Yet another hair raising moment with my new stove. Plastic smell and tinging inside the pipe.

[GrumpyDad]

If anyone would know what is going on the people here would.

So tonight I was burning fairly low around 450. Good bed of coals , running on secondary and medium air control.

I then loaded my dauntless with eight medium pieces to the top and left open the damper and raised the air control to high to get things going before shutting down the damper to 4th from lowest as ive done.

After about 15 minutes I really didn't see any red through the soot covered glass so I opened the damper and then the top door. It quickly ignited and flames started rushing through the wood and damper and up the pipe. Like I've seen prior if I leave top door open for a few.

I probably left the top door open a bit longer than I normally do to show my son but I'm talking seconds.


Suddenly I see what appears to be smoke coming off the pipe toward the bottom first four feet. Maybe leaking out but seemingly coming off of the pipe.

More concerning we then smelled a terrible plastic smell.

Then I started to hear sounds like popcorn was popping inside the pipe. Not as rapid but fairly rapid.

I ran outside thinking chimney fire. But how I've used this stove maybe fifteen times? I've had this burning hot before. When this happened stt was maybe 500.

I didn't notice anything on the wood what do ever. I did notice that I left a sticker on the telescoping pipe but it was already curled almost completely off and likely did this prior. The sticker was still in good condition aside from the curling. Didn't look melted or burned what so ever.

The smell was strong and that metallic pop sound was like nothing I've heard ..it was not a heat expansion wound the best I could tell. My dbl wall pipe was around 280 up to first elbow then it cooled a bit then at next elbow connecting to ceiling support was back around 280. The ceiling box was much cooler. As this isn't paneled yet I checked to see if insulation or the plastic roof baffles were warm. Cool. The wood holding the box was at 95 degrees.

I'm at a loss and worried. On top of these weekly oddities, crappy glass and odd air control fluctuations I'm worried I bought the worst stove even. Sigh.

 

[begreen]

Sounds like creosote accumulation in the pipe ignited.

 

[vbu]

Sounds like chimney fire to me.
If you say you loaded your wood and it still hadn't caught on after 15 min, that sounds like wet wood to me.

Do you own a moisture meter? If so, have you checked your wood and describe exactly how you check the moisture content

 

[cahaak]

Wood loaded on a bed of coals should catch fire in less than 1 minute with proper air, possibly even less if they are very hot. When I reload on a bed of coals, I need to shut the air down after ~ 5 minutes and everything is charred and the stove is burning quite hot, but I burn with very dry wood that has dried for at least three years.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, fire in the pipe, too much creosote already that ignited, made the pipe or paint stink.

If the flames ignited after opening while the system was still running with high air, your wood is way too wet.
If this was with the air already low, you dialed it down too much for how wet your wood is.

And if you started with this stove and a clean pipe then your creosote production is far too high, also suggesting wet wood.

 

[GrumpyDad]

Sounds like creosote accumulation in the pipe ignited.

How is this possible for such a new stove. After having run it for only maybe ten times? It's still operating in that same load that I packed around 9 hours ago. I woke up to a stt of 350. However I had it on the forth to lowest setting. Which usually it would run clean of wood. It was 32
And the plastic smell? Was it the label that created all the smell? I was sure I got them all.
And the smoke coming from the pipe?

 

[GrumpyDad]

Sounds like chimney fire to me.
If you say you loaded your wood and it still hadn't caught on after 15 min, that sounds like wet wood to me.

Do you own a moisture meter? If so, have you checked your wood and describe exactly how you check the moisture content

The wood is between 16 and 18 mc. Super dry stored inside over the weekend. Oak, cherry and a piece of pine. Fully loaded if I close the damper and the air control it won't catch well so I leave the damper open and the air control to let it catch a bit then close everything down

If it was a chimney fire with less than a face cord through it, this is officially the worst stove on the planet.

 

[GrumpyDad]

Yes, fire in the pipe, too much creosote already that ignited, made the pipe or paint stink.

If the flames ignited after opening while the system was still running with high air, your wood is way too wet.
If this was with the air already low, you dialed it down too much for how wet your wood is.

And if you started with this stove and a clean pipe then your creosote production is far too high, also suggesting wet wood.

Unless my general mm is wrong , in at 16 to 18 mc. Oak cherry.
Less than a face cord has been run through this.

 

[stoveliker]

I forgot whether I asked already on other threads (it would be best, at least for my imperfect memory) if all your "first season"-questions would be in a single thread.

But, was that measured on a split that has been let acclimate to room temp, then resplit, and measured on the fresh surface? With pins deep into the wood parallel to the grain?

 

[stoveliker]

Is it worth checking if all air holes are open that should be open?

How tall is your chimney?

 

[GrumpyDad]

I forgot whether I asked already on other threads (it would be best, at least for my imperfect memory) if all your "first season"-questions would be in a single thread.

But, was that measured on a split that has been let acclimate to room temp, then resplit, and measured on the fresh surface? With pins deep into the wood parallel to the grain?

Yes absolutely. Been sitting out for over a year under shelter with air flow. Measured methodical with many splits brought inside for a week. Some pieces are as low as 14 percent now.
Prior to me obtain it was split supposedly for two years in a giant pile from the dealer. I tested it this summer to check how it was going and was happy I had seasoned wood. Even the new stuff I had delivered recently , many pieces are under 20 with the outlier being oak. Oak isn't ready.

 

[stoveliker]

But did you resplit them right before you measured them?

 

[stoveliker]

I'm asking because it's hard to believe one year will get you <15 pct *on the inside of a split*, and the other signs (the woomph igniting and the creosote, etc. ) do honestly point at wet wood.

 

[kborndale]

Yes absolutely. Been sitting out for over a year under shelter with air flow. Measured methodical with many splits brought inside for a week. Some pieces are as low as 14 percent now.
Prior to me obtain it was split supposedly for two years in a giant pile from the dealer. I tested it this summer to check how it was going and was happy I had seasoned wood. Even the new stuff I had delivered recently , many pieces are under 20 with the outlier being oak. Oak isn't ready.

Wood sitting in a giant pile is not seasoning unless it is on the top of the pile. The middle stays wet.

 

[stoveliker]

Nrw pieces delivered under 20 pct is also (very) hard to believe if delivered from a supplier that works with piles in their yard.

On the outside of the split, it can be. The inside, very, very small chance.

 

[Eman85]

Usually a chimney fire will make a sound that you will never forget, a very loud rumble in the chimney as it takes off. Is your pipe painted? On my single wall pipe it took some time for the stink to stop when I burnt a hot fire. Is that the hottest you've seen on the wall of the stovepipe? Just for safety sake I'd at least look down the chimney and run a brush through.

 

[kborndale]

If it was a chimney fire with less than a face cord through it, this is officially the worst stove on the planet.

The stove is not where the fault lies for a chimney fire. The fault lies with the operator of the stove.

 

[Corey]

After about 15 minutes I really didn't see any red through the soot covered glass so I opened the damper and then the top door. It quickly ignited and flames started rushing through the wood and damper and up the pipe. Like I've seen prior if I leave top door open for a few.

I think this says quite a bit here. ...15 minutes ...'no red' (assuming no fire/no ignition of the wood) ...soot covered glass (self explanatory) ... like I've seen prior (so this has happened before)

You say you've only used the stove 15 times, but if this has happened once or twice on each prior use then that could easily be 4, 6, 8, 10+ hours of sooty burning. The fact you mention sooty glass sort of supports this. So, as others have said, likely a light layer of creosote caught fire in the lower portion of pipe and burned off. Congrats - you just did the old timer, "Run 'er hot and burn the creosote out of the stack!" cleaning. Likely due to the relatively short use - you didn't have time to get the whole flue lined with creosote - so this wasn't a "massive" self-feeding fire where the whole stack lights off and burns up to the top.

Guess I would say, when you put new wood in, there should be some flames almost instantly and you should work to keep a moderately advancing fire from that point until things settle down. You may even open the air just a bit before reloading to 'liven up' the coal bed a bit. But don't let the thing set there for 10-15+ minutes smouldering on new wood...it soots up the glass and flue and it is very likely to ignite suddenly with a big "WHOOOFF!!" which is a backfire / backpuff and will blow smoke and ashes back into the house.

If the flames are actually going up the stack, then that is too much air and that needs to be controlled immediately, too. As you see, it can very easily light off a flue fire.

Anyway - good luck! Try to eliminate smouldering and flames up the flue and work on the balance in between!

 

[begreen]

If the wood is dry to the core then it sounds like the stove is being run too cool. A flue thermometer would help guide the operation. Or add the catalyst to the stove to ensure complete combustion of the smoke. Or sell the stove while the market is strong and get a simpler stove with a nice fire view that will help guide operation. And still, get a good flue thermometer.

 

[GrumpyDad]

I'm asking because it's hard to believe one year will get you <15 pct *on the inside of a split*, and the other signs (the woomph igniting and the creosote, etc. ) do honestly point at wet wood.

The wood was cut and piled years prior by the wood guy. I get a mixed bag from him. I test the wood when it arrives and it's usually summer and yes split. This recent load I had inside for a week. After the incident I took and split a piece of oak. Then a piece of cherry. Just resplit a few other pieces. All good.
What I suspect is that the cool down at the end of the weekend when I shut it down and let it go out creates some creosote inside the lower portion of the pipes then I burned it hot , reloaded and during inspection with top hatch open let the flames fly up through the damper and into the flue burning off creosote in the lower pipe area. I'm letting it burn down and will do my best to inspect it else I might get a camera or worst case take the pipe apart and inspect. Really a bummer because I researched and planned methodically for this.

 

[GrumpyDad]

If the wood is dry to the core then it sounds like the stove is being run too cool. A flue thermometer would help guide the operation. Or add the catalyst to the stove to ensure complete combustion of the smoke. Or sell the stove while the market is strong and get a simpler stove with a nice fire view that will help guide operation. And still, get a good flue thermometer.

Yes I'm really considering my options.

 

[begreen]

When the fire is at the coals only stage, no creosote is produced. The wood at that point has fully outgassed.

 

[stoveliker]

The wood was cut and piled years prior by the wood guy. I get a mixed bag from him. I test the wood when it arrives and it's usually summer and yes split. This recent load I had inside for a week. After the incident I took and split a piece of oak. Then a piece of cherry. Just resplit a few other pieces. All good.
What I suspect is that the cool down at the end of the weekend when I shut it down and let it go out creates some creosote inside the lower portion of the pipes then I burned it hot , reloaded and during inspection with top hatch open let the flames fly up through the damper and into the flue burning off creosote in the lower pipe area. I'm letting it burn down and will do my best to inspect it else I might get a camera or worst case take the pipe apart and inspect. Really a bummer because I researched and planned methodically for this.

Okay. I was not doubting your words, I just was not sure that you had understood what I was asking.

Then it is the burning habits that would need some changing as begreen already said.

Over.the years many folks have burned without these issues. Likely Some may have also had these issues. But the bottom line is that if your wood is good and your chimney is satisfying the needs of the stove, then it should be possible to burn safe. That.may limit the output ranges to higher outputs (and because of the fixed firebox size, lower burn time), but safe should be possible.

 

[Todd]

after reloading are you turning the air from high right down to a low setting? If so try lowering the air down in stages from high down to medium then let the fire reastablish for 10-15 min then turn the air down to low.

 

[kennyp2339]

IDK, it sounds to me like the splits being loaded on the coals were off gassing richly and then the fire took off and since the by-pass was open the fire went up the chimney pipe causing new temps on the stove pipe which was the paint smell, the crackling might have been the metal expanding by the crimps in the stove collar.
Try to load with the the air on full and close the loading door and let it do its thing, once the flames start since the stove is already hot just close the damper then lower the air after a few minutes to your desired setting.