# Manually lighting a pellet stove , again?



## MCPO (May 21, 2008)

OK, I would well imagine this subject has been beaten to death over the forum`s existance so one more person`s experience shouldn`t hurt much.
 I tried everything suggested and experimented with wood shavings , waxed sawdust chips , gelled alcohol ,  and the propane torch.
 Everything worked for me but the wood shavings. The push button propane torch works but is as much work as anything else and not my favorite method. I needed to torch the pellets for at least 60 seconds . I think the 30 seconds I read about was simply just another exaggeration.
 What did work quite well was scrapings (shave em with a jack knife) from those 1"square  waxed sawdust (?) firestarter material from Walmart mixed in with the pellets. A little effort but works every time.
 Personally I found the best and quickest method and probably still the most receommended method for good reasons to be the gelled alcohol in the pint/qt squeeze bottle but only when mixed into a cup of pellets. 
  However some places are intent on ripping you off at $12-$16 a bottle and that makes the cost obvious when manually lighting your stove on a daily basis during these cool evenings and mornings when you want to take the chill off and burn for an hour or two..
 I ordered (on line) 4 bottles from Aubuchon hardware @ $6.49 each. shipping was $7 but the shipping doesn`t increase much with larger orders. 
 I also had a couple of large cans of sterno that I mixed with equal amounts of 91% polypropanol to create what appears to be a very close match to the stuff in the bottle and works equally well but to me the whole point is making pellet burning effort  the easiest and cheapest way possible. 
 In summary , as long as I can buy the squeeze bottles at $6.49 (16 oz) I`ll use that method.
 John


----------



## MCPO (May 21, 2008)

Pook said:
			
		

> @$50+ a gallon, i wonder how much energy is used to make the gel. as oil price keeps climbing
> my unmentionable method costs easily 1/10 that if not much better but is considered dangerous, still, ive neither burned nor blown up anything.
> just like driving a heavy vehicle to be safe, i consider these proper methods analagous= wasteful
> WONDER HOW SHREDDED PAPER UNDER A CUP OR SO OF PELLETS WOULD WORK?



Ok Pook. So you use Kerosene huh?
 The Manufacturers probably won`t recommend it for safety reasons but  I don`t see a great danger in it  myself. It`s not explosive .
 I`ve disposed of small amounts 6-10 oz of dirty #2 fuel oil on wood logs and then thrown them into the wood stove fire in the garage. They just ignite quickly without a flash and burn furiously for a while.
 Maybe you have something there after all?
 John


----------



## MCPO (May 21, 2008)

Pook said:
			
		

> possible vaporization from hot ashes & ignition may result in explosion. i took a devil dancing class so i aint so apt to get burnt.



Throwing it on hot or burning embers might not be good but from a definite cold start using an ounce of kerosene would be reasonably safe and should work as good as anything else. 
 However the possibility of human error always exists so the manufacturers have to be specific in their attempt to protect themselves from liability.  
 John


----------



## stoveguy2esw (May 21, 2008)

wax and sawdust bricks for lighting woodstoves , you can get em in our local grocery store for about a buck and a half for a pack of 3. put em in a bag and hit with a hammer to break em up , one starter block should be good for a dozen or more lightings. i would think a palmfull of these crushed up starter medium would be all you need, turn the unit on with door open , most stoves will not feed when door is open but exhaust blower will run , light the starter and give it time to get going, ease door shut , fire should be established pretty well by the time the pellets arrive. tried and true method ive used for our older manual start units for years


----------



## MCPO (May 21, 2008)

stoveguy2esw said:
			
		

> wax and sawdust bricks for lighting woodstoves , you can get em in our local grocery store for about a buck and a half for a pack of 3. put em in a bag and hit with a hammer to break em up , one starter block should be good for a dozen or more lightings. i would think a palmfull of these crushed up starter medium would be all you need, turn the unit on with door open , most stoves will not feed when door is open but exhaust blower will run , light the starter and give it time to get going, ease door shut , fire should be established pretty well by the time the pellets arrive. tried and true method ive used for our older manual start units for years


 Actually I had good luck and could be content with this method too and at the cost you quoted , it sounds like a very good alternative to the gel.
 John


----------



## drizler (May 24, 2008)

Get that mix steaming and then go out and it fumes up to light again and make a mini explosion you might not like.    I doubt it would hurt you unless your kisser was  too close and even then probably just eyelashes and some hair.  Sure stinks though.     Why go to all the headache when a nice simple push button turbotorch will do the deed in 10 to 15 seconds.  No fuss no muss and you get way more than a season from one two dollar tank.   It's so simple.


----------



## MCPO (May 24, 2008)

Driz said:
			
		

> Get that mix steaming and then go out and it fumes up to light again and make a mini explosion you might not like.    I doubt it would hurt you unless your kisser was  too close and even then probably just eyelashes and some hair.  Sure stinks though.     Why go to all the headache when a nice simple push button turbotorch will do the deed in 10 to 15 seconds.  No fuss no muss and you get way more than a season from one two dollar tank.   It's so simple.



Not quite accurate, at least in my experience with a torch.
 I did purchase one and although it worked OK I think your 10-15 second light is a gross exaggeration. I`ve had to hold it much longer . Could be the pellets maybe?
 I spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with most popular methods and I found  the wax sawdust and gelled alcohol methods to work the best for me.
 We all eventually work out and develop our own preferences for whatever reasons. 
 John


----------



## slvrblkk (May 24, 2008)

You could try a bottle of mapp gas instead of propane, it burns a lot hotter than propane.


----------

