Pacific Energy super 27 made loud bang!

[eastcoastcanada]

Hay guys, I've got my new Pacific Energy super 27 'heritage' up and running and it's fantastic! The heat penetrates the entire 2200 sf area of my home only hours after starting and I'm extremely happy with the unit so far. However, I have concerns over something that just happened tonight. I've been using the stove at just above 400 degrees to avoid real intense heat in the house but tonight I got her up to 700 degrees and it made a very loud bang and now it's making lots of clicking noises. The loud bang was significant enough to startle me as I was sitting in the chair next to the stove. The thermometer is a probe type placed in the flue about 24" from the stove top. It was indicating just about 700 when the bang happened. I'm concerned the bang was a weld or welds letting go and the new clicking noise is moving metal. It's been almost silent the past hour but its on my mind. Anyone else have any idea or have experienced this before? Clearly, I haven't over fired the stove so what just happened?

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Are you sure the bang was from the stove and not the flue? About all you can do is inspect it with a mirror and good lighting once it's cool. It might be nothing!

 

[begreen]

700F on the probe thermometer is high unless the fire was just getting started. It could indicate a too high firebox temp. When did this happen? During the first hour startup or after burning for a longer time? Where was the air control set when this happened? All the way closed?

Do you also have a stovetop thermometer?

 

[Hogwildz]

Sounds like a build up of nasty gases, and when you cranked it up, it ignited. It happens.

 

[blacktail]

When people discuss stove temps, they're usually talking about temps measured on the stovetop. Keep that in mind when you read about people running their stove at 600+.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

Are you sure the bang was from the stove and not the flue? About all you can do is inspect it with a mirror and good lighting once it's cool. It might be nothing!

I'm not entirely sure. The bang was significant enough that I wouldn't think it would come from a thin wall flue pipe. FYI, my flue pipe is double wall vortex.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

700F on the probe thermometer is high unless the fire was just getting started. It could indicate a too high firebox temp. When did this happen? During the first hour startup or after burning for a longer time? Where was the air control set when this happened? All the way closed?

Do you also have a stovetop thermometer?

I don't have a stove top thermometer but was thinking about getting one today.
It happened a few hours into the burn, there was a good bed of red hot coals and the control was set medium low. Usually I have it set at its lowest with this 3 year old wood but last night I bumped it up a bit to get extra heat through the house.
700 is higher then I typically run it but still 200 out of the danger zone.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

Sounds like a build up of nasty gases, and when you cranked it up, it ignited. It happens.

After the bang, the stove creeked and groaned for about 20 or 30 minutes and was perfectly quiet the rest if the evening. I stayed up until 1 am to keep an eye on it as it.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

When people discuss stove temps, they're usually talking about temps measured on the stovetop. Keep that in mind when you read about people running their stove at 600+.

I typically set it to full low after the coal stage and it runs along at 400-450 on the probe thermometer but I'll be getting a stove top thermometer today.

 

[kennyp2339]

I have (2) sensible reasons for the bang, like hog said, it could have been a collection of wood gases that lit off in the fire box. I was at my mom and dads a couple years ago and they had there insert running, it was more or less in the coal stage (very low flames) my dad opened the door and thru in a clementine wooden box and closed the door, he did not open the air adjustment, and I would say the stove top was about 450 -500 range, the box started smoking and in no time there was a mini explosion in the insert, I was pretty loud and a puff of smoke came out of the air intake. In the fire service we call that a backdraft.
Second reason could be metal expanding, if your in your stove room chilling out next to a warm fire, sometimes you get put in that sleeping trans and a little pop of metal expanding seems louder than real life hearing. Ever half fall asleep on the couch and hear a huge explosion and suddenly wake up? That's your body playing a trick on you amplifying your other senses.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

I have (2) sensible reasons for the bang, like hog said, it could have been a collection of wood gases that lit off in the fire box. I was at my mom and dads a couple years ago and they had there insert running, it was more or less in the coal stage (very low flames) my dad opened the door and thru in a clementine wooden box and closed the door, he did not open the air adjustment, and I would say the stove top was about 450 -500 range, the box started smoking and in no time there was a mini explosion in the insert, I was pretty loud and a puff of smoke came out of the air intake. In the fire service we call that a backdraft.
Second reason could be metal expanding, if your in your stove room chilling out next to a warm fire, sometimes you get put in that sleeping trans and a little pop of metal expanding seems louder than real life hearing. Ever half fall asleep on the couch and hear a huge explosion and suddenly wake up? That's your body playing a trick on you amplifying your other senses.

That might be it....the mini explosion that is. I was quite awake at the time but I do open the door slowly and just lay in another piece of wood in without adjusting the air. The stove just runs so smoothly and controlled that I was very startled when it happened. Just like it was struck with a hammer. My wife is on her way back home now with 2 different thermometers so I'll be keeping a closer eye on the stove top temps
I will say though...for a stove with a floating fire box that's supposed to be quiet, it sure does a lot of ticking and knocking during heat up and cool down.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

That might be it....the mini explosion that is. I was quite awake at the time but I do open the door slowly and just lay in another piece of wood in without adjusting the air.

If you're saying you just loaded a fresh split on a hot bed of coals, then that's what caused it. When you have a hot stove, it's good practice to open the air supply a little while before you open the door to re-load and to let the new splits heat up before turning the air back down. This is because a hot bed of coals is hot enough to vaporize a large amount of combustible gasses in a short period of time. Not only will doing this reduce creosote accumulation in the flue, it will keep your glass cleaner, increase efficiency (by preventing the escape of unburned combustibles) and prevent mini-explosions like the one that startled you.

I will say though...for a stove with a floating fire box that's supposed to be quiet, it sure does a lot of ticking and knocking during heat up and cool down.

As time passes it will get a little quieter but mostly you just become accustomed to it. It will become like an old friend quietly jabbering away at you in the background, letting you know exactly what it's up to at any given moment. You will hardly hear it unless it does something unexpected. My new BK Chinook doesn't have a lot of sounds, even during heat-up/cool down. They are there but I've had stoves that were a lot more talkative. When the stove and house is mostly quiet and the stove is about 1/3 throttle, the predominate sound is the air being drawn in the intake. It sounds like a powerful jet engine (but at very low volume). I like it and I don't recall any other stove that had this steady, but quiet, little rumble.

 

[begreen]

That might be it....the mini explosion that is. I was quite awake at the time but I do open the door slowly and just lay in another piece of wood in without adjusting the air. The stove just runs so smoothly and controlled that I was very startled when it happened. Just like it was struck with a hammer. My wife is on her way back home now with 2 different thermometers so I'll be keeping a closer eye on the stove top temps
I will say though...for a stove with a floating fire box that's supposed to be quiet, it sure does a lot of ticking and knocking during heat up and cool down.

Like Hog said, it could have been a puffback. The fresh wood may have smoldered and there was no flame in the firebox. Wood gases accumulated until a flame popped up and the wood gases ignited with a small explosion.

Once the stove is burning well and the air is closed down, the normal flue temps for this stove should be slightly less than the stove top temperature unless the draft is exceptionally strong.

 

[eastcoastcanada]

Like Hog said, it could have been a puffback. The fresh wood may have smoldered and there was no flame in the firebox. Wood gases accumulated until a flame popped up and the wood gases ignited with a small explosion.

Once the stove is burning well and the air is closed down, the normal flue temps for this stove should be slightly less than the stove top temperature unless the draft is exceptionally strong.

I've got a burn indicator placed on the top if the stove now and for the time being the temperature matches that of the flue thermometer. I'll closely monitor the stove.

 

[Hogwildz]

Pings and pangs in stoves are normal. The steel will expand & contract causing these sounds. Most prominently at cold start, reloads & cool down.

 

[kennyp2339]

Pings and pangs in stoves are normal. The steel will expand & contract causing these sounds. Most prominently at cold start, reloads & cool down.

Ahh yes, forgot to mention, sometimes when you lite a cold stove (especially if you have single wall black pipe) as the stove heats up it may sound like a ton of creosote flakes running down the pipe, don't fret, its just the pipe heating up, also especially for people running new stoves, after your first cord is burned, check your flue, see how your doing, look at your cap, like down / up the chimney, run a brush down it if you have the time and resources, this will help you dial the stove / burning technique in.

 

[Highbeam]

You can safely run that flue up to 1000 and keep it there all day. That's the rated limit. 700 is just fine.

The stove itself can't get so hot. Most manufacturers just say no outside parts should glow, some say 800. 700 on the stove top is my target temperature for maximum heat output from my noncat.

You need to have meters to measure flue temps and stove temps so that you can run below these limits.

 

[Hogwildz]

Ahh yes, forgot to mention, sometimes when you lite a cold stove (especially if you have single wall black pipe) as the stove heats up it may sound like a ton of creosote flakes running down the pipe, don't fret, its just the pipe heating up, also especially for people running new stoves, after your first cord is burned, check your flue, see how your doing, look at your cap, like down / up the chimney, run a brush down it if you have the time and resources, this will help you dial the stove / burning technique in.

I experienced that when I installed the first new Summit & new liner, but it didn't last long. Didn't happen after changing to the newer Summit though, so my guess is the "rain O flakes" is the new liner.

 

[brenndatomu]

I can't believe we are at the bottom of the first page and no one has suggested to let the stove cool and then go have a good look with a bright flashlight and a mirror...maybe something did let loose...I have never heard a backpuff sound like someone dropping a hammer on the stove...and then the half hour of creaking and groaning afterward...I'd have a real good look at things personally.
They do screw up at the factory sometimes...my wood furnace had a poor weld that left loose on a heat exchanger, and it would leave just a hint of smoke smell into the house sometimes. All better after a field repair.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I can't believe we are at the bottom of the first page and no one has suggested to let the stove cool and then go have a good look with a bright flashlight and a mirror....

If truth, you ignore those who speak, find wisdom, you will not.

 

[begreen]

I can't believe we are at the bottom of the first page and no one has suggested to let the stove cool and then go have a good look with a bright flashlight and a mirror...maybe something did let loose...I have never heard a backpuff sound like someone dropping a hammer on the stove...and then the half hour of creaking and groaning afterward...I'd have a real good look at things personally.

Good advice though I don't recall any creaking and groaning afterward being reported, but for sure take a look around once the stove is cold. Clicking is pretty common with a wood stove warming up which is what would happen once the freshly added wood caught fire.

 

[brenndatomu]

After the bang, the stove creeked and groaned for about 20 or 30 minutes

I don't recall any creaking and groaning afterward being reported

Clipped from reply # 8 ^ ^ ^

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Clipped from reply # 8 ^ ^ ^

Creaking/groaning is completely normal after re-stoking because it causes temperatures to rise.

 

[brenndatomu]

Creaking/groaning is completely normal after re-stoking because it causes temperatures to rise.

Well that may be, but I have never heard noises like that out of the 6 different wood burners that I have personally owned...some ticking certainly, not creaking/groaning.
Anyways, my point was that I would sure as heck go over that thing with a fine toothed comb if it were mine and that happened.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Well that may be, but I have never heard noises like that out of the 6 different wood burners that I have personally owned...some ticking certainly, not creaking/groaning.
Anyways, my point was that I would sure as heck go over that thing with a fine toothed comb if it were mine and that happened.

My advice before I knew the "bang" happened after a hot re-load was to inspect it with mirrors/flashlight. Now I am confident the "bang" was simply the result of the sudden ignition of gases from the fresh fuel. It's still a good idea to periodically inspect your stove, especially a new one after the first hot burn. But my alarm bells are not going off.