# Close call with pellet stove this morning



## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

We lit the pellet stove last night, and I didn't bother to clean out the ash from the last fire. :nono: (Yes, I'm an idiot.) This morning, Rose smelled smoke, so I checked the stove. The pellets had backed up into the feed chute, and were burning in the auger tube. Smoke was coming out through the pellet hopper. 

We started scooping the pellets out of the hopper, and found that some were burning. After emptying the hopper, I had to run the auger for quite some time before all of the burning pellets finally made their way into the fire box.

Thank the Lord, everything is fine now, except Rose who burned the tips of her fingers on the metal guard over the auger (she wanted to see if it was hot). She is in considerable pain at the moment, but will be okay in a few days.

It's :soap: time now: If you have a pellet stove, be sure to clean out the ash on a regular basis! They are safe stoves, but anything involving a flame inside your house can be dangerous if not properly maintained.

There, I'm done now. Everyone please be safe.


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## davis03 (Sep 16, 2008)

deaconjim said:


> We lit the pellet stove last night, and I didn't bother to clean out the ash from the last fire. :nono: (Yes, I'm an idiot.) This morning, Rose smelled smoke, so I checked the stove. The pellets had backed up into the feed chute, and were burning in the auger tube. Smoke was coming out through the pellet hopper.
> 
> We started scooping the pellets out of the hopper, and found that some were burning. After emptying the hopper, I had to run the auger for quite some time before all of the burning pellets finally made their way into the fire box.
> 
> ...


So glad things were not worse..Jim and Rose. I hope the fingers get better. I have had close calls with the wood stove here and chimney. Fire is nothing to play around with.l Thank God for your safety.


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## IndyGardenGal (Apr 5, 2009)

I'm glad you both caught it before anything bad happened. I hope Rose's fingers aren't burnt too badly.


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

Yes, pellet stoves are not a 'light & forget' type of heating appliance.
A good airtight cast iron woods stove is what I prefer.
Even if you don't have your own woods, it is pretty easy to drive around to any construstion place and finnd lots of wood to cut that they are clearing.


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## mamita (May 19, 2008)

how scarey! I'm so glad you caught things in time, but am sorry to hear Rose burnt her fingers.


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

GoldenCityMuse said:


> Yes, pellet stoves are not a 'light & forget' type of heating appliance.
> A good airtight cast iron woods stove is what I prefer.
> Even if you don't have your own woods, it is pretty easy to drive around to any construstion place and finnd lots of wood to cut that they are clearing.


A pellet stove was not something I would have bought. This one came with the house, so we use it. We do have a woodstove that will be installed soon, and we will use both.


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## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

Thank the Lord you were diligent and keeping a close eye on things. Rose, I'm so sorry you're suffering. Do you have any Silvadene Creme?


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

some antibiotic creams have a pain killer in them and they work really well for pain (learned similar lesson)

see, now i know why i hate pellet stoves..go for regular wood burner any day..

glad you caught it in time


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I'm so glad you're ok and the fire didn't get out of hand! A house fire is my biggest fear....

Rose, hope your fingers are better soon. You can soak your fingers in ice water until the "heat goes out" as my Nannie used to say.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Rose and Jim, do you have an ash vac?

My in-laws bought us one for Christmas last year, and we love it.

It's like this one..not the same model, but similar..

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006FKJFU


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

Yikes!! Glad things turned out alright, although I'm sorry for your fingers, Rose. I keep an aloe vera plant near the kitchen door for burns. But you've got to get the gel on the burn ASAP for best results. 

We've always used a wood stove, but like Jim said, anything with a flame/fire has to be properly maintained for safety. I've always had an exceptional fear of fire, nearly to the point of neurosis, but I figure better safe than sorry.


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## fellini123 (Feb 2, 2003)

Oh Rose I know how you feel!!! Ouchy Ouchy Ouchy!!! This Campho Phenique stuff worked great for me. It is in a little bottle. And I bet you could stick your fingers right in it.

We had that happen with our pellet stove once, but we were lucky, so many pellets came out of the hopper that it put the fire out!! LOL There were pellets everywhere!!!

Alice in Virginia


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Thank goodness you caught it in time & not to make light of your burnt fingers Rose but it could have been much much worse. Someone was looking out for you & the family I think.

We also have a pellet stove & we Love it but they are not all the same & do work differently. Ours has a safety feature so it shuts itself off if pellets start backing up into the shoot where they come down at. I know I didn't explain that right but I just wanted to let folks know they are a safe form of heat if maintained properly for the type of stove you have.

Hope your fingers are feeling better really soon Rose!


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I hope your fingers heal quickly. there are so many nerve endings there its extra painful


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## mr.breeze (May 23, 2009)

Rose very sorry that you've been burned, I so enjoy all of your posts,I hope you heal quickly.


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## dngrous (Sep 22, 2009)

You need one of these.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93983


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Ouch! Feel better soon, Rose. It's going to be really difficult getting through the next week or so one-handed. Moms need their hands. I'm sure the kids will help you out


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Wow- I didn't know that could happen- I have had mine back up for one reason or another but the pellets didn't keep burnng. I'll keep a better eye on it now.
Thinking about it- most back ups have been when the power went out for short times several times in a row- the pellets did not have a chance to burn each time before were added.


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## mldrenen (Nov 29, 2007)

i've always been a wood stove guy, so i don't know much about pellet stoves. but i saw an ad yesterday for a pellet stove with a 60lb hopper capacity, and i got to wondering about a situation like yours arising. i concluded that there was probably some clever way around that problem, but i guess not.

glad you caught it when you did and everyone's safe.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

How often do you, should you do a "clean out" . . ?
And how much ash do you normally take out when you do . .?


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## Beulah Gardens (Feb 26, 2008)

Remember, also, to check your chimney for birds or what not that may find their way in there during the summer. Pellets do not burn well when there is not enough air present and slow burning pellets back up in a hurry. I am so thankful you are all still safe.
Rose, I'm sorry about your fingers. 

Jim-mi, we clean the clinkers out our burn pot every night and clean the stove once a week, I'm not sure how big our metal ash bucket is.. maybe a gallon and a half or maybe two.
I'm getting a wood stove, they make more of a mess but pellets are expensive.


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## Beulah Gardens (Feb 26, 2008)

rose2005 said:


> The chimney was swept before this cold spell, and it burned great last night and is still going strong. Rose


Well, your way ahead of me...I'm sitting here with three inches of snow and still comming down thinking... "wonder if that squirrel rebuilt his nest.." LOL


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

All is well now. Sorry about the burns.

I sometimes make an ash out of myself.


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