# Exploding wood stove



## yankeesouth (Feb 16, 2012)

I recently saw a blurb somewhere about an Amish family that was killed by an exploding wood stove.  What would cause this to happen?  Can the average wood stove owner explode their household domestic wood stove?


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## yanksforever (Feb 16, 2012)

Maybe they were heisting someones wood and they drilled it out an put a charge in it????


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## oldspark (Feb 16, 2012)

Yes if you use keorsene to start the fire!
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8543032


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## Battenkiller (Feb 16, 2012)

Exploding, like throw shards of stove shrapnel all over the room?  No.  But I've seen and heard of some pretty bad backpuffing that can blow the lid off a stove, potentially spreading fire outside the stove. That is likely what happened here.


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 16, 2012)

oldspark said:
			
		

> Yes if you use keorsene to start the fire!
> http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8543032



I'm guessing this was the dealio


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## yankeesouth (Feb 16, 2012)

wood good.....chemical good.......wood/chemical/stove......bad


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## oldspark (Feb 16, 2012)

It sickens me to think of the pain and suffering they are going through due to lack of common sense.


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## Creature (Feb 16, 2012)

Restart with kerosene, I just can't imagine anyone thinking that'd be a good idea.  

Then again, when I was a kid I saw many bonfires started with gasoline so I guess they're applying that thought pattern to an indoor fire.  Again, I just can't imagine someone followed through on that, although I do feel for the family's loss.


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## firefighterjake (Feb 16, 2012)

I can only think of a few ways a woodstove could explode.

1) Using flammable fuels or similar materials in which the fire is quickly ignited to the point where there is an explosion . . . although I would guess most of the force would go out any open doors rather than causing the actual woodstove to explode . . . I mean there would be an "explosion" but it would typically result in a fireball if you would that would exit the stove through the easiest route available which is normally the open door.

2) A situation where someone was using an unlisted plumbing system to create hot water and there was a steam explosion. 

3) A delayed ignition by putting cardboard, small splits, etc. on ashes and keeping the oyxgen levels to the point where the combustible gases continue to build up until they ignite at the same time (but again . . . this typically would not result in the woodstove exploding, but rather a back puff situation where the explosion would blow smoke (maybe some flames) out the easiest way out of the stove which often is the flue or any cracks in the stove construction itself.

Moral of the story . . . don't use combustible fuels to light your fires, don't play around with steam and avoid throwing on a lot of combustible material on to coals without opening up the air control and you should never have to worry about your woodstove grenading into a thousand shards of sharp metal.


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## begreen (Feb 16, 2012)

Yup, trying to restart a warm stove with kerosene puts him in Darwin Award territory. And harming others makes it negligent manslaughter.


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## nate379 (Feb 16, 2012)

Without knowing the exact situation I think it's hardly appropriate to have a nose in air holier than thou attitude about this!

I've used diesel or used engine oil before to get a fire going.  I wouldn't do that in my stove just because it cost too much to risk ruining (more so the cat) but a homebuilt or cheap box stove in a cabin or garage, who cares?  For a LONG time at my Dads we would get rid of the waste oil by splashing in a few cupfuls and then light the stove.


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## BrotherBart (Feb 16, 2012)

The guy died later from his injuries.


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## yanksforever (Feb 16, 2012)

I don't see anybody on a high horse Nate...Maybe you ought to re-read the responses and RETHINK what you wrote. Anybody that adds Kerosene to a woodstove
to light it again isn't intelligent enough to be using one. so chill out!


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## oldspark (Feb 16, 2012)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> The guy died later from his injuries.


 What a bummer!


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## nate379 (Feb 16, 2012)

What I wrote is correct and sensible.

You don't have life taking explosions from pouring a bit of kero in a stove to get it going.  Either this guy was dumping gallons and gallons in there or the article missed some important info.  I suspect the latter.


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## oldspark (Feb 16, 2012)

NATE379 said:
			
		

> What I wrote is correct and sensible.
> 
> You don't have life taking explosions from pouring a bit of kero in a stove to get it going.  Either this guy was dumping gallons and gallons in there or the article missed some important info.  I suspect the latter.


 You dont put kerosene in a wood stove period, at least in my book.


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## scotsman (Feb 16, 2012)

Uh, I can show y'how to blow th' lid of'n a stove, if y'ant me to!  :red:

Best I recollect, straight kerosene and straight diesel don't flash like gasoline and other volatiles, so wouldn't know how that would explode a stove, but in the hands of the right person, I suppose anything is possible, especially if it's a mixture.  Would I use kerosene to start a fire? Not in MY house! I do make fire starters out of dry pine cones that I've soaked in kerosene, but that's usually for outdoors stuff. They COULD be used to start a stove, but I'd be unlikely to do that with all the technology and materials that's in 'em today. JMO


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## nate379 (Feb 16, 2012)

I wouldn't even think twice about throwing in a splash of kero or diesel into a stove to get it going.  Sure I'll agree it's not the "best" thing to use but it is what it is.  I don't with my stove just because I'm not bring fuel inside the house.  Wouldn't even take one drip spilled to stink up the whole place.  If the stove was in my garage it wouldn't bother me at all.

I just don't understand how that would cause an explosion.  Like I said in the other post, I don't think someone would be pouring in several gallons, though even still when it ignites it's not really an explosive force anyway.

Have to wonder if maybe the "kerosene" was actually "gasoline"?


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## lukem (Feb 16, 2012)

NOT SAYING THIS IS A GOOD IDEA, but a friend of mine uses corn cobs soaked in kerosene as fire starters in his wood furnace.  I tell him he is stupid and it's only a matter of time before wood stove karma is going to bite him in the @$$.  He has yet to blow up his furnace.


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## Flatbedford (Feb 16, 2012)

Texas boy said:
			
		

> Uh, I can show y'how to blow th' lid of'n a stove, if y'ant me to!  :red:



I thought we were all trying to forget that!  :lol:


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## scotsman (Feb 16, 2012)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> Texas boy said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



When you have a SPECIAL skill . . . !


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## Backwoods Savage (Feb 16, 2012)

When I was a young lad it was very common practice to start fires in the stove using kerosene. Sometimes some would just put a small amount in a small can (or coffee can) and throw that in the stove. Most times though people did soak corn cobs in kerosene and use that as fire starters. That was for inside the house. I recall only one time when someone put kerosene in a furnace. As he was closing the firebox door, a sort of mini explosion. Not serious but enough that it made a mess in his basement that he had to clean up right away lest any hot coals were in the mix. 

I also remember one time using some kerosene soaked corn cobs for starting a fire. I did not like it but did it because I was told to. However, that was it for me. I could start the fire easy enough that I did not need that stinking stuff. For outdoor fires it was simple; use gasoline.


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## Locust Post (Feb 17, 2012)

Kerosene used in a stove will give a sort of an explosion under the right circumstances. If the fire was just smoking with no flame and kerosene was added to try to get it to take off. The smoke and fumes build up and if then it gets ignition look out.


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## simple.serf (Feb 17, 2012)

Under the right conditions you can make kerosene go boom.

Don't forget that it can be burned in spark ignition engines. What do you think the old two cylinder John Deere engines were designed for? John Deere "D" has two fuel tanks, one for gas to get it started and one for kero (or distillate where availiable).


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## Loco Gringo (Feb 17, 2012)

My buddy that helped me install my block off plate was telling me  that he used to use this practice. He said that he once threw a cup full in and the flames came back and burned all the hair from the front of his head off and his beard. I also have a bud that used liquid nails that he would stick a piece of kindling into and light it to start his fires.
Someone gave me a bottle of this and it smells like a bottle of alcohol, that Ive used only twice cuz its crap.   

http://www.amazon.com/Chimney-Bright-Gelled-Starter-Bottles/dp/B0065N2612


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## begreen (Feb 17, 2012)

NATE379 said:
			
		

> I wouldn't even think twice about throwing in a splash of kero or diesel into a stove to get it going.  Sure I'll agree it's not the "best" thing to use but it is what it is.  I don't with my stove just because I'm not bring fuel inside the house.  Wouldn't even take one drip spilled to stink up the whole place.  If the stove was in my garage it wouldn't bother me at all.
> 
> I just don't understand how that would cause an explosion.  Like I said in the other post, I don't think someone would be pouring in several gallons, though even still when it ignites it's not really an explosive force anyway.
> 
> Have to wonder if maybe the "kerosene" was actually "gasoline"?



I think heat was involved. The article said he was trying to "restart" the stove. If it was already warm, maybe even filled with some wood smoke, and the kerosene became vapors, when a flame finally ignited it could be the mother of all puffbacks.


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## jimbom (Feb 17, 2012)

In the instances where I have built or maintained fuel farms the mantra was low volatility fuels like diesel and kerosene took on the flash point of even the most minute amount of high volatility contaminants.

My thought is the gentleman may have inadvertently put kerosene into a container that may have held gasoline.  

Awful for him and his family.  Burn wounds are horrible.  Be safe everyone.


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## Bub381 (Feb 17, 2012)

I'm going with the kero actually staeming off into a gas and then when a flame started.FLASHPOINT! I have thrown a cup off gas onto a lit cigarette and put it out.(EXPERIMENT)Would ya dup kero out of a can and then throw a match in it? Not me.Fumes are what cause the hate.


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