easiest stove to light? differences?

[ericj]

I've read that some stoves have a bypass (I understand this allows more combustion air for starting the fire without having to crack the door?) After lighting a fire, do any stoves automatically adjust for the lower air needs of an established fire? This may be wishful thinking. Probably the answer is "yes, a pellet stove."

Along similar lines, have you found any stoves that are easier to light than others?

 

[BrowningBAR]

I've read that some stoves have a bypass (I understand this allows more combustion air for starting the fire without having to crack the door?) After lighting a fire, do any stoves automatically adjust for the lower air needs of an established fire? This may be wishful thinking. Probably the answer is "yes, a pellet stove."

Along similar lines, have you found any stoves that are easier to light than others?

It isn't just the stove, wood and draft are bigger factors.

 

[begreen]

Quadrafire stoves have the ACC feature that backs off startup air on a timer. It could be what you are looking for. Personally I am more of a KISS kinda guy.

 

[Pagey]

As stated above, the ease with which a fire lights will depend on factors beyond the stove, such as how strong your draft is, how tight your house is, your chimney's setup (straight vs. elbows, interior vs. exterior), etc. The bypass feature you mention is included on my Lopi Endeavor, for example. It does just that: bypasses the baffle during startups, reloads, and cleaning. I've started fires with it open and closed, and I will say it does make for faster, easier startups. But I think what helps my initial ignition far more is that I have about 19' of straight up, interior, chimney with double wall connector pipe. I'm also using well seasoned wood and good fire starters (Super Cedars).

As long as you address the issue of a properly sized and installed chimney (and outside combustion air, if necessary in a tight house), you've won more than half the battle, I'd say.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Is it easier to have a gizmo that regulates everything and can make something overly complicated (that could break-check out the pellet forum) or to have one air control lever to slide or pull that controls the air.

To be honest, a non cat woodstove is a box that holds fire. You have a lever somewhere on it that controls your primary air. Operating one with dry wood and enough draft isn't rocket science. With a little practice you probably would be able to set it in the dark while half asleep.

Matt

 

[SolarAndWood]

The easiest stove to light is the one with a hot bed of coals and dry wood sitting in a bucket next to it. The Blaze King has a thermostat that works far better than the one in my last stove that was more of a liability than a feature. The reality is however, that you still need to open the thermostat up to get the coals hot, let it burn off for 10-15 mins after a reload and then set it to where you want it. Cold starts are more a bit more complicated than that. The real value of the thermostat is that it manages the burn rate through the rest of the burn cycle as opposed to an automated start.

 

[branchburner]

The easiest stove to light is one with an ashpan door. Opening it for under a minute acts as a bellows, and allows even wet laundry to ignite. Leaving it open, walking away and forgetting it, then allows for more soiled laundry to be added to whatever remains of the former stove.

 

[Treacherous]

Your setup sounds almost exactly like mine. This stove is so easy to get a fire going.

Even on balmier days when I was testing out this new stove I had great draft and I still have great control if I wanted to throttle it down.

But I think what helps my initial ignition far more is that I have about 19' of straight up, interior, chimney with double wall connector pipe. I'm also using well seasoned wood and good fire starters (Super Cedars).

As long as you address the issue of a properly sized and installed chimney (and outside combustion air, if necessary in a tight house), you've won more than half the battle, I'd say.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've read that some stoves have a bypass (I understand this allows more combustion air for starting the fire without having to crack the door?) After lighting a fire, do any stoves automatically adjust for the lower air needs of an established fire? This may be wishful thinking. Probably the answer is "yes, a pellet stove."

Along similar lines, have you found any stoves that are easier to light than others?

We've had many stoves over the years. Lighting a fire has very little to do with what type of stove you have. So long as you have a good flue and good fuel, lighting the fire is pretty darned simple.


On the bypass, our bypass is so the smoke does not go through the cat until the cat gets up to proper temperature. It has nothing to do with allowing more air to the fire. That is regulated with the draft control and, many do open the firebox door a crack.

 

[firefighterjake]

The easiest stove to light is one with an ashpan door. Opening it for under a minute acts as a bellows, and allows even wet laundry to ignite. Leaving it open, walking away and forgetting it, then allows for more soiled laundry to be added to whatever remains of the former stove.

Of course using the ash pan door to light a stove is often a recipe for disaster if you truly like the stove . . . didn't realize how bad this could mess up things and started doing this myself until I started reading some of the horror stories from folks that had used the ash pan door left open . . . and who ended up damaging their stove. Now I just leave the side door ajar . . . and stay right in the room, near the stove.