chimney puffing

[Geez]

What causes the chimney on my OWB to puff like a locomotive? Kinda like muffled explosions. Just happens once in a while. It's like the smoke coming out dwindles a bit and then WHOOOF! a big puff of smoke, soot and sparks out the chimney, along with smoke blowing out a little around the door gasket.
It's almost like unburned gases build up inside and ignite. Not worried, just curious. If nothing else, it keeps my chimney clean.:msp_rolleyes:

 

[Circle B MN]

What brand of boiler is it...? When was the last time you cleaned the chimney..? Burning seasoned wood or green...?

 

[Hedgerow]

What causes the chimney on my OWB to puff like a locomotive? Kinda like muffled explosions. Just happens once in a while. It's like the smoke coming out dwindles a bit and then WHOOOF! a big puff of smoke, soot and sparks out the chimney, along with smoke blowing out a little around the door gasket.
It's almost like unburned gases build up inside and ignite. Not worried, just curious. If nothing else, it keeps my chimney clean.:msp_rolleyes:

Do you notice it does this when the wind is out of a certain direction?

 

[Geez]

Pretty much well seasoned oak, a little maybe with a coating of ice or snow but not much. Yes, it seems to happen when the wind is up a little and from a certain direction. I don't have a chimney cap, it blew off early on in the middle of the night. Presumably from one of these episodes.
The boiler is a Johnson Little John with two forced draft blowers. Now that I think about it, it seems to happen when the ash and coals build up enough on the grates so the air probably can't get through well from the bottom blower.
The door gasket is about as tight as I can get it, but it still puffs out a little past it when this happens.

 

[Hedgerow]

Had a furnace that did that only when there were swirling winds out of the southeast. Problem was solved with a new cap. I bent it down slightly on the southeast edge. I'll bet Crappie Kieth could explain this phenomenon...:msp_wink:

 

[pook]

flame goes out, gases build up, flame comes back, boom!
pre-epa stove rule was never load stove with more than 1/3 firebox capacity & never fill stove beyond 2/3 firebox capacity.

 

[Geez]

Thanks Pook. I didn't know that and I DO tend to 'fill 'er up". :msp_ohmy:

 

[Hedgerow]

flame goes out, gases build up, flame comes back, boom!
pre-epa stove rule was never load stove with more than 1/3 firebox capacity & never fill stove beyond 2/3 firebox capacity.

I might be reading this wrong... Please clarify... Fill vs load...

 

[pook]

I might be reading this wrong... Please clarify... Fill vs load...

fill= load

 

[Hedgerow]

fill= load

If fill = load... Then is it not to exceed 2/3? or 1/3 of capacity? Cause something tells me I fill a little more than 1/3.

 

[CrappieKeith]

It is most definitely a drafting issue. So look at how the air is going in and out.
Make sure the draft blowers have a clear path for the air they blow in for combustion.
The flue may need to have a draft hood installed to protect from winds causing down drafts.

Artis makes a wind directional cap that we use and it works great for when our customers have these types of down drafting issues.
It turns like a weather vain and actually promotes a draft.

As to Pook's suggestion...he's full of crap. Even a very small load burning with a wicked downdraft can cause your firebox to fill with compacted smoke and these explosions will occur.

 

[pook]

If fill = load... Then is it not to exceed 2/3? or 1/3 of capacity? Cause something tells me I fill a little more than 1/3.

when u add wood, dont add more than 1/3 firebox volume. never exceed 2/3 firebox volume.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

when u add wood, dont add more than 1/3 firebox volume. never exceed 2/3 firebox volume.

Please quote your source for this statement.

Shari

 

[CrappieKeith]

Please quote your source for this statement.

Shari

please...even...
:msp_lol::msp_lol::msp_lol::msp_lol:

 

[pook]

Please quote your source for this statement.

Shari

ghosts from the past.
rather than ask OP if this works, u choose to nitpick?

 

[pook]

please...even...
:msp_lol::msp_lol::msp_lol::msp_lol:

wood is endothermic be4 it becomes exothermic, duh

 

[CrappieKeith]

ghosts from the past.
rather than ask OP if this works, u choose to nitpick?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander....you always would do the same thing to me...so what's so different Pook?
Prove this or prove that and if I did not respond yougot all high and mighty about how Yukon or I was trying to hide something or conceal as if we were inferior and were trying to hide something.

So now Shari simply asks for you to show some data about your reccomendation and come up with a sideways comment of crap.
Nice job ya Troll.
Here I go again :deadhorse:

 

[Wife'nHubby]

ghosts from the past.
rather than ask OP if this works, u choose to nitpick?

There is no need to ask the OP if this works because you, not they, made the statement. All I am asking of you is where is the 'proof in the pudding' for your statement.

Shari

 

[pook]

What's good for the goose is good for the gander....you always would do the same thing to me...so what's so different Pook?
Prove this or prove that and if I did not respond yougot all high and mighty about how Yukon or I was trying to hide something or conceal as if we were inferior and were trying to hide something.

So now Shari simply asks for you to show some data about your reccomendation and come up with a sideways comment of crap.
Nice job ya Troll.
Here I go again :deadhorse:

i axed 4 bacharac gas analysis & u said $500k! then u wrote about the bacharac though no #s were revealed, for which i asked in the first place= cant see the flame & cant see the gas analysis.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

i axed 4 bacharac gas analysis & u said $500k! then u wrote about the bacharac though no #s were revealed, for which i asked in the first place= cant see the flame & cant see the gas analysis.

The above post is off topic.

Please reply to my query.

Shari