exploding woodburners

[forestgough]

Does anyone else suffer from scary ignitions in their stoves after stoking up onto sleepy embers, we get a fair old pop and a puff of smoke into the room.

[Stubby]

29 minutes ago, forestgough said:

Does anyone else suffer from scary ignitions in their stoves after stoking up onto sleepy embers, we get a fair old pop and a puff of smoke into the room.

Chimny clear ?

[Woodworks]

Sounds about right. Get this with small branch loggings as the gases build up and up and then it all ignites with a woooosh. Probably better to feed little and often so you keep a flame so no build up of un-ignited gases.

[AHPP]

I've had exactly the same with branchwood loggings. Always put it down to a relatively high surface area:mass ratio and loads of gas. I eventually came to the conclusion that branchwood loggings should be used (1)only sparingly on a conventional fire, (2)in a gasifier or (3)for charcoal.

[spudulike]

Usually happens when a stove has all the dampers knocked down, there is a good layer of hot embers and fresh wood is introduced. The embers heat the new log up, it produces gas and then ignites with a good old pop!

[daveatdave]

as spud says it has happened to me a few times then it sets the smoke alarm off 

[Rob_the_Sparky]

put in a naked flame (e.g. a some waste paper + match) and the gas will burn as produced.  More heat and no boom.

[Stubby]

Just open the air vents so the embers glow before you put wood on . Close them down again when you have the fire you need .

[Dan Maynard]

Some people in our village had this happen in a pub as they were eating, doors blew off the stove and they ended up in A&E so I'd try to avoid it if you can. Like Stubby said, open vents when adding wood.

[Mick Dempsey]

Happens occasionally with mine, and now I know why.

 

‘Open vents when adding wood to a sleepy fire’

 

Will do.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Mick Dempsey