log burner ignorance

[Tom D]

My stuff is all in the 20-25% range and I always light with a firelighter, no kindling, no paper. I just light a firelighter or use embers from the other fire and fill it up with logs, works 95% of the time, the 5% when it fails is when the logs get "hung up" and dont drop down. I reckon with decent wood on a stove you don't need kindling.

[County4x4]

Getting back to this top down lighting thing - I actually remembered to give it a try tonight before I lit the stove.

 

We're using coal at the moment - but only because we got about a tonne for nothing - before you start:001_tt2:

 

I usually light the kindling on top of a few bits of paper and then once it's started to catch, I put a few bits of coal on top and build up a bit of a pile. This usually produces a fair bit of coal smoke until the stuff gets going properly - this stage can last a good few minutes even with the bottom door open to get a real good draught through the grate.

 

Anyway - tonight I built it upside down - layer of coal on the grate, then the usual amount of kindling, and then one bit of a firelighter on top of that. Lit the firelighter and let it be. The stove (Morso squirrel) was putting heat out a lot quicker than usual as there were flames dancing about from the start - and there was hardly any smoke at all, even when the fire had got down to the coal.

 

Conclusions - not a myth after all and gives much better results in terms of quick heat and less smoke (for me in my stove at any rate) than the usual bottom up method.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[Dean Lofthouse]

I only light my fire once, then it burns for around 5 or 6 months non stop .

 

I just stack it full at night then shut the airflow down, it's still lit in the morning so just top up, if I go to work I just load it up and shut the airflow down again

[Justme]

I always light with a firelighter, no kindling, no paper.

 

I reckon with decent wood on a stove you don't need kindling.

 

I recon with good kindling & firewood you dont need chemical fire starters

 

For the full on cold period we hardly let the stove go out, but when we do its re lit with 2-3 sheets of newspaper & a hand full of cedar bark (very dry & hand "pullled") & kindling. Never fails. We never ever use fire lighters, they stink for a start, cost money, make your hands smell & must also "cost" the environment. Plus we have the bark & kindling as a by product of our firewood so it needs using any way.

[woodrascal]

Over 40 years of woodburning and I've never used a firelighter either.