Secondary Air for Buck Combo Stove

 
corey
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Post by corey » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 12:18 pm

Off topic but my elbow coming out of my stove caught fire this morning. It sounded like corn flakes and the smell. I thought coal soot did not burn unless some gooey wood soot dripped from cap. Any ideas.

 
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SWPaDon
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Post by SWPaDon » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 12:28 pm

I've only been burning Bit coal for 8 or 10 years, but I've never been able to get the soot to catch fire per say. I did take a pile of soot one time and stick a propane torch to it, and what I got was a smallish flame that moved across the top of it very quickly (I couldn't replicate it with that same pile of soot, even after stirring it).........similar to putting a match near a sweater and the fuzzy ends burn off.

Did you burn wood before, where creosote could have built up some, then broke loose and fell into the elbow?

 
corey
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Post by corey » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 12:35 pm

SWPaDon wrote:I've only been burning Bit coal for 8 or 10 years, but I've never been able to get the soot to catch fire per say. I did take a pile of soot one time and stick a propane torch to it, and what I got was a smallish flame that moved across the top of it very quickly (I couldn't replicate it with that same pile of soot, even after stirring it).........similar to putting a match near a sweater and the fuzzy ends burn off.

Did you burn wood before, where creosote could have built up some, then broke loose and fell into the elbow?
Yeah but I cleaned the chimney but not cap. Been burning all coal for about 2 weeks. My probe stayed at 1300 degrees for five minutes air completely closed too.


 
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SWPaDon
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Post by SWPaDon » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 12:38 pm

That's what it was then, creosote that fell down to the elbow from somewhere. There's no way Bituminous coal soot is going to burn at 1300 degrees for 5 minutes.

 
corey
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Post by corey » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 12:43 pm

SWPaDon wrote:That's what it was then, creosote that fell down to the elbow from somewhere. There's no way Bituminous coal soot is going to burn at 1300 degrees for 5 minutes.
I feel safer burning coal this morning had my nerves in a tissy. I hope coal soot don't burn like that.

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 12:58 pm

Is it possible that the coals gasses were burning off? When I open my secondary air with a fresh load I have flames shooting several feet into my chimney sometimes. It will make a roar sound like a chimney fire (I heard a real chimney fire once when I was young)


 
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SWPaDon
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Post by SWPaDon » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 1:01 pm

Coal burning will dry out any creosote buildup, causing it to flake off and fall down. I believe that is what you experienced.

 
corey
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Post by corey » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 1:08 pm

SWPaDon wrote:Coal burning will dry out any creosote buildup, causing it to flake off and fall down. I believe that is what you experienced.
I think so to.

 
corey
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Post by corey » Wed. Feb. 10, 2016 7:50 pm

Added more coal tonight stove seems to be burning better. Seem that flue fire cleaned the elbow.

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Thu. Feb. 11, 2016 4:08 am

YIKES!!!! :shock:

I burn primarily anthracite but when momma wants some flames I throw a couple of logs on top and they give her the flame she likes to see. Every time I do that I think about creosote and then I remind myself two small logs every other week or so ain't gonna do anything. I do notice after I burn some logs with the anthracite I get a light brown coating of very light powdery dust inside the stove and flue pipe.

Glad everything turned out good for you and there was no damage from your 5 minute fire. :)

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