Can a crack in my grate cause a hopper fire?

I have a Liesure Line Pocono bottom vent and there was a hairline crack in the grate at the start of the season. I woke up to a chilly house this morning 64F when it's normally 70 to 72. when I went to the stoker I noticed a very bright spot in the center of the grate. That is where the crack was. The stove is running at 100F less than it normally does. It appears the flame may be traveling back towards the hopper. any suggestions or ideas?
Thank you as always.

I would call Matt or Dave at leisure line and they will tell you exactly what you need to do .

hcarlow wrote:I would call Matt or Dave at leisure line and they will tell you exactly what you need to do .

Excellent advice. Call 'em up.

A cracked grate should not in itself cause a hopper fire, it may casue some uneven burning as you have expereinced. The lower temps could be casued by other things such as coal quality, and using wet coal (usually the cause for a cracked grate). Give us a call at 570-752-1811, we would like to discuss this with you further and get it solved!

hairline crack in the middle of a stainless steel stoker grate... (my advise would be to replace the grate at your earliest convenience because that crack wont take long to expand/warp and distort), My experience is that Ive never been able to get long term use from a cracked stainless grate (even after tig welding the weld would eventually crack again because the center of the stoker grate is susceptible to such a high/defined degree of heat the weakened area around the weld eventually gives way under the pressures). I do hope their is a solution for you im unaware of but i feel i should at least give you my minimal experience that I've encountered with stainless steel stoker grates. The customer service at Leisure Line seems to be fantastic so im sure they will do everything possible for you!

The grate is SS?

baddawg wrote:The grate is SS?

No, they are grey ductile cast iron.

Sure. That will let more air up into the chamber. Take the grate out and get it brazed, or you could try to cement it for a temporary fix. Sounds like you had a really hot fire in the stove to cause the crack. maybe too much draft to begin with.