Fire starter gel

solarant said:

If you run out of fire starter gel, one alternative and quick and safe way to light wood pellets is to spray some WD40 onto the pellets in the burn pot, start with a match and away they go, wd40 is not as combustible as gel plus its cheaper.

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As I stick my fingers in my ears and yell, "Nah Nah Nah Nah...."

I hope your insurance agent or state fire marshal is not reading.
Please refer to your owners manual.

Eric

That's a good way to lose your eyebrows too.

Edit: Nevermind...
Grrrrr, this forum is great but the software used sux.
Should be able to delete our own posts/threads if we desire.

solarant said:

You spray the pellets when they are out, if you want to lose eyebrows trying putting in gel when the blower is on it will blow back and pepper you all over still lit it is like napalm, do the same with wd40 and nothing happens as it not as combustible.

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i usually put a cupful in a small container, squeeze in some gel, mix it together...then i put the mixture into the burnpot and turn on the stove. then i light it.didnt know the fans were strong enough to blow gel back on you.lit my stove all winter this way , and never got covered with "napalm".


mike

zeta said:

Edit: Nevermind...
Grrrrr, this forum is great but the software used sux.
Should be able to delete our own posts/threads if we desire.

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IMO, thats not possible Zeta.....the administrator on this site would NEVER use crappy software, nor would he allow anyone that much power here. Then we'd all think he was a cheapskate.

Oh, wait a minute, I am seemingly getting slightly off topic here, and don't want this thread to get sent to the ash can & then deleted, so I will add that the cheapest hand sanitizer you can find (like maybe in the dollar store) works well too.

macman said:

I will add that the cheapest hand sanitizer you can find (like maybe in the dollar store) works well too.

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Thats what I use too! I thinks it works better than the Bottled ignitor stuff, maybe because I'm not paying as much, Makes me think it works better.

I always keep some on hand, Just in case the ignitor fails on my stove.

jay

I have been using the gel to light my stove while waiting on an ignitor.
Mix it in with the pellets, dump in pot, light, THEN turn on the stove.
Never had any blowback and/or peppering of "nepalm".

solarant said:

If you run out of fire starter gel, one alternative and quick and safe way to light wood pellets is to spray some WD40 onto the pellets in the burn pot, start with a match and away they go, wd40 is not as combustible as gel plus its cheaper.

Click to expand...

WD-40's main ingredients, according to U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet information, are:

50%: Stoddard solvent (i.e., mineral spirits -- primarily hexane, somewhat similar to kerosene)
25%: Liquified petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant; carbon dioxide is now used instead to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability)
15+%: Mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
10-%: Inert ingredients

I'm no chemist but how safe is it to burn these items? Particularly the stoddard solvent and mineral oil?

Have never had to use them, but just in case I have
some Rutland Safe Lite fire starter squares. Got a
pack for real cheap, under 2 bux I think it was.
No flammable liquid or gel required.

CZARCAR said:

wonder how a self igniting charcoal briquette would work?
rule per paperwork= no flammable LIQUIDS, eh?

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hmmmmm, theres a thought.maybe have to try that. the temps have finally reached the point here to be able to shut down during the day, but with all the rain in the past few days , we keep the stove going for the dampness in the air.

ran out of gel, so now using propane torch...gonna give the self light charcoal a try.

mike

I take a cup of pellets and add 1/4 cup charcoal lighter fuel and mix in a glass jar. I let it sit until all the
pellets are a very dark brown. I then use 1/2 the jar in the burn pot and light w/ a propane torch.

Another idea: put a handful of cotton balls in a glass jar with a cover, and soak them in lamp oil. When needed, pull out one cotton ball and put it in the burnpot on top of some pellets...when it's well ignited, turn the stove on. Works great.

What Deffy said.

When I had a pellet stove I used cigarette lighter fluid. (someone on this forum always says it gunks your stove up but I never had any issues with a small amount of lighter fluid which burnt off in a matter of minutes) or lamp oil worked great. In a pinch i used rubbing alcohol or kerosene and charcoal lighter fluid. In a very small amount you are not going to "Blow yourself up". You have to use common sense. Make absolutely sure the stove is out and cool and use only small amounts. You put a hell of a lot more charcoal lighter fluid on your charcoal/grill and you dont blow up. Well, occasionally someone does when they put the whole can on or spray it when its lit but they are the excepitons! LOL

I'm with Zeta on this one. My old stove is on or off, no auto ignite. I have used the Rutland fire starter squares exclusively since 1997 when I bought the used stove. It works just fine for me.

I'll stick with my propane torch... I'd rather not put any other chemicals and etc in my stove.

I have used Zippo lighter fluid before and it works great!

wallyworld near me has a whole shelf of starter gel on clearance, if I used gel to start I would buy it all up (quite a big mark down)
my stove has propane ignition.

I just got some from WalMart not long ago. I believe it is called Diamond All Natural starter fluid or something like that. It was under 4 bucks for a large container and works good!