So, apparently after what...two seasons??

I still don't get this?

I reinstalled my draft inducer this past weekend. The original plan was to relight on the 28th of October but the little two year old lil miss had other plans and wanted it relit last night, 'I am cold, I am cold, I gonna go turn heat on!!'

So, I've got the inducer running. MPD wide open. Stove idling at 160º and it's been approximately 24 hour hours (give an hour or two) since I filled the stove. I turn the stove up, let the fire get somewhat hot (around 215º) shake down but feel a lot of resistance in the grates and the handle. I assumed it was coal binding up. So, I quickly pop open the ash pan door to take a gander. The entire grate is red, no ash is in the pan except for a few red coals. So, I close the door. I didn't have it open for any longer than 10 seconds. I then open the hopper door, put a shovel full of coal in (that's all it used in 24 hours) and close the door.

I walk away.






BOOM!!!

I wasn't even to my recliner when it exploded.

So, am I not supposed to shake down running this low? Not open the ash pan door?

Evidently it didn't seem to like something I did. Should I let it go for 36 hours? 48?

I have the same stove you do (Circulator 1500(?)) withe 16x16 firebox, and have only been burning one season longer, so take what I say with a grain of salt - I'm no expert. The only change I would make with this stove is to add a spinner vent to the door (or some other means of increasing overfire air) because in my opinion, the air supply tube inside the door does not provide enough overfire air during startup when you have a full load of fresh coal. Once it gets to steady state, its a great stove.

Did you have the blue ladies dancing when you had the fire turned up, no flames, or big flames? When did you turn down your underfire air in this process? Until the firebox has a normal ash distribution, my stove is sensitive to having the draft reduced suddenly - I have puffed it before during start up.

I didn't crack the loading door. No blue ladies either. It's packed full of coal. Normally I do crack the door but figured since it was such a low fire I didn't have to. Guess I was wrong.

Yeah when you see red underneath, but no blue up top, that's the ticket for an explosion. All you need to complete the boom is a little air .. which you supplied by opening the ash door.

SMITTY wrote:Yeah when you see red underneath, but no blue up top, that's the ticket for an explosion. All you need to complete the boom is a little air .. which you supplied by opening the ash door.

Yup, what Smitty said. I always crack the loading door vent open on the 116 when ever I reload. It says GAS BURNER right on it.

Funny thing is I see no red under the coal. LOL usually I crack the loading door but didn't last night. I will do that tonight.

That quantity of coal barely simmering for 24 hours has got to be producing a lot of CO.

In the mild weather I would suggest not filling the hopper at all and just burn a small batch at a time. Let it go out when the house gets too hot. Use the Smitty method to restart, fast and easy.

I'm using a draft inducer. It's set for .04" on low. Stove is running around 160º and the house is a comfy 74º today.

What I would consider is replacing your DS1600's firebox door with the firebox door from a DS Basement #4. The latter has the functional spinning air intakes so you could give it some over the fire air without the need to crack open the firebox door. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but these doors look to be the same size, and these two stoves share the same firebox dimensions.

I had originally wanted to order the Basement #4 door. But for whatever reason Amos was hesitant and eventually told me flat out no.

One been meaning to call them and get a price on it because I still want that door.

I'm getting ready to shake the stove down. I cracked the loading door a bit.

I'm On Fire wrote:I had originally wanted to order the Basement #4 door. But for whatever reason Amos was hesitant and eventually told me flat out no.

One been meaning to call them and get a price on it because I still want that door.

I'm getting ready to shake the stove down. I cracked the loading door a bit.

I wonder why he said no? All I've heard before your response today is how he is willing to build to suit. With a Basement #4 door you might even want to entertain trying some bituminous coal in it. I can't tell you for sure, but I have a gut feel that at least some of the Amish who buy the #4's and who live in areas where due to distance anthracite gets mighty expensive are burning local bit in theirs.

Looks like mine will be started up tomorrow. I have also learned to crack the door handle upward just enough from the latched position, long enough to see the flames start to dance.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow!

lsayre wrote:

I'm On Fire wrote:I had originally wanted to order the Basement #4 door. But for whatever reason Amos was hesitant and eventually told me flat out no.

One been meaning to call them and get a price on it because I still want that door.

I'm getting ready to shake the stove down. I cracked the loading door a bit.

I wonder why he said no? All I've heard before your response today is how he is willing to build to suit. With a Basement #4 door you might even want to entertain trying some bituminous coal in it. I can't tell you for sure, but I have a gut feel that at least some of the Amish who buy the #4's and who live in areas where due to distance anthracite gets mighty expensive are burning local bit in theirs.

I suspect it was he didn't exactly understand what I wanted. When I ordered my stove I was in my first season of burning coal so I don't think o explained what I was after clearly enough.

Well, I shook down and filled the stove and had no explosions. I didn't open the ash door like I did last night and I had the loading door cracked for a good twenty minutes.

IOF, I don't know very much these stoves but would it be possible to make a hole with a holesaw and a sort of swinging adjuster flapper so you could get over the fire air?

If you are handy with tools or have a friend that is, I would install a spinner type damper on the stove. You need to put it EXACTLY at the top of the fire bed. This will cure your problem.