Coalpail.com Forum

My first puffback of the season happened today. I loaded some coal into the sf250, and left the ash door open to get it caught. I left a corner of the firebox uncovered, but maybe I didn't have flames there to burn off the gases. I started poking through my grates from underneath to help clear ash when Whoosh--there was the puffback. All the ash came out the ash door and onto my face. I'm glad I wear glasses. No damage to the stove. Baro didn't pop out or anything. I think all the force came through the ash door as the gases ignited.

I think I just put too big of a load of coal onto it all at once.

Ehh,what the Hell......On the Bright Side.....You'll do the next stoke and poke differently,and this experience reminds you of what it was like being in the Boiler Rooms of the Titanic ! Your doin' fine,Mate !

Yes, one lesson I also learned the hard way... Never gaze obliviously into the ash pan area at close range after loading fresh coal on....

Unless you have big bushy eyebrows that need a quick trimming...

Yee Hawwww. I love it when I can see the fire but it will mess up your day when you get it so close it trims your eyebrows and leaves the little bright circles in your vision!!! I had fire come out of my Bucket a Day at every joint and crevice that I didn't even know it had with a puff back.

I checked the baro and pushed open the flap because I could hear a low rumble coming from inside the pipe. I still had flames swirling around inside the stove pipe. It looked like the northern lights in there!!! I had loaded it to the hilt, opened the MPD, opened the lower ash door and then opened the top loading door to see if I could get some more coal in it. I let it go closed and that's when it happened. The little Bucket a Day made a moaning sound and then it parumpfd.

Won't do that again any time soon.

Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.

Sure will wake you up! I have shoveled a little too much into the Harman twice this season-so far-and knew I did wrong. Opened the loading door a bit for some overtire air, got a small POOF, no flying ash though.