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[Jared43758]

I have a c250, also from Scott I started burning October 1.  I haven't experienced the same problem. My water gauge is only a little above the fourth square on the gauge. That's a little over half way up. In the Warmer weather I was running mine 166 on 176 off, to give it a little move room before it hit the 190 over heat switch. I've tightened the doors and bumped it up a little warmer since it has got colder. Still can't believe water could push the whole gauge out. When I first started stove I filled it clear up with water till it came out the top. When the stove heated up a lot of water expanded and came back out the top for a while and never once looked like it was going to blow the gauge out.   It's a wood slipper so far.  Find out for sure when it's gets really cold.

[Jared43758]

So I KNOW WHY the water gauge blowed out. Mine just done it twice in a row while I was outside. The gasses in the stove blowed up. Sounded like a gun went off. Blew my gauge out. I looked it over and but gauge back in and it blowed again blowing it out. Little pre blow history, I'm getting fixed today and while I heal my wife has to take care of the stove. So I decided to fill it full so she won't have to mess with it till tomorrow and just have her fill it once a day, so I raked the coal bed around like I always do, it's build up pretty high with lots of baseball size chunks. I filled 7/8 full of wood. It kicked on a few minutes later and I noticed the smoke wasn't blowing out that strong like maybe the grates was packed closed from all the weight of all that wood. It was smoking more than normal for a few mintutes and then BOOM. Two days ago I put a little coal in there and that might be the problem.  The coal May of let off a lot of gasses and when the fire light it blew. I stired the coal bed around a lot before that it may of exposed some coal. After the second boom I took the back cover off. Ash covered over every thing in the back. And boom it blew again blowing. Ash all over me. The blower slowed down then speed back up from all the ash and boom it blew again, I then shut off the stove. Opened the feed door and got back. The wood was burning, I shook the grates some and kinda left the grate shaker handle down so it would leave the grates open hoping it would let more air in. I kicked the stove back on and it Ran fine. I'm going to avoid the coal for a little while. I blew the back out but I was real happy with all the ash blowing back threw the blower. Can't be to good for it.

[tinfoilhat2020]

That's crazy! And not good!

[shepherd boy]

A note here on c model gas 'blows'. There is an air vent right under the door in the later models. This gives a little top air to burn off wood or coal gas. What happens is the fire box is getting oxygen and gas mixture before the fire ignites the coals on the bottom.If the coal ash bed is too tight for good air flow it ignites top gas as a delay action. On bottom air only furnaces oxygen is being used up in the coal bed and not enough is left to explode the gas. Normal burn with a hot coal bed top air ignites gasses on top for a more efficient burn. If this is a ongoing  problem, wood or coal burning, the top air channel is removable, lift up, and cover the port with a small piece of flat steel. Now you are back to a normal up drafter. There is a lot of difference in fuel, wood or coal,as to how much gas is on top end of firebox and load on stove and operator differences all factor in. Try a combination that your situation.

[Jared43758]

Your right mine as the secondary opening on the front.  Prolly most of the air was being shoved threw it. I thought it was a good feature to help burn secondary gases so it doesn't smoke as bad and burns better.

[shepherd boy]

Your right it is a good feature., But any time you make a change in design you want a way to back up if it doesn't work out the best in every situation, so it was made removable.I have never seen my C375 do this, but I do plan to burn some coal at some point and may have to change it.

[Jared43758]

I have bituminous coal. Unlike anthracite coal, bit burns it best with lots of secondary air. Most of the heat formed for bit is through burning the gasses it releases. If you use under grate air only when burning bit coal then you'll get lots of black smoke( wasted heat). You might be right about blocking the secondary air might solve the blowing up problem but it would also make my coal burn dirtier and less efficient.  I'll try leaving a opening in my main grates first.  If that doesn't work I'll prolly just stop using the coal.   I only have a ton I'm trying to use up left over from were I burned it indoors. When it's gone I'll use wood only.