Loud popping sproing sound - Enviro Boston 1700 insert

[Berkshire]

Hello,

I've recently installed an Enviro Boston 1700 insert, prefessionally installed and in daily use for about a month. However, recently I have noticed that once or twice a day there is a distinctive and somewhat unnerving, loud, sproinging sound, as though a piece of sheet metal were bent then allowed to spring back into shape. This is different than the usual pops and pings as the metal expands on startup. I can't say whether it happens at any particular time in the start-up or cooling-down process, but it happened this morning as I turned on the fan to max and closed the flue to slow the burn a big slower and push out more heat, so it did start to cool.

I imagine part of the exhaust flue or a sheet of metal in the back is, as it sounds, just popping into shape on cooling or heating, but it's quite loud and since it is new I wanted to ask a group of experts if this is something I should be concerned about.

Thanks,

Tom C in western MA

 

[begreen]

Welcome. When the stove is cool, carefully investigate the entire stove for any cracks, particularly in a weld. Also, look at the baffle and secondary rack mounting and make sure all welds there are intact.

 

[Berkshire]

I'll do that. If I don't find any obvious cracks, does this sound like something I should contact the dealer about?

 

[begreen]

It wouldn't hurt to ask the dealer if he or Enviro has any reports on this. It would be good to get this concern on record. If it is loud, obvious and reproducible then have the dealer come out to hear it.

 

[Woody Stover]

I had this happen on the Buck recently; Loud bang shortly after I opened the door to load the fairly cool stove. I inspected the welds except for the back-to-top weld, which would have been difficult to see, even with the stove out of the fireplace. I emailed Buck and a tech said that it was probably the plate-steel side flexing, and that's what it sounded like to me. I think it would have been a sharper sound had a weld let go.

 

[DougA]

I'm not a welder - well, at least not very a good one - so just my non-expert opinion on this: I would think a bad weld would come apart fairly quickly when a stove is new. A half bad weld will come apart after a great many hot/cold cycles. I think popping on the heat/cool cycles would be more apt to be sheet metal than a weld. One of the problems with an insert is that it's tough to get at the back and inspect carefully but I would leave it unless you see a change in performance of the stove, such as overfiring or smoke in the room. I'd want to do a very thorough inspection at the end of the season otherwise.

 

[RSNovi]

What was the insert installed into? My original zero clearance fireplace would make a loud bang when I first turned on the gas logs. It would do the same a little time after I shut them down.