Reason number 2 to keep ash door closed.

[EG GREV NED MIN ELD]

So I know I'll get roasted here for posting this, but I will still post with the intention of helping others.

Setup: hearth mounted Jotul F500,insulated 25'+ liner with tee and block off plate.

So the other day I had a small bed of coals going and started to reload a full load of good sized splits.
I opened the ash door to give it a little kick start. (I know I know don't do this for fear of cracking the bottom. But there just wasn't enough coals to get it going with the side door. I also always keep my hand on the ash pan door to "throttle" the draft)

Anyway, a strange thing happened. I heard a slight drone noise and All of a sudden the pan door blew open like there was gasoline in it.
My only guess is that somehow the ash pan filled with gas from the stove and Ignited.
No way it's a draft issue. Unless it's from too much draft which I might have.

Needless to say, I am done doing that. No ashes came out because the pan was empty. I cleaned and checked the stove for damage and didn't see anything. Lucky no one hurt and no property damaged.

Hopefully someone else can learn from my stupidity.

 

[ThunderMedic]

Yikes! Nothing like a little backdraft to get your blood pumping.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[toddnic]

WOW! I open mine occasionally for the same issue. Never had a problem since I'm always next to the stove when i do it just to get it going good. Thanks for the info. I had no clue that it could have a backdraft that would ignite in the ash pan.

 

[Jags]

I saw a 500 pound stove “jump” due to this same practice. Scary stuff. Don’t do it folks. Just don’t.

 

[Manly]

I saw a 500 pound stove “jump” due to this same practice. Scary stuff. Don’t do it folks. Just don’t.

Wow. I've seen a horse fly, I've seen a shoe fly, but I've never seen a stove jump. I too use the ash door on occasions. Live and learn as they say. No moe for me.

 

[Doc C]

When I was trying to figure out what stove to replace my old stove with I went to all 3 stove dealers in our area.

All 3 of them told me that I should get the ash pan on whatever stove I decide on so I could Crack it to get the fire going.

I'm guessing they don't read these forums and just volunteer bad advice.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

i keep a tinder bucket by the stove for when I have to little coal to get the kindling alone to light. And if that doesn't do it you can always light a couple pieces of fatwood or super cedar. But never the ash pan door.

 

[firefighterjake]

Lesson learned . . .

Never had coals so low that throwing a bit of kindling or small splits on them and leaving the door ajar wouldn't eventually get the fire going . . . albeit it may take awhile.

 

[BrotherBart]

Not backdraft. It is called "woofing". Stove fills with unburned smoke from smoldering and the second a little flame lights it sets off all of the gases at once.

 

[firefighterjake]

Not backdraft. It is called "woofing". Stove fills with unburned smoke from smoldering and the second a little flame lights it sets off all of the gases at once.

I've always thought of the spontaneous ignition of the combustible gases to be more akin to what firefighters know as a "flashover."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashover

Although "woofing" sounds a lot better . . .

 

[BrotherBart]

Although "woofing" sounds a lot better . . .

Even more fitting if you have a Dalmation.

 

[EG GREV NED MIN ELD]

Looks like you guys nailed it. Flashover and Woofing sounds exactly like what it was. The coals heated up the wood enough to off gas and collect in the ash pan. The moment it got to auto ignition temp...Woosh!

Thanks for the helpful replies and not too much scolding.
Stay safe during these cold temps all.

 

[kennyp2339]

Not backdraft. It is called "woofing". Stove fills with unburned smoke from smoldering and the second a little flame lights it sets off all of the gases at once.

I've always thought of the spontaneous ignition of the combustible gases to be more akin to what firefighters know as a "flashover."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashover

Although "woofing" sounds a lot better . . .

It was a backdraft, a flash over is when everything in the burn area reaches its ignition point and spontaneously starts burning, backdraft was a fire that had burnt but snuffed itself out because it ran out of oxygen but the local atmosphere is rich with unburnt fuel, once the o2 comes back in it violently reignites causing an explosion. We had a backdraft a couple years back in basement fire at a house, just as we pulled up, turns out minutes before a cop opened the front door to check things out, the smoke rolled out and he turned away, the fire then blew up moments later.

 

[Allagash350]

Also called a puffback. Had the same thing happen to me one time.
Basically the cold air gets sucked down the chimney so the smoke and gasses can’t go up. Then they ignite, as far as I understand.
Very scary I read about a guy with a castine who blew the front glass out 6ft into his living room.
Now I just throw some birch bark and kindling down first if I can’t get it going again.

 

[firefighterjake]

It was a backdraft, a flash over is when everything in the burn area reaches its ignition point and spontaneously starts burning, backdraft was a fire that had burnt but snuffed itself out because it ran out of oxygen but the local atmosphere is rich with unburnt fuel, once the o2 comes back in it violently reignites causing an explosion. We had a backdraft a couple years back in basement fire at a house, just as we pulled up, turns out minutes before a cop opened the front door to check things out, the smoke rolled out and he turned away, the fire then blew up moments later.

I posted that and then started second guessing myself . . . yeah, definitely a backdraft with the incident in the stove kicking off when enough oxygen builds up to the point where the built up gases explode. Thanks for keeping me honest Kenny.