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[big cat]

Often at times I have flames shooting out of my stack. I have a NCB175 and I extended the stack with 3' of steel pipe. Is this normal/bad? I assume there is heat loss as a result, how do I trap the heat? Thanks.

[walkerdogman85]

My hardy h-4 does it once in a while too. I usually load it up with cardboard and leave the doors open to get the fire roaring which "cleans it out" as suggested by a forum member. I'm not sure how you would capture the heat loss?

[DaveWertz]

Its normal nothing to worry about. Sometimes when Im loading the stove and the fire gets going pretty good it looks like a blow torch coming from my stack. I just let it go for a few minutes, it cleans it out pretty good then I just take a old garden hoe and scrap the sides of the firebox.

[RSI]

How old is the NCB175?

[LittleJohn]

BREAK OUT THE MARSHMELLOWS  Just kidding, toasting marshmellow from the top of ladder is not recommended

Sorry, back to the real issue, do the flames ALWAYS shoot out the stack or is it at specific times (like during loading or at the end of a call for heat, etc.).  Cause if it only happens during isolated cases, like loading the firebox, I think the flames should be OK??  But if it isn't occasional, it might be a sign of something else, not sure what that something else is but somewhere here might have a better idea.

[walkerdogman85]

Mine does it when I load with cardboard (intentional) clean out.. Very seldom during normal operation. Once I did see it when the stack was dirty

[AirForcePOL]

I used to get flames out of the stack on my Hardy all the time.  Usually when I had a good fire going and right after I stirred the hot coals up durring a burn.  It never caused any issues.  I did notice that when it was burning that hot, I would get some hot ashes coming out of the stack every once in a while.  I would just make sure you keep the area around your stove free from leaves or anything else that could easily ignite. 

[userdk]

Happens pretty often. Especially with single pass or no smoke pass furnaces.

[yotehunter66]

Same here. Looks cool when it does it a night.

[walkerdogman85]

I haven't ever had any issues with it either.. I just added 4 foot to my stack and still have some hot ash coming out.. I live right on the edge of woods with a lot of leaves around and haven't seen anything happen yet.

[big cat]

Very similar to AirforcePOL it happens somewhat often, usually after stirring coals and adding wood while blower is engaged. I cover my wood with tarps that look like swiss cheese due to the ashes coming out of the stack.
My NCB175 is ~5 years old.

[AirForcePOL]

I noticed some flames coming out of the stack on my 5000e tonight.  I had one hell of a fire goin in it. 

[RSI]

Very similar to AirforcePOL it happens somewhat often, usually after stirring coals and adding wood while blower is engaged. I cover my wood with tarps that look like swiss cheese due to the ashes coming out of the stack.
My NCB175 is ~5 years old.

Have you tried cutting back the air flow? It sounds like it is getting too much.
How far back does the grate go? If the stove was made before 2009 it may help to cover the back part of the grate. They changed the design in 09 so it wouldn't blow air up the stack.

[big cat]

I never paid attention to how for back the grate goes. I'll have to pull back my coal bed and take a look. I believe my boiler was made before 2009 because I have the older single sheet of metal roof. The boiler came with the house so I didn't buy it initially. would a steel plate work to cover it?

[RSI]

If it was made before 2009 it will have a straight chimney pipe inside the firebox, (they added water jacket around it in 2009) and the air shutoff flap on the fan will have a hinge and a turn buckle for adjusting airflow.

If it was made after 2009 it will have a restrictor plate after the fan.

Unless you have already made adjustments to the air adjustments and it is in the best place, I would try giving it less air.