Hi all! I've been searching the forums but don't see an updated post about the optional Greenstart Igniter on Lopi Stoves. I am considering either the Lopi Endeavor or the Lopi Evergreen but leaning towards the Evergreen because of the tax credit eligibility. I've read some threads indicating the older Green Start igniter was loud and not worth the extra $500; but newer posts saying they have improved. Any updated intel? Do they get the stove cranking out heat any faster or do they just make starting the fire easier? Wood is super dry where we are, so that's usually not an issue.
Greenstart Igniter: Worth the extra $
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EbS-P
Minister of Fire
Top down fire with a torch. Maybe one of these???
Totally not needed but if you are looking for a reason for one now you have another. I use a tiny butane kitchen torch. But I’m looking for reasons for the blazer.
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Totally not needed but if you are looking for a reason for one now you have another. I use a tiny butane kitchen torch. But I’m looking for reasons for the blazer.
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Seems like another thing to go wrong overtime and it doesn't do a top down start. As noted, firestarting is easy with dry wood and kindling. I'd rather get a box of Super Cedars and use 1/4 as a starter. If one is burning 247 one might not do a cold start for 2-3 months.
I use a Bernzomatic propane torch with a trigger igniter. As long as you have dry wood and a handful of dry sticks (1/2 inch or less in diameter) a top down start takes very little effort. I typically use the wood shards left over from the splitter or stuff I find in the yard for this.
Using a torch is leaps and bounds less fussy than using a match or lighter. I would argue super fine kindling or paper are not even required
Using a torch is leaps and bounds less fussy than using a match or lighter. I would argue super fine kindling or paper are not even required
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
My thought, as mentioned above is that it will fail and the motivation to get that fixed will be low, basically becoming an expensive item you may use only a few dozen times. Honestly, a big part of wood burning is appreciating the process of it and pushing a button seems a little to “convenient”.
So I registered for this site only to reply to this thread because it seems like no one replying actually has one. I own a Lopi Cape Cod with the original green start. I have had woodstoves my entire life and have used them as my primary heat source in the last 2 houses that I have owned (around the last 20 years).
1. I think (almost every time I start my stove) how completely worth it the green start is. Not kidding. I even think whatever I paid it wasn’t enough. Don’t have to warm the exhaust, don’t have to do ANYTHING. I literally place a full load of wood in my stove with no kindling. Open the intake and exhaust completely and press a button, within 15 minutes there is a full blazing fire almost every time (if the wood is a little wet I might have to toss in a little kindling and repress the button) There is NEVER any smoke in my house. I know the tutorial videos say to start a small fire with kindling, and we did that for the first couple month of ownership, but you definitely do not have to do it that way.
2. Noise - um yes it makes noise, it’s a small air compressor behind the stove around the size of a cable box. It makes noise like a small air compressor would. But it only lasts for 15 minutes then it’s silent. So far as how loud, it is similar to the blower on my stove on the LOWEST setting, definitely quieter that the blower on high. We have the stove in our main living area with our TV and the greenstart noise does not interfere.
3. Failure. I’ve owned it for 5 years with no issues. Started EVERY fire during the burn seasons for 5 years, no issues. It’s a small air compressor. Could it have issues, sure so could anything. If mine ever had issues I’d repair or replace no question, but I don’t anticipate it being unreliable.
4. I can’t believe how many people are willing to throw their 2 cents in on something that they have no experience whatsoever with. I’ve never owned a pellet stove so I’d never review one or give advice about one, it would just be speculative and worthless.
I’ll end with this: My wife and I both love our greenstart. It’s easy enough that my kids (teens now) can use it to start a fire without worry. I think it’s a complete game changer. I would never buy another stove without one and if I had a stove that could retrofit it I would immediately. It is like taking the convenience of a gas stove and adding it to a wood stove. I hope that helps.
1. I think (almost every time I start my stove) how completely worth it the green start is. Not kidding. I even think whatever I paid it wasn’t enough. Don’t have to warm the exhaust, don’t have to do ANYTHING. I literally place a full load of wood in my stove with no kindling. Open the intake and exhaust completely and press a button, within 15 minutes there is a full blazing fire almost every time (if the wood is a little wet I might have to toss in a little kindling and repress the button) There is NEVER any smoke in my house. I know the tutorial videos say to start a small fire with kindling, and we did that for the first couple month of ownership, but you definitely do not have to do it that way.
2. Noise - um yes it makes noise, it’s a small air compressor behind the stove around the size of a cable box. It makes noise like a small air compressor would. But it only lasts for 15 minutes then it’s silent. So far as how loud, it is similar to the blower on my stove on the LOWEST setting, definitely quieter that the blower on high. We have the stove in our main living area with our TV and the greenstart noise does not interfere.
3. Failure. I’ve owned it for 5 years with no issues. Started EVERY fire during the burn seasons for 5 years, no issues. It’s a small air compressor. Could it have issues, sure so could anything. If mine ever had issues I’d repair or replace no question, but I don’t anticipate it being unreliable.
4. I can’t believe how many people are willing to throw their 2 cents in on something that they have no experience whatsoever with. I’ve never owned a pellet stove so I’d never review one or give advice about one, it would just be speculative and worthless.
I’ll end with this: My wife and I both love our greenstart. It’s easy enough that my kids (teens now) can use it to start a fire without worry. I think it’s a complete game changer. I would never buy another stove without one and if I had a stove that could retrofit it I would immediately. It is like taking the convenience of a gas stove and adding it to a wood stove. I hope that helps.
I don’t think I could disagree more with your statement that “ a big part if wood burning is appreciating the process”, maybe for a campfire, but I still usually start those with a lighter not with a magnesium strip or by rubbing sticks together. I burn wood to heat my house(and it’s the BEST heat). I use a blower because it spreads the heat better. If I can make starting the fire more convenient I definitely do that too. But if you are starting all of your work stove fires through a friction method hats off to you.
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
Yeah, it looks like a may have written my reply while not in the best mood, lol. Glad the green start works for you.
Given that I don’t have a green start, when I’m heating the house, I do look back at what I did to get there and feel good about it.
That said, I’d I had a green start, I’d use it, haha.
I just registered as well to thank you for your comment. I was seeing all the negative posts about the green start and was pretty close to deciding against it and just go without but you brought the desire for it back!
It’s between the Evergreen and the GM60 for me Ease of use fore my wife, and 11 year old, while I’m away from home speaks volumes to me. Plus, I won’t have to worry about smoke in the house, which they are sensitive to, on the off chance the draft is going the wrong way while starting. I’m still on the fence about the fan however.
Wood stove will be in our living space, main floor, 2400 SqFt total ranch house. The basement backup heat, in case of a furnace failure, are 3 wall mounted electric heaters which are backed up by a transfer switch. Gotta be prepared in one of the coldest cities in the country! -40 is not abnormal here on the coldest days of winter.
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
The greenstart does sound great, don’t get me wrong. But if/when it does fail, let us know so that future viewers of the forum have an idea of its lifespan before replacement.
Hey did you get the GreenStart option? I’m curious about how and where the compressor and lines get installed. I’m installing a Lopi large flush wood insert this summer and think I might go for the green start feature. Seems really nice QOL feature that will save time and headaches starting the fire. I just need to see if the compressor can be installed in the chimney cavity (I doubt that) or if I can put it in the basement and run the lines through the brick wall. I don’t want the compressor out on the hearth.
Rbrew, I posted my my questions above but where and how did you install the compressor for the greenstart? How is the compressor lines run? In looking at getting it on a Lopi large flush wood insert and idk where the compressor would go. I looked on Lopi website for a greenstart technical manual but didn’t find anything
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