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[american-pacemaker]

SlimJim I am trying to type this with an open mind but after this morning I am having a very hard time. If you have seen the movie back draft you would know what I went thru this am. When I opened up the door to check the boiler the creosote ignited instantly and a huge fireball came out  it burned the paint off the front of the boiler and came very close to putting me in the hospital. I have said in three phone calls and a post yesterday that this boiler has a creosote problem and have been told four times now not to worry about this that it will just burn off. At this point my girlfriend said just get it off the property and im not far behind her after today. She keeps asking me why after spending 11,500 on the boiler that the factory doesn't send someone to start the boilers after the install so this crap doesn't happen and im wondering the same thing. I have followed all your instructions to the letter and this boiler is turning into a huge nightmare. I would sure appreciate any advice on this so I don't end up in the hospital. Sorry if I sound upset but I reallyyyyyyyy am since I have followed instructions to the letter.

[Roger2561]

SlimJim I am trying to type this with an open mind but after this morning I am having a very hard time. If you have seen the movie back draft you would know what I went thru this am. When I opened up the door to check the boiler the creosote ignited instantly and a huge fireball came out  it burned the paint off the front of the boiler and came very close to putting me in the hospital. I have said in three phone calls and a post yesterday that this boiler has a creosote problem and have been told four times now not to worry about this that it will just burn off. At this point my girlfriend said just get it off the property and im not far behind her after today. She keeps asking me why after spending 11,500 on the boiler that the factory doesn't send someone to start the boilers after the install so this crap doesn't happen and im wondering the same thing. I have followed all your instructions to the letter and this boiler is turning into a huge nightmare. I would sure appreciate any advice on this so I don't end up in the hospital. Sorry if I sound upset but I reallyyyyyyyy am since I have followed instructions to the letter.

I do not own a P&M but with my Central Boiler E-Classic 1400 (it's a gasser too) I have a by-pass door which needs to be opened before I open the firebox door.  My manual says to wait for at least 15 seconds before I open firebox door.  Is there a by-pass door on the P&M and if so, have you been waiting at least 15 seconds before opening the fire box door?  As a safety measure, when I open the fire box door I always have it between me and the flame.  In the event there is a "flash over" the door will direct the flame away from me.  As for the creosote build up - is your wood well seasoned?  Mine is 3 years old with a moisture content of approx. 15%.  If you have that much creosote, my best guess is that it's not that well seasoned.  That's my $0.02 worth.  Roger

[James]

A-P,

From your description of what happened - I don't think it's related to creosote.  I've experienced exactly what you're describing and if I had to bet I'd say that either you just turned off the fan (using the switch at the top right?) or the boiler had just finished cycling.

What happened is that the gasses built up in the primary fire chamber and when you introduced air by opening the door - all those gasses ignited...and WOOF!  After you dusted yourself off, did you also find that there was still plenty of wood left?  Best solution for this is to load or check the boiler when the fan is on.  I know the instructions say not to do it this way (and P&M provides you with a handy little fan switch) but the safest way to check what's going on in the primary is to do it with the fan ON.

I know EXACTLY how you're feeling right now because I've been there myself.  slimjim is an excellent resource and stuck with me through a LOT of frustrating stuff.  Don't give up - once you work through the learning curve - you can have frustration free operation of the O-250.  It took me 3.5 seasons to get there - but I'm there.

Feel free to PM me if you have other questions.

[american-pacemaker]

I was told not to open the secondary burn chamber door but im wondering now if maybe I should as a precaution. My girlfriend always burned in an old hardy boiler and said she always had to open the door. I havn't checked my wood with a meter but it has been cut and split for a year. Slimjim said that would be fine when I bought the boiler.

[american-pacemaker]

James, I consider slimjim not just a dealer but a friend and he is a huge wealth of knowledge and has answered a thousand questions from the start. I did exactly what you said and that is exactly what happened. I have been told to always turn the blower off. I will make it a habit to leave it on if that's what you have found to work.

[James]

I will make it a habit to leave it on if that's what you have found to work.

It's the only way to prevent the backdraft, A-P!

[american-pacemaker]

It's just very scary crap James !!!!!!!!!!!!

[slimjim]

Sorry Larry, I'm on a jobsite and just saw this, James is exactly right, Thank you James!

[Jwood]

Very scary! Wish I could help but I don't have a gasser good luck figuring out what the fix is!

[mlappin]

My conventional will do the same if you open the door after it shuts down after a long burn, stand behind the door when opening and crack it first.

Not sure where P&M is coming from but I've seen LOTS of videos on Youtube of people opening the loading door while they are running and no fireball. Also seen a few home mades that people added a switch to turn the fan on before opening the door.

[american-pacemaker]

I spoke with slimjim today and have a few things to adjust for the creosote control. He agreed the P&M manual is wrong in saying to turn the blower off, he said it should be on at all times unless cleaning the boiler !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mlappin]

I spoke with slimjim today and have a few things to adjust for the creosote control. He agreed the P&M manual is wrong in saying to turn the blower off, he said it should be on at all times unless cleaning the boiler !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm betting it has something to do with the UL rating or Canada's version of the UL. We all known working on equipment you don't leave it run while servicing or doing maintenance, some bureaucrat or another decided that leaving the fan run is a no-no and threatened to pull the rating if P&M didn't make it clear that the fan has to be off while "servicing" the stove.


Both our combines now if you get off the seat, the engine continues to run but the head shuts off along with the thresher, kind of like those stupid switches on lawn mower seats that kill the motor unless your butt is firmly planted in the seat. Another stupid one is the switches that shut the blades off if you back up.

[american-pacemaker]

I didn't really think of it that way but your probably right that it is a "safety thing" to cover some body's ass !!! I do very large machining and some of the new safety's on the machine actually make it more dangerous to run the machines.

[martyinmi]

What you've experienced happens from time to time with almost every wood burning appliance when the conditions are right.
In the last 10 years, I've had 3 different OWB's sitting on my slab- first was home built, second was an Empyre Proseries 100 Gasser, and now my P&M 250. All three have produced fireballs. It is the nature of these beasts. Before them, I had a Consolidated Dutchwest Federal Airtight catalytic stove that would attempt to knock me over from time to time. About a half dozen of my neighbors have OWB's, and every one of them experience what you're describing a dozen or so times every year.
Growing up, we had an Ashley free standing wood stove that would blow back on us from time to time. All of us in our family learned at an early age that it is entirely possible(and likely) at some point to lose eyebrows and eyelashes if you do not exercise  caution (dad called it common sense!) while loading.
Just open your door wide and wait about 5 or ten seconds before you put your head near it.

Don't worry about the creosote in the firebox either. Your 250 gets the vast majority of it's thermal transfer from the horizontal and vertical tubes.
Also, try to only load enough wood to get you by until your next 'feeding". If you are down to 6' or 8" of coals, you are pretty much guaranteed to not have any blow backs. If you are still half full, you best be standing back!

[coolidge]

Had that happen to me tonight, nozzle was plugged.  Almost need to have boxing lessons to learn to MOVE.