wood stove tricks?

**old goat** · 12-09-2014, 07:37 PM

We have an EPA II cast iron wood stove that generally works fine, although we have to leave the door cracked open until it gets going--I assume it was designed and tested for sea level. However in cold weather if we've been out of town for a long time it spews smoke out into the room when we try to light it. Generally have to try lighting it a few times to warm it up before it will start to draw, then try to get the smoke out of the house. Once we get it going it's fine until we leave town again. Any suggestions on a less smoky way to get it warmed up? We also have forced air and I didn't try light the stove until the indoor temp was up to 62 which is where I have my furnace set. (This time my DVR also didn't work right until the house got warmed up, which seems weird.)

**XXX-er** · 12-09-2014, 07:48 PM

Use a propane torch to warm up the flue by pointing it up inside the stove then use it to light the fire and if it has a sparklighter thats even more convenient

**iceman** · 12-09-2014, 07:49 PM

You gotta get enough heat going up the chimney to ocercome the weight of the column of cold air in there, which is harder when the chimey is cold and it's chilling the air in it. Burn a couple of loosely-crumpled pieces of newspaper in the back of the stove right before you light your fire.

**stfu&gbtw** · 12-09-2014, 07:50 PM

Crack a window or door near the stove before you light it. That will help with the draw. Also, light a couple of pieces of paper before you load the stove to preheat the stack. I light the stove with a map gas torch so the fire gets going more quickly.

**365wp** · 12-09-2014, 07:55 PM

Yep, the guy who installed the liner in our chimney told us to light newspaper and hold in the flue to warm up the air and start the draft going. The room is much less smoke filled when I remember to do this.

**~mikey b** · 12-09-2014, 08:00 PM

Start hot wide open.

**buttahflake** · 12-09-2014, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by telemike

Start hot wide open.

what he said.
burn it hot twice a day.

**Alaskan Rover** · 12-09-2014, 08:09 PM

The inside of a wood stove is like its own little weather system...all pressure differential dependant. Warming up the area by the flue is good advice.

XXX-er, using a propane torch to light a woodstove?? Come now!! Ehh...can't say I haven't done that.

**Shadam** · 12-09-2014, 08:19 PM

cleaned the chimney latetly ???

just had to ask ...

I know wot your sayn, if I light the fire as far to the back as poss is one trick.
the other is to start it with a splash of gas ... super dangerous but it get hot fast and drafts fast too. but it takes a special kinda loony to use this technique ...

**stfu&gbtw** · 12-09-2014, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by Shadam

start it with a splash of gas

Don't do that.

**char** · 12-09-2014, 08:41 PM

Learn how to start a fire from the "top down".

http://www.woodheat.org/top-down-fever.html

Don't have to use firestarters like in the video, you can use newspaper.

Hugh Conway · 12-09-2014, 08:49 PM

use chopped railroad ties to clean the chimney of creosote every so often.

SB · 12-09-2014, 08:55 PM

Fat wood FTW

**XXX-er** · 12-09-2014, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

The inside of a wood stove is like its own little weather system...all pressure differential dependant. Warming up the area by the flue is good advice.

XXX-er, using a propane torch to light a woodstove?? Come now!! Ehh...can't say I haven't done that.

And its gotta have the spark lighter, do you wana be a boyscout or do ya wana be warm?

I found a propane torch washed up on the beach seakayaking out on the north coast I think it got dropped off a yacht whilst some drunk was trying to light a BBQ, it still worked so I stuffed it under my knees in the kayak ... funkenawesume for lighting beachfires!

**BCMtnHound** · 12-09-2014, 10:26 PM

Geez XXX-er, here I made an assumption when you said propane torch you meant something like a proper propane "tiger torch", not some little hobbyist burner...

**Beaver** · 12-09-2014, 11:05 PM

I open a window to help start the draft.

**wendigo** · 12-10-2014, 12:11 AM

Hair dryer. A motherfuckin hairdryer.
Fast and easy, same as I like my women.

**~mikey b** · 12-10-2014, 12:26 AM

This guy knows. Fkn AK and shit

**XXX-er** · 12-10-2014, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by BCMountainHound

Geez XXX-er, here I made an assumption when you said propane torch you meant something like a proper propane "tiger torch", not some little hobbyist burner...

While all you need is the small torch I actualy have used the tiger torch hooked to the propane system on a chevy pickup with a long hose and you can get any fire going

also good for vaporising beer cans

**yeahman** · 12-10-2014, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Beaver

I open a window to help start the draft.

That's the ticket right there, open a window or door, then hold a burning piece of newspaper right up inside the stove where the pipe starts to get the draft going.

**old goat** · 12-11-2014, 09:36 AM

I'll give the propane torch thing a try. (I have one I used to use to pine tar the bottom of my X country skis. Yep, I really am that old.) There's not a direct access to the flue--the top of the firebox has a bunch of angle pieces with holes in them, I assume that's what makes it EPA II. I assume I can just warm them up. The newspaper is what smokes out the house--already tried that. As far as hairdryer goes my wife already gets pissed enough as it is for getting sno-seal all over it. She would be thrilled with soot. As far as opening a window--the house already leaks air like a sieve, but I'll give it a try. Thanks all.

**refried** · 12-11-2014, 09:55 AM

I like to use shredded newspaper to get the draft going, it burns faster than crumpled newspaper and seems to get the air moving faster, Another trick is very dry kindling, Cedar works great, keep it inside to keep moisture out of it.

**Peruvian** · 12-11-2014, 10:06 AM

Check if the flue has a clean out at the bottom (mine is in the basement). Lighting some paper there will warm the column and get a good draft going.

**GeezerSteve** · 12-11-2014, 10:32 AM

+1 to preheating the flue and other methods to improve draft.

A horizontal baffle stove, e.g., Jøtul or Jøtul knockoff, is designed so that the logs gradually burn from the front end to the back, like a cigar, i.e., very small hot fire. When starting a fire in a cold HB stove, the kindling (you don't need much) should be at the front of the stove (just behind the door). When the logs are nearly burned, scrape the coals forward and put in fresh fuel, sorta like lighting a fresh cigar. People who try to light the fuel anywhere but the front end of a HB stove often have issues.

**old goat** · 12-13-2014, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by Big Steve

+1 to preheating the flue and other methods to improve draft.

A horizontal baffle stove, e.g., Jøtul or Jøtul knockoff, is designed so that the logs gradually burn from the front end to the back, like a cigar, i.e., very small hot fire. When starting a fire in a cold HB stove, the kindling (you don't need much) should be at the front of the stove (just behind the door). When the logs are nearly burned, scrape the coals forward and put in fresh fuel, sorta like lighting a fresh cigar. People who try to light the fuel anywhere but the front end of a HB stove often have issues.

Never knew that. I'll have to give it a try.