Using Cardboard To Start The Fire

[fdegree]

Thanks for the clarification, jake.

As some seem to have eluded to, I was not necessarily asking about cramming the stove full of cardboard...rather using a couple of small pieces, about the dimensions of a piece of copy paper, to help get a cold stove started.

So, it sounds as if using a couple of small pieces to aid in starting the fire may not necessarily be a bad thing. Or, have I misunderstood some of the posts?

Thanks for the feed back folks...as always, you are all very helpful.

 

[SteveKG]

No, it's fine, and as I said in my previous post, I like to use a couple smaller pieces with a couple pieces newspaper to get mine going. The cardboard burns hot and fast and really gets the kindling going. I've been doing it for 35 yr. and neither my stoves nor my stovepipes has suffered a bit.

I have no experience with catalytic stoves, don't know whether the fast heat of the cardboard early in the burn would be a problem.... I doubt it, but I cannot say with authority.

The fibers in fibrous sealing tape on the seams of some cardboard will not burn up and will be down there with the ashes on your grate. I cut that part of the cardboard off and don't put it in the stove.

 

[fdegree]

The fibers in fibrous sealing tape on the seams of some cardboard will not burn up and will be down there with the ashes on your grate. I cut that part of the cardboard off and don't put it in the stove.

Thanks...that's very useful information

 

[StihlHead]

I have never had any problem burning cardboard in many types of wood burning devices, including my Central Boiler OWB, several fireplace inserts, and an Earth Stove WS. That being said, keep in mind that cardboard burns HOT (way hotter than paper) and it burns fast so you can get overfiring using it. I would guess that is the reason for the statements here about creosote fires, flames out the flue, etc. I use smaller amounts of cardboard cut into strips about a foot long and 8 inches wide and typically only burn it to kick-start the store or boiler with when they are cold or need re-firing. I have never had creosote issues in any wood burning device, but I typically burn seasoned wood and keep the flues cleaned (except in my OWB, as they will burn wet, green, rotten and all around junk wood just fine, with less efficiency of course).

Engineering note: Cardboard burns at 800 deg. F. vs. paper at 451 deg. F. Wood ignites at about 480 deg. F.