Starting Fires & Fire Starters

Yesterday, I fired the Ashford back up. It was rainy and cold and the forecast called for continued rain through Tuesday.

Since I was really tired, I decided to light off with the Blaze King fire starter that came with the stove. It went off fine but the smoke wasn't venting up the pipe but rather curling back into the stove. Then the smoke started coming into the house. I'm not sure from where. Does the stove itself leak when it's not drafting?

A few minutes later, it began coming out of the place in the chimney pipe where the two sections are screwed together. The top pipe sits over the lower pipe but, since the smoke was descending, it was spilling out through the tiny space between the pipes. Again, is this normal?

Obviously the problem was my inexperience starting fires. I opened the windows and set up a big fan to drive the smoke out, then opened the door to the stove and began blowing onto the fire. The air began rising up the stove pipe. I then left the door cracked for 30 seconds and everything was fine after that.

My concern is just whether the stove and pipe should be absolutely tight always or if it's normal to get some smoke leakage under these circumstances.

Also, how can one order more of the Blaze King fire starters? Is it alright to use other fire starters?

Is it alright to use another brand, such as Lightening Nuggets, which are made with "recycled forest by-products" and paraffin wax.

It is a double wall pipe. From the outside, it looks like the lower pipe is feeling into (inside) the upper pipe. Is this alright?

When I did that bad start, smoke was coming down the wall of the pipe and also finding places to get outside the stove, though I'm not sure where. Thanks for explaining this is normal.

I see both firestarter options -- supercedars and fat wood. It looks like the supercedars can be cut into quarters. Is that correct? Is one better than the other? Is one less expensive than the other? If one were to order fat wood, where's the best place to get it?

fossil said:

Yes.

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Why was the smoke leaking out? Shouldn't the double walled pipe contain it?

Also, is it normal for a home with a wood stove to smell a bit of wood smoke? That's what's happening for us whenever I run the stove. I'm wondering if there are adverse health effects.

Thanks and thanks.

highanddryinco said:

Tried this last year with great results.
Had had a couple of large (cheap) jugs of hand sanitizer in the house. Put about 4 - 6 pumps into the little tiny Dixie cups like so many of us have sitting next to bottle of mouthwash at the bathroom sink.
Burns clean and hot for several minutes and the Dixie cup walls stay intact down to the level of the remaining gel.
Haven't put a cost per pump to this method yet but it sure seemed economical.

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I wonder if the chemicals in the sanitizer might harm the stove. Probably not given that it's for use on one's hands and we're talking about a tiny bit of the stuff.

TradEddie said:

If you do need to start a fire in low draft conditions (August), crack open a nearby window, and place a large sheet of newspaper barely crumpled on top of the fire. Light your fire then immediately light the newspaper (or vice versa). The quick blast of heat from the newspaper usually jump starts the draft.

TE

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That's exactly what I did last time I started the stove (about two weeks ago, on a rainy night). It worked well. There was zero, or close to zero, smoke leakage.

BCC_Burner said:

I have also found that placing a lit candle (3 wick is my preference) in the stove for 20-30 minutes prior to building your fire. Even this small amount of heat is enough to switch up a reverse draft and get things moving in the right direction. I also do this in the summer when I notice the smell of woodsmoke in my house from a negative draft.

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That's an awesome idea. Thank you. Will try that for sure.

In January I wouldn't expect the stove to shut down even once.