp.
I got up from my seat and opened the air to 50%. If I've turned down the air too quick this will always get the flames going again...no luck this time. I then opened it fully, coals in the trough starting to show signs of hell returning...go back to my seat.
The first one sounded like a THUD...probably a split shifting, back to Swamp People....then another WOOF, what the???...I looked over at the stove and saw a puff of smoke come out of the top oval plate. As I'm walking over to the stove I see it
Big secondary flame ignition and another puff of smoke, but this time the whole load maintained a normal fire...everything was back to usual. I then let it get back up to tempurature and turned her down again. She purred the rest of the night.It was VERY windy and snow was blowing hard this evening, maybe it was a wierd atmospheric phenomenon combined with the air control turn down.
Next time I am going to crack the side door before expecting the air intake to provide the air needed for re-ignition. Seeing the top oval plate fart a smoke ring is pretty freaky!
