Spark Came Out of the Back of My Stoker

I just did routine maintenance on my stoker (cleaned out the fines under the carpet, vaccumed out exhaust pipe, vaccumed out stove, cleaned under the grate and cleaned out the holes).

I used the bags to restart it. As we all know they shoot sparks like crazy. I was looking at the back of it putting the nut back on the pusher rod and I noticed a stray little spark come out where I have here in the picture. The stove is now lit and blowing heat as usual. No more sparks came out. Looking at that area I am not really sure what caused it. I know the intake fan is right there sucking air into the stove. Maybe their round piece they weld in there is not sealed up on one side? I could seal up the back of that with a piece of ductape or heat tape I suppose. Otherwise, there is nothing I can do.

CO dectectors are in place and not going off so no panic is needed.

Anyone seen this before and have an idea?

Something is leaking constantly, you have a lot of ash there.

Your strain relief on the wire should be pushed back in the hole, that might wind up causing another kind of sparks.

No answer for the spark Matt, sorry.

Ian, the ash build-up is not unusual, there's a cooling fan for the stoker unit nearby, any stray ash will be blown onto the mechanism.

Matt,

Is the sweep strip still intact above your carpet ?????

I suspect, there could be a small air gap there which allowed the spark to sneak through toward the back.

Rick

Yep, the sweep strip is in contact with the carpet and it is new.

I will try to get a better picture of inside the area tommorrow since I cannot get my head in there.

The ash that was mentioned back there (and coal chips) is because of the popping sound I got from the carpet. That is the main reason I was tearing it apart. I am about to post pictures of that in my thread about a wider carpet. Interesting pictures. Check it out in a few minutes if interested.

Is the back of the grate sealed (with rope gasket or the hokey Alaska set up) where it touches the stove body?

^ Yes. There is a new gasket in place there and the great pushes up against it.