What is it like to do a cold start for a Vigas boiler?

[98kx1927]

I've read everywhere, looked at youtube videos and see both extremes. On youtube they light the boiler with a torch and it is up and gassing in < 2 min. In the Vigas user manual, they say light kindling let burn for 15-20 minutes, attended, then load the rest up.

So when does it take < 2 min and when does it take 15-20? If it takes me 15-20 minutes to light the boiler twice a day, not sure I want to go that route. But if it is like 2 minutes, that is fine.

Maybe this question holds for other gassers, I don't know. I ask about the Vigas because the Vigas 80 is about the size I'm looking at and a lot of the other brands don't have anything this large.

thanks,
dave

 

[nwomatt]

I have a vigas 60. It only takes a few minutes to get it going. I usually put some birch bark or paper over the nozzles a few pieces of kindling on top of that then load it up to whatever size
Load I think I might need. Still working on that. Only been online A few months. I close the top door leave chimney damper open open bottom door and hit the bark from underneath with a torch. I let it burn like that for a short time 5 minutes at the most usually until the chimney temp gets around 120-140 close the bottom door close the chimney damper press the start button and walk away. I've found that I can't put wood in it while its burning without smoking out the garage. Glad it's not in the house. I have to either judge the load right or add wood once the burn is over or close to over. There are fans available to aid in this problem but I've spent too much already.

 

[flyingcow]

I don't have a Vigas. I have a solo Innova. I throw in a 6 or 8 pieces of kindlin', crumbled up,newspaper on top and light. Go gather my firewood. By the time i get back, kindlin' is crackling. Throw in firewood and shut door and walk away. Total time is maybe 5 mins or less.

Just curious, i see you listed TX as home. A Vigas 80 is a big unit. You have that much heat load? I heat a pretty large house in Maine with a 30kw unit.

 

[98kx1927]

OK it sounds like getting the boiler started isn't really that big of deal, that is good. I just didn't want to have to stand in there boiler building for 20 minutes waiting for a fire to get going.

@flyingcow I currently live in TX, but the home I'm renovating is in VA, hence the larger heat load. I updated my profile to help with the confusion.

dave

 

[maple1]

I think you'd find the total amount of time in getting a fire established & loaded & leaving it would be about the same for most any boiler. There might be some differences in how you do things in that time. For me, I get a small fire going first right away with some paper & kindling & couple small splits, then while it's building I scoop out ashes if needed from the bottom chamber, gather/stage the rest of the wood for the load, and get the fire starter ready for the next load. By that time I've got a good small fire going, so I load it up & walk away. Sounds like flyingcow does much the same, and takes about the same 5 minutes.

 

[foamit up]

I have a Vigas 80. I have mine set to shut off when fire box temp drops to 195. This leaves enough charcoal in chamber so when you put a little paper in and small splits, then light charcoal from top with torch. Let burn for a couple minutes with inducer fan on, throw in charge, close door, with damper open till temperature reaches 150. Then press go. It then is gassing.
Do not try and load if temperature is above 230 as you will get smoke. At 230 it is mostly red coals and you can load charge in 3 minutes close door and press go.

 

[henfruit]

With the Vigas shut down temp set at 255 you will have charcoal left from the previous fire. Rake the coals over the nozzle add a little kindling, fill up with wood. Light from the bottom with the torch for 30 seconds close both doors and damper, hit the button to start and you are done. As long as the smoke gas temp is climbing you are good. I have times in the winter when I still have some embers in the box from the fire before, rake the embers over the nozzle add kindling ,wood. No torch, hit the start button and you are off to the races.

 

[Fred61]

With the Vigas shut down temp set at 255 you will have charcoal left from the previous fire. Rake the coals over the nozzle add a little kindling, fill up with wood. Light from the bottom with the torch for 30 seconds close both doors and damper, hit the button to start and you are done. As long as the smoke gas temp is climbing you are good. I have times in the winter when I still have some embers in the box from the fire before, rake the embers over the nozzle add kindling ,wood. No torch, hit the start button and you are off to the races.

I do the same with my Eko sans kindling. If your wood is dry enough that small amount of glowing charcoal will ignite a 4 or 5 inch split so I just load up the firebox. It may take a few more minutes for the fire to achieve full gasification but I don't care because instead of monitoring the fire I'm upstairs watching Judge Judy.

 

[JP11]

I think my shutdown is 200.. Not much left in there. I go with the kindling and let it get going while I rake out the bottom method.

Maybe takes 10 minutes. But it's rake ash, load boiler, sweep floor time all in one.

JP

 

[flyingcow]

WAIT!! I forgot, no matter what boiler you have, add 3 to 5 minutes.......sip a cold beer and pat yourself on the back for being so damn clever.......always a moral booster.

 

[woodsmaster]

It takes me around 5 min just to fill with wood, but it holds a lot of wood. Then a 2 or 3 minutes to get it burning good before I walk away. I have a biomass tho...

 

[Fred61]

I've read everywhere, looked at youtube videos and see both extremes. On youtube they light the boiler with a torch and it is up and gassing in < 2 min. In the Vigas user manual, they say light kindling let burn for 15-20 minutes, attended, then load the rest up.

So when does it take < 2 min and when does it take 15-20? If it takes me 15-20 minutes to light the boiler twice a day, not sure I want to go that route. But if it is like 2 minutes, that is fine.

Maybe this question holds for other gassers, I don't know. I ask about the Vigas because the Vigas 80 is about the size I'm looking at and a lot of the other brands don't have anything this large.

thanks,
dave

I'm forced to question your commitment to burning wood when a couple minutes one way or another to light the unit is a deal breaker. Perhaps you've been influenced by the easy life of the late 20th century. It's not going to have a piezo-electric push button igniter so you'll have to live with the negative aspects in order to reap the benefits from burning wood which far outweigh any alternatives.

 

[98kx1927]

Some good ideas and information. Exactly what I was looking for. The choice for me was indoor gasser or OWB. I'm familiar with the OWB, just not an indoor gasser.