Keystone question - opening ash pan door to get more air?

[kayakkeith]

So dont know if this is good or not to do:
So some mornings I come down and there is not enough hot coals to just throw on some splits and get it fired back up. So what I do is just open the ash pan door and the draw gets them going fast - then I just throw on some small splits and close the pan door after a minute and we are good to go. Any issues with that?? The main thing I see is you cant forget it and walk away because it would fire up big time. Dont have to always do it but now and then

 

[shawneyboy]

Danger of walking away, danger of damaging stove, danger, danger, danger Some others do it but IMHO this is a BIG NO, NO .

 

[Jags]

This is very dangerous, ask me how I know. What CAN happen, even if you are sitting in front of the darn thing is that the rate of outgassing can go ballistic (and no, you won't see it happening), and then when you shut the door it will try and pull air from anywhere it can. Sometimes it will come down the stack - if this happens - BOOM! Its called a flash back.

I have done what you are talking about exactly ONE time. The explosion in the firebox required a change of skivvies and the concern that I might have to retrieve my stove from the basement. I immediately did an inspection of all pipe joints and then consumed a good slug of Vodka to calm my nerves.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Edit - Don't leave the ashpan open.... what i do is when I leave the door ajar to start a new fire, I immediately walk over to the timer on the stove and set it for a minute or so. That way, I hear the beep and know to close it up. Also, I do this on reloads....throw in the splits on a bed of coals, close the door, and then set the timer for say 5 minutes....Basically, this gives me the sound to come down and start closing off the air adjustment. (Not 5 minutes with the door open)
Again, don't condone it...but you can probably pick up a cheap timer and just place near the stove...only works if you set it though ;-)

 

[BrowningBAR]

I have an ash pan on two stoves. I don't do this. I have seen and read that you can warp parts of your stove by doing this. Crack the side door if you need a little extra air.

 

[Jags]

Dave - there is a big difference between cracking the door or cracking the ash pan. The ash pan brings air under the fire. It essentially turns it into a forge (or a coal stove).

 

[begreen]

I would contact Woodstock tech support. This could void the warranty. Most stoves have explicit warnings about using the ash pan door to start a fire. The intense, forge like heat can crack the bottom grate and even the base of the stove because of the rapid heating and extreme differences in temperatures of the surrounding materials. Woodstock advices bringing the stove up to temperature gradually for this reason.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Dave - there is a big difference between cracking the door or cracking the ash pan. The ash pan brings air under the fire. It essentially turns it into a forge (or a coal stove).

I know...and after I read my post I guess I didn't explain it well...meant to infer to try leaving the door open a crack vs the ashpan. I'll edit my original response to make my post a little clearer. (my error)

 

[shawneyboy]

Dave - there is a big difference between cracking the door or cracking the ash pan. The ash pan brings air under the fire. It essentially turns it into a forge (or a coal stove).

I know...and after I read my post I guess I didn't explain it well...meant to infer to try leaving the door open a crack vs the ashpan. I'll edit my original response to make my post a little clearer. (my error)

Well that changes everything ! Leave the door open a crack ? Sure, just don't leave the room. Still have the danger of forgeting about it if you do.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Dave - there is a big difference between cracking the door or cracking the ash pan. The ash pan brings air under the fire. It essentially turns it into a forge (or a coal stove).

I know...and after I read my post I guess I didn't explain it well...meant to infer to try leaving the door open a crack vs the ashpan. I'll edit my original response to make my post a little clearer. (my error)

Well that changes everything ! Leave the door open a crack ? Sure, just don't leave the room. Still have the danger of forgeting about it if you do.

Ok, don't want to hijack the post. When I leave the door open a crack, I am standing right in front of the stove 99.9% of the time When I do set the timer on the stove, I am still in the room or the adjacent room...call it OCD I guess. To the OP, disregard my comments on this thread...my apologoes.

 

[leeave96]

I've got a Keystone and I think you are asking for trouble. We don't crack the ash pan or door.

A better solution would be to get some Super Cedars - they will get a safe fire going in short order.

Good luck,
Bill

 

[cptoneleg]

I've got a Keystone and I think you are asking for trouble. We don't crack the ash pan or door.

A better solution would be to get some Super Cedars - they will get a safe fire going in short order.

Good luck,
Bill

Oh really how do you put wood in it. My stove even has a screen door that goes with it, so I guess all of this door openig depends on type of stove.

And I won't open ash door again for a little boost.

 

[firefighterjake]

I think by now the OP probably realizes that the general consensus is . . .

Leaving ash pan open to start the fire = bad
Leaving the fire box door open to start a fire = good . . . if monitored.

 

[kayakkeith]

yep - now know not good to do - thats why I asked

 

[cptoneleg]

And I am glad you asked I had thought the only danger was to forget and leave it open.

 

[Todd]

Ok, I'll admit I'm guilty of this. I don't see anything wrong with opening the ash pan door to bring some dead coals back to life. I wouldn't start a fire with it open, no need to, but when you get up in the morning after a 12 hour burn and there is nothing but a couple black chunks in the back of my stove I'll rake it around and open up the ash pan door to bring it back to life if needed. Of coarse I'm sitting right there and it only takes a minute to get them red again then I shut the door and add wood.

 

[kayakkeith]

yea - thats all I really do - I dont keep it open to fire up a whole load of wood - just to get the coals a little red again - then I if I need I might throw some fatwood in with the splits - again pretty much like you just a minute or so to get the black coals red again.

 

[firefighterjake]

Did it when I first had the stove . . . read about personal anecdotes of what happened to other folks . . . realized that Murphy's Law should perhaps be renamed Jake's Law . . . learned to be more patient when using the firebox door . . . life is good . . . and no worries about damaging the stove . . . sure it may take a few minutes longer to wake up those coals and get a fire going . . . but if I wanted instant gratification I would still be burning oil.