Starting approach (load it up, or start with just kindling)

[kevreh]

Kinda wondering what folks here do. I've gone back and forth on these two approaches and was wondering if one has bennefits over the other.

Load it up: Tried both the kindling on the bottom and on the top (top-down-burn). This approach is where you add your starter, mid sized wood, then a couple big pieces. When it works, it works good, if the kindling isn't right it can be a PITA to re-start. Either way I don't add too much wood. So load it up is more about different size pieces, not filling the fireplace.

Start with kindling, then add logs: Been doing this lately, seems to give me more control. I've been using starter sticks from Home Depot, some twigs, and some pallet parts. Once there's a nice bed of coals I add the logs.

One thing I'm trying to do is to get the thermistor to close sooner. As it is, it takes about an hour before my fan kicks on. Guess it takes that long for the ambient temps to get to the thermistor.

Thanks-

 

[countybrown]

Top down is by far a superior method. If you're prepping the firebox properly on a cold start you should have no problem loading the stove full and then pretty much leaving it alone other than adjusting your air control.

Begreen or one of the other professionals here can back me up (or prove me wrong), but the less you have to open the door, the better off you are. Every time you open the door to mess with adding wood you're affecting your efficiency and causing substantial flue temp swings.

I can easily load my stove almost full on a cold start and then not touch it (other than air control) for hours until the first big reload.

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk

 

[Babaganoosh]

I've had great success with top down starts. I overdo it with kindling to ensure I don't have to relight it. I get 2 by 4s for free so I cut those with the chop saw and run them thru my smaller electric splitter. I do a mix of thicknesses. That stuff takes off very well.

Occasionally I'll throw so splits on the top level after the kindling burns down just to get the stove full.

Top down is great. You end up not having to mess with it if you do it right.

 

[rudysmallfry]

If it's below 30 degrees out, or my firebox is already warm top down is my preferred method. If it's a warmer, damp night on a cold firebox, starting on a full load just guarantees me a smoker. I'm better off just warming it up with smaller pieces and getting the draft right before adding bigger stuff.

 

[bcrtops]

You do not mention the stove you are using.

@begreen mentioned a method in an earlier thread, that I cannot find, which I have normally used now for years. We both have the same stove, though in a different size, & I think this method would work in most EPA stoves that you load N/S. It is a kindling in the middle approach.

Place a large split or log on each side of the firebox.
Make a starter/kindling pile in between.
Lay a couple of splits over the top-center. (sort of a bridge)
Light fire.

This creates a tunnel of love (fire) that gets going hot & fast -- getting the secondaries going faster than other methods. Once the middle gets going good, the side pieces will be thoroughly involved. This, also, works fairly well with reviving a fire from coals. Put logs or splits on the side, coals toward the center with a couple of splits on top coals in the middle. The air from the air-wash is what makes this system work so well, & gets the fire going fast.

 

[kevreh]

Its a Napoleon Wood Insert, EPI3. I like that idea,bcrtops, of a method to start. In the past I've had issues getting the top-down to start.

Also, we have plenty of nights like rudysmallfry mentioned.....warmer than 30 and wet or humid out (northern virginia). Thats why I start "cautiously", with not too much wood because I've had a few smokers and running around the smokey house disabling smoke alarms is no fun.

I use a method now (about 4 fires) that has prevented (I think) smokers. First I crack a window within ~10 feet of the fireplace. Also, I light a candle in the fireplace for a half hour before starting. I start with fire sticks (the waxy ones) from Home Depot, add some twigs, then some scrap wood or pallet wood, THEN the logs. Take it slow. I would like to buy the cedar starter pucks.

But who knows, maybe its just correlation and the weather has been favorable for me.

 

[jscs.moore]

If it's below 30 degrees out, or my firebox is already warm top down is my preferred method. If it's a warmer, damp night on a cold firebox, starting on a full load just guarantees me a smoker. I'm better off just warming it up with smaller pieces and getting the draft right before adding bigger stuff.

Agreed! I had my first smoker the other night after loading up the firebox to start a top/down fire. I was raining heavy outside and about 40 degrees. Next thing I know smoke is pouring out from every crevice of the insert and filling up the living room! WTF So I've been careful making sure the there is no obvious down draft coming into the firebox, then make sure to heat it up some with kindling and real small splits first. I think your advice is spot on!

 

[iceman2424]

I have an epi3 as well, and I have followed the manual's fire starting instructions to a T....bed fully covered with loosely crumpled newspaper, grid of kindling on top (thumb size diameter), then progressively add larger pieces of wood.

Once those burn down, load 'er up with larger splits, all the way to the top of the firebox!

I've had nothing but great success, and don't see myself changing methods in the near future...

 

[kevreh]

I have an epi3 as well, and I have followed the manual's fire starting instructions to a T....bed fully covered with loosely crumpled newspaper, grid of kindling on top (thumb size diameter), then progressively add larger pieces of wood.

Once those burn down, load 'er up with larger splits, all the way to the top of the firebox!

I've had nothing but great success, and don't see myself changing methods in the near future...

Since you have the EPI3 too, do you feel like it puts out much heat with the fan on? I would say it makes my 400sf living room just slightly warm, maybe 73 degrees, but never hot. Maybe I don't load it up enough. How much do you open the air control? I leave mine at 100% when starting up, then @70% after that. Maybe there's a trick to maximize heat output on this thing.

 

[iceman2424]

Since you have the EPI3 too, do you feel like it puts out much heat with the fan on? I would say it makes my 400sf living room just slightly warm, maybe 73 degrees, but never hot. Maybe I don't load it up enough. How much do you open the air control? I leave mine at 100% when starting up, then @70% after that. Maybe there's a trick to maximize heat output on this thing.

Yeah, it gets pretty warm. My stove is in a poorly insulated 500 sq. foot addition to an old bungalow, and it'll still gets pretty freaking toasty.

You're on your fourth fire? You're still probably driving moisture out of the firebrick with your fires...I think when you season that firebox and break in the paint and cast iron, things will get better. The manual says something about 80 hours (I think) of fires until everything cures and the stove is able to run at optimum efficiency. Yeah, I'm a "manual nerd," as you probably already figured out.

And, it's obvious, but I'll say it anyway...you gotta have fully seasoned cord wood.

One final thing - don't be afraid to load that sucker up with smaller/medium splits, and get a roaring fire going with the air control near fully open. Go for an hour max like that then damper down, and before long you'll be watching TV in your skivvies.

All that said, the firebox on the epi3 is small....1.8 cubic feet. My mother in law has a 3 cubic foot firebox on her FPX, and blowers that I swear were re-purposed from a Boeing jet plane...as a result, her house is like a fricking sauna. So, I guess what I'm saying is, the heat you're gonna get from any given stove is relative...

Happy burning, man!

EDIT: never mind, just noticed you've been using that METHOD for four fires. My bad. Disregard nearly the entirety of my above post, haha.

 

[kevreh]

Thanks for the feedback. I meant 4th fire for the season. Probably around 20 last year.

Our friends have a hybrid insert that moves a lot more air than the EPI3 does, and its not that it has more CF. The fan pushes enough air that you can feel it standing 15 feet in front of it. With the EPI3 I don't feel air moving until I get within a couple feet. Is this how yours is?

 

[iceman2424]

Thanks for the feedback. I meant 4th fire for the season. Probably around 10+ last year.

I JUST noticed that, my bad. LOL. Short answer: load it up to the top and let it rip. That seems to be when I generate the most heat w/this stove.

 

[Squisher]

I light always top down now. I place two full size splits on the bottom and then two med splits crosswise on top of that. If I have a firestarter of some sort that's it I light it and place it into those four splits and I'm off to the races. Without a firestarter once the four splits are laid out I stuff them full of newspaper and newspaper all around. I then make three crossing rows of three pieces of kindling each(9 pieces total). This will be built up to almost or sometimes touching the baffle. I light the paper and once draft is established the door is closed and that's it, first load is underway. No smoke, ash, or heat loss from building a smaller fire to bigger, one size of wood at a time.

 

[firefighterjake]

Cold start: Top Down fire.

Reload: Just place splits on to small coals.

Adjust air as needed.

 

[DrewMal]

Just some humble opinions here. I have tried the kindling then adding wood for years and then when I was using my old furnace I would usually use the large logs on the side and kindling in the middle approach. When buying my wood stove this year I was researching and heard about the top down fire and decided to try that for the cleaner no mess approach. I have lit 3-4 fires using the top down method and have had great success and will probably never go back to a different way. I just lit one 30 min ago using this and it is going great and never had to open the door to adjust it at all. I will be posting some video of it on YT in a bit then linking it to another thread that I have been using to discuss my stove. The link for the other thread is here:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/drolet-ht2000-vs-englander-nc-30.156433/page-3#post-2127732

I will be uploading then linking the video within the next 30 min hopefully.

Cheers and good luck with whatever method works best for you!

 

[kevreh]

I tried the top-down method again yesterday and it just didn't work well for me. I think part of the problem is my logs are too large to sit on the floor without any free-room between them so they can breathe a bit. If I had a bunch of 4" logs that would be perfect for my insert since they would sit on the floor better. With two pieces of the wood I have they pretty much "lock" into the insert floor.

 

[DrewMal]

My top down method is to lay down a layer of medium to large size wood tight on the bottom. Then on top of that I put some smaller splits with spaces between them. I then put 3-4 crumpled pieces of newspaper on that then lay 6-8 pieces of kindling over top of the paper. I light the paper and away it goes. I leave my damper open for about 5 min and my door cracked open for about 10-15 min. Then I just close the door and adjust my air as needed. Never have to touch the wood just add some in approx 3-5 hrs depending on the cold.

 

[Poindexter]

We have different stoves, but what works for me from a cold start is to build a log cabin kinda thing out of small splits, fill that with kindling and paper, light it off and run it wide open. An hour or so later I have a hot stove and a decent bed of coals so i can do a full hot reload on coals in a hot stove.

Not saying it will or won't work for you, but might be something to try.

 

[DrewMal]

Yes that method works really good too! Many more wonderful fires to come!

 

[kevreh]

We have different stoves, but what works for me from a cold start is to build a log cabin kinda thing out of small splits, fill that with kindling and paper, light it off and run it wide open. An hour or so later I have a hot stove and a decent bed of coals so i can do a full hot reload on coals in a hot stove.

Not saying it will or won't work for you, but might be something to try.

Thats the technique that pretty much works best for me at this point. I don't build a mini log cabin exactly, but something similar with a couple super cedar chunks, some kindling, twigs, etc... Let it get going, then add mid size logs. Some day, when I feel like it, I'll try the top-down approach again.