I need tips on lighting and maintaining a fire with North Idaho Energy Logs

Hi all, this winter I started burning north idaho energy logs. I used to burn a lot of wood about 8 years ago as a renter and I"m no stranger to getting a fire going and keeping it fed. I'm having some trouble with my NIEL's though. I don't have any kindling and paper is not nearly hot enough and doesn't burn long enough to get them going. I've resorted to whacking them with a hammer to knock off the end and use these disks of various sized to get a fire going along with those stupid waxy compressed sawdust starters. I feel like a total poser.

When I do get a decent fire going I'm having trouble with balancing the air intake. Either it's burning too fast or I'm choking it and creating a lot of smoke and soot which is no good for the environment, the flue or the stove. I'm used to dry wood which I could keep the vents near closed on my old stove and you'd get those nice, slow rolling flames. If I do that with the NIELS I suffocate them.

Is there some things I should know about keeping these logs happy while they're burning?

mass_burner said:

After extensive research with many compressed products and I've come to conclude that there's nothing like wood. It coals better that any other fuel.

I have similar results to yours when using Niels alone, that's why I mix them with wood splits. I usually break them in half and load north/south. You can't let them coal for too long or they tend to mush up, you've got to add more.

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I was afraid of an answer like that. I think I'll go and get a cord of mixed wood this week end. I don't think I'll even go through the NIELS I have let alone another cord of wood since this winter in seattle is so mild but I'll pull out the madrona and let it season for another year since it's always too wet.

brad wilton said:

Hi chekhonte,what i would suggest is to let them burn longer at start up.they are compressed wood they take longer to establish burn .very finnickey at start up but once they get going they give you a nice burn.ex :if you leave it for 20 minutes at start up before shut down air leave it for 35 see what happens

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I actually just lit the first fire of today after my post and did just that. I let it go with the door cracked a half inch until it was fulling going. I also changed up how I lay them out. I put down two logs right next to each other with a 3 inch broken off end on top of them and a wax starter under that broken piece and it started up much better than it ever has for me. It seems to be continuing to burn well a couple hours later though the intakes are open more than I'd like. I live in an older house and I just hate the idea that I'm sucking out so much warm air. I guess I'll just have to live with it.