What to add to the burn pot for startup?

[Don2222]

Hello
Does anyone add pine cones , wood chips, twigs or incense to the burn pot before startup?

 

[tjnamtiw]

Why would you do that? Incense? All you SHOULD (would) be doing is making it smell nice for the neighbors. You shouldn't be getting any of that smell in your house and, if you do, something is wrong.

 

[DexterDay]

Why would you do that? Incense? All you SHOULD (would) be doing is making it smell nice for the neighbors. You shouldn't be getting any of that smell in your house and, if you do, something is wrong.

Agreed. Only my Englander is manual start and all I use for it is Hand Sanitizer. I would use the firestarting Gel, but my buddy works for GOJO in Akron Ohio. I can get large quantities for "Really Cheap". LOL

But the Quad lights just fine on its own. No need for any additives or fillers. You could probably put some Pine Cones in your stove over the summer. Thats the only time my "Log Set" goes in. Fill the burn pot with the cones, it may have a good look to it. But negative here, on the burning of them.

 

[Pellet-King]

Don you feeling alright?

 

[save$]

I only use what ever I have cleaned out of the hopper for starting fires. I vac it up and dump it into a small basket and keep it handy to the stove. My stove manual says pellets only, so that is all I ever attempt to burn. Can't imagine how you would get any "scent" from a closed system. There is a company here in Maine that makes balsam fir incense with a nice camp fire smell. Paine's, made in Auburn Me. LL Bean sells it. Once in a while, we burn one and set it on the stove. So far, it hasn't bothered my Asthma, so it isn't too smokey.

 

[tjnamtiw]

When I used to have a Franklin wood burning stove with a cooking rack, I used to drive my neighbors crazy when we cooked steaks, pork chops, and chicken over the wood coals. :cheese:

 

[CJ-SR4ever]

Yummmm! Youre driving me crazy just talking about steak chicken and pork.

 

[nosaudioil]

Thanks Don, I'm gonna give this a try!
Other than that, I'm hungry!

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Well, I do miss my wood stove a little bit, but I do not miss the sticky dirty BLACK creosote so I guess it is not a good idea to have any thing in the burn pot that would produce creosote and make the burn chamber or heat exchangers real black and sticky. Other than that I few small things that would burn cleanly should not be a problem to add once in a while so I may try something.

How about you guys??

 

[Vinelife]

No, I dont miss my wood stove that much. I do have as a back up if the electricity goes out. I have a cord of wood in the garage ready to go. You dont get creasote on a wood stove if you burn it right in the burn zone ... about 350-450 degrees. Anything lower than that you will build up creasote.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

I add Pellets to my fire pot, then copious amounts of heat from my propane torch to get the stuff lit.

Then I turn the fuel feed on and let the ground up nut shells fall in an make ashes.

Sit sipping a lovely cup of Earl Gray tea

Snowy

 

[imacman]

.....few small things that would burn cleanly should not be a problem to add once in a while so I may try something.......

Don, the question I'm sure everyone that has read this thread is thinking, is why do you want to do this????

 

[Don2222]

Hello Imacman

Well, I am always trying different things and looking for ideas. This maybe not the best idea so I like hearing opinions and pros and cons. What do you think Imacman? would you add a piece of cardboard or something in there instead of hauling it away?

 

[smwilliamson]

1 gallon tub with cove, fill 1/2 way will pellets, fill remaining half with Lynsol, denatured alcohol, cover over night. Perfect fire starting granola that keeps you going all year long.

 

[arnash]

I guess you've missed several of my posts in which I've mentioned that I use chainsaw chips and little pine cones, doused with a fair amount of smokeless lamp oil to light my stove. Been doing that for 3 months since I got my stove. I don't know of anything that can equal it for the price (free, except for the lamp oil) without creating lots of ash, like paper does.

 

[imacman]

.....would you add a piece of cardboard or something in there instead of hauling it away?

I'm not sure I'm following you...are you asking if i'd burn cardboard in the pellet stove instead of putting it out for recycling (burning "garbage")?

If so, my answer would be no.

 

[Don2222]

I guess you've missed several of my posts in which I've mentioned that I use chainsaw chips and little pine cones, doused with a fair amount of smokeless lamp oil to light my stove. Been doing that for 3 months since I got my stove. I don't know of anything that can equal it for the price (free, except for the lamp oil) without creating lots of ash, like paper does.

Hi Arnash

Thanks for explaining that, I did see your post but did not know you also used a little lamp oil.

That is a good idea, I have a multi-fuel burn pot so hazelnut shells or cherry pits would be good to add also. I know it is not as flexible as a wood stove but some things can be added safely.

 

[Meneillys]

Don I have to say I am guilty of putting a dirty tissue or two in the old Breckwell we have that keeps the forklift warm. My father has also started the stove with Diesel fuel much to my dismay. He doesn't clean it I do and Diesel makes a mess and stinks!

 

[tjnamtiw]

Just as with a wood stove, I would certainly NEVER use paper or anything else light weight that can be carried while still burning up into the flue. That is inviting a creosote chimney fire. I know that creosote in pellet stove flues is much less likely but I've seen several posts here with photos showing such buildup. Using paper is verboten IMHO. I used fatwood in my wood burners for many years and I guess I could use it in the pellet stoves.

 

[Don2222]

Just as with a wood stove, I would certainly NEVER use paper or anything else light weight that can be carried while still burning up into the flue. That is inviting a creosote chimney fire. I know that creosote in pellet stove flues is much less likely but I've seen several posts here with photos showing such buildup. Using paper is verboten IMHO. I used fatwood in my wood burners for many years and I guess I could use it in the pellet stoves.

Hello Tinamtiw

Guess what I just found in my garage!! Thanks for reminding me!! LOL

Maybe I will add one in the burnpot tonight~

Thanks

 

[tjnamtiw]

I imagine that should work well if you don't have an automatic starter. Rather than pay the ridiculous price for fatwood, if you are near any forest where there are pine trees or they used to be, go looking for stumps of dead trees. Dig or pull them up and take an ax to the stump and roots. Then smell them to see if they are full of resin like your fatwood. Bottom lands are the best searching grounds for fatwood. It's worth spending a little time in the woods AND fun. Just be careful splitting it down to workable pieces. I cut it into larger pieces and then use my band saw to size them. Smells great too!

 

[Turbo-Quad]

Corn burners use wood pellets soaked in alcohol to start theirs. Same principle as hand cleaner I suppose.

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Well I do have an auto igniter and I guess I know why they are such an improvement! Since I had the Fat Wood laying around from the old days I thought I would try a piece. The Fat Wood start up is more smokey and leaves a little more ash and soot. More ash in the burnpot and soot on the heat exchangers is not good. So the auto igniter is the cleanest way to go. I probably used too big a piece there but it accentuated the dirtiness of the start up and showed that it will make more work to clean the stove. We certainly do not want more work! Wood Pellets are so good it is hard to improve them For stoves with no igniter, Pellet starting gel is cleaner and is probably better too.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Yea, that was a BIT of overkill! :lol: but you're right, nothing beats an auto igniter. And the alcohol would burn very cleanly compared to fatwood.

 

[arnash]

About flying paper embers igniting a creosote exhaust vent fire, I believe that's not possible. The vent is cool during start-up and the flying embers are probably so cool that they could land on your hand and not burn you since they go out so fast. But what's needed to start a creosote fire is very high heat, which is only possible after a hot fire has burned for good while.
I've started my stove once with just pellets and lamp oil, but have stuck to little pine cones and a small bed of chainsaw chips because they burn nice 'n hot very quickly, while pellets take a little longer because they're thicker. Using charcoal starter is definitely a no-no being as it stinks and has an odor you don't want indoors. Has anyone tried rubbing alcohol or baby oil? I've got some baby oil and will give it a shot tomorrow. It's probably similar to lamp oil but with that Baby Oil odor.