Scared the @#$# out of me last night

[michigan123]

My wife and I fell asleep in front of the TV last night and were both woke up from what sounded like a gun shot. I jumped up and ran strait to the fireplace. Everything look fine so I went outside and the chimney looked fine. I just got my quad insert installed a couple of weeks ago and everything seemed to be going good so far. This was not just one of the little pops and creeks that it makes when it gets hot. It sounded just like someone litereally fired a gun off in the house. I'm new to burning. Can anyone tell me what this may have been? At the time that it happened I had a huge coal bed dampered down just waiting for a few big logs before bedtime. The stove temp was right around 450 degrees or so. Does anyone know what this was? Was it just a really loud coal pop or something?

 

[webbie]

My guess is a sheet metal plate which is a part of the convection chamber or somewhere else went pop - in other words, the stresses from manufacturing were relieved. Not that it did anything to the stove, but it could be loud.

 

[Hogwildz]

Sometimes gases build up in a spot and ignite at once.

 

[Todd]

Maybe someone drilled a hole in your split and slipped a firecracker into it? :bug:

I've heard loud bangs and pings on previous steel stoves, but nothing that sounded as loud as a gun shot.

 

[JimWalshin845]

Actually sometimes hunters in tree stands accidentally leave or drop ammo in the crooks of trees. Years of growth will hide them in the wood. So it may have been a actual shot.... or maybe your wife missed? :coolhmm:

 

[backpack09]

Actually sometimes hunters in tree stands accidentally leave or drop ammo in the crooks of trees. Years of growth will hide them in the wood. So it may have been a actual shot....

That would probably leave a bit of evidence in your ash pan, or whole in the glass.

 

[michigan123]

Thanks for the replies… I guess any of these things would be possible. I have a feeling that it was just a really loud new stove stress relief pop like webmaster stated but it could have been any of these things. Whatever it was it sounded like it had the potential to blow the glass out or the door open or something serious like that so I just hope it doesn’t happen again.

 

[begreen]

Come spring cleaning you might want to do a very thorough weld inspection to see if that was the source of the pop.

 

[koavt]

I have had that happen in my stove. Probably wood that is not completely dry. Sounds like a small explosion from the water expanding and releasing normally. It can be quite loud.

 

[begreen]

That's true, it can also happen with wood that has pitch pockets in it. I forgot about that, but I used to get some occasional magnificent bangs from burning doug fir. This can be really startling if it happens while you have the door open to adjust a log. I once had an ember blow out about 6 feet from the stove this way.

 

[stonehouse]

Are you sure it was the the fireplace? Maybe someone fired a gun. Wouldn't be the first time someone squeezed one off past eleven.

 

[JustWood]

Maybe a stone got in with a piece of wood.