OWB Chimney Fire

[newb]

I watch my Granddaughter for my Son who works 2nd shift. He usually picks her up around midnight. Last night he comes in and wakes me up and says "Wow you have flames coming out your stack about 2' ". Of course I think hes kidding because I've had a OWB for 17 years and he really didn't seem to concerned, He takes his daughter and heads out. On my way up to bed I open up the door and look out at my burner and see flames coming out the stack like a flamethrower! Get dressed and out I go, glad its warm (10*) and put out the fire, turns out my other son stopped by and filled the burner with a big load of paper.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

Chimney fires aren't uncommon in an OWB and they burn out pretty quickly. If you have a long period where your OWB is not on the burn cycle it can deposit a lot of creosote in the stack. The next time you have a good fire in the OWB it can get the stack burning and flame will jump out of the top.

Cardboard and paper can make a really hot fire and sometimes lots of smoke. The fire is usually hot and violent enough that pieces of creosote can be blown out the stack unburned.

I don't know what you meant by "put the fire out" - but on my Woodmaster I would have just shut off the blower and let the fire slow down a bit before I turned the blower back on.

 

[1harlowr]

Midnight in 10° weather??? I wouldn't be having a very nice conversation with the second son issed-off:

 

[time warp]

This is the very reason no one goes near my owb. When I first got it my neighbor came over to check it out. I was working so my wife told him to go ahead & check it out. Well long story short he left the back door on my taylor 750 not closed tight so the heat burned off some insulation on the back of the owb.Could have been alot worse if the fire had been higher!!!

 

[John R]

Let her burn, it won't hurt a thing.

 

[Circle B MN]

Nothing goes in the boiler but dry, seasoned wood. Nothing else.

 

[STEVEGODSEYJR]

I watch my Granddaughter for my Son who works 2nd shift. He usually picks her up around midnight. Last night he comes in and wakes me up and says "Wow you have flames coming out your stack about 2' ". Of course I think hes kidding because I've had a OWB for 17 years and he really didn't seem to concerned, He takes his daughter and heads out. On my way up to bed I open up the door and look out at my burner and see flames coming out the stack like a flamethrower! Get dressed and out I go, glad its warm (10*) and put out the fire, turns out my other son stopped by and filled the burner with a big load of paper.

Watch out the "don't burn any green wood" police will be along shortly......even though you didn't put green wood in it!:talktohand:

 

[Blazin]

Nothing goes in the boiler but dry, seasoned wood. Nothing else.

Technically paper is seasoned wood, can't no drier than that!

I still woulda peeled his butt for doing that though!

 

[AIM]

I'm kinda curious why you put it out versus just letting burn. As johnR said. Won't hurt a thing.

 

[CTYank]

Complacency is dangerous. Expect the unexpected.

"Other son" connected somehow to "Darwin's List"? :clown:

 

[J.W Younger]

I have at least one of those every winter,just let it burn out.Does bring attention too why you need too keep the area around it clean/free of leaves etc.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

This is the very reason no one goes near my owb. When I first got it my neighbor came over to check it out. I was working so my wife told him to go ahead & check it out. Well long story short he left the back door on my taylor 750 not closed tight so the heat burned off some insulation on the back of the owb.Could have been alot worse if the fire had been higher!!!

My concern about letting people near my OWB is the Flashback that can sometimes occur. My upper limit for the blower is set at 170 - and when I walk out to load my OWB I always look a the temp gauge. When it is over 170 I know that the OWB has just shut off and the firebox may have a load of hot unburned gasses inside just waiting for some fresh air. Before I learned to look at the gauge I went to load the OWB right after the blower shut off, and when I opened the door a huge fireball came out - luckily I was standing behind the door and I did not get burned. The dealer where I bought my OWB told me that one time he took a couple out to show them his OWB that he had heating his store and he did the same thing. The couple was really impressed by the fireball....and decided it was too dangerous for them to use an OWB.

 

[HD-tech-NH]

My concern about letting people near my OWB is the Flashback that can sometimes occur. My upper limit for the blower is set at 170 - and when I walk out to load my OWB I always look a the temp gauge. When it is over 170 I know that the OWB has just shut off and the firebox may have a load of hot unburned gasses inside just waiting for some fresh air. Before I learned to look at the gauge I went to load the OWB right after the blower shut off, and when I opened the door a huge fireball came out - luckily I was standing behind the door and I did not get burned. The dealer where I bought my OWB told me that one time he took a couple out to show them his OWB that he had heating his store and he did the same thing. The couple was really impressed by the fireball....and decided it was too dangerous for them to use an OWB.

One of the reasons why you never just whip the door open! Crack it a couple inches to expel the smoke and reduce the risk of a backdraft!