# What is wrong with using Charcoal lighter fluid to help light fire in woodstove/



## sandie (Jan 1, 2014)

that is the question, is there something wrong with using Lighter fluid in woodstove other than danger of having the fire jump out of the woodstove.  I am wondering if it can hurt the stove?


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## BrotherBart (Jan 1, 2014)




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## HotCoals (Jan 1, 2014)

Good dry kindling and maybe some Super Cedars and you would be good to go!


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## Charles1981 (Jan 1, 2014)

Is using lighter fluid something you are considering?


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## BrotherBart (Jan 1, 2014)

The vapor pressure of charcoal lighter is formulated for an open air environment. Inside of a closed wood stove the fluid vaporizes faster than it can burn. The formula for a bomb. You can get away with it a hundred times. Same with kerosene. Then comes time 101 when that one or two hot coals are hiding under the ash and vaporize the fluid  and you ain't gonna believe what happens next.

If you are lucky the glass in the door just ends up on the coffee table.


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## fossil (Jan 1, 2014)

sandie said:


> ...other than danger of having the fire jump out of the woodstove...



You need more reason than that?   The stove will be just fine, it's made of steel & stuff.  You're not.


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## tekguy (Jan 1, 2014)

HotCoals said:


> Good dry kindling and maybe some Super Cedars and you would be good to go!


Dry seasoned wood might help too


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## HotCoals (Jan 1, 2014)

tekguy said:


> Dry seasoned wood might help too


Hey Mike! Yep,that might help..lol.


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## oldspark (Jan 1, 2014)

Thanks to BB I am now hungry for popcorn.


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## BrotherBart (Jan 1, 2014)

oldspark said:


> Thanks to BB I am now hungry for popcorn.



Watch the flue temps on that popcorn popper.


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## Phoenix Hatchling (Jan 1, 2014)

BrotherBart said:


> View attachment 122506


Haven't laughed like that in a while!! Almost chit me knickers! Thank you much!


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## Fins59 (Jan 1, 2014)

Back in the late '50's my grandma attempted to start her kitchen wood stove by using what probably was kerosene.  She probably did this a zillion times.  This time it flared up in her face.  She didn't make it out.  Her house burned down. 

I make my own fire starters by recycling.  I use small containers filled with wood chips from splitting, dried yard debris, dryer lint, sawdust.  No wax...some guys use wax.  Not needed, too much of a hassle.

  Containers are the paper/wax milk, orange juice cartons, cut in half lengthwise, paper egg cartons cut in half so you get 2 out of 1, any other cardboard containers about that size.  You could call them a "tray".  Sometimes I'll throw  a few pellets in the mix.
Add paper and a small (very small) amount of kindling  with some bigger splits and toss in a match and walk away.  A few minutes later and the blower fan kicks in.  100% success so far this year..


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## Dakotas Dad (Jan 1, 2014)

Other than creating a fuel/air bomb in your living room, no danger.


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## begreen (Jan 1, 2014)

Following the stove manual is rule #1 for safe burning.


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## stoveguy2esw (Jan 1, 2014)

flammable liquids will gasify quickly. now if there are coals in the ash bed and they heat this gas up and you toss in a match you loose all the hair on your arm or worse. there are gel type starter mediums specially made for lighting pellet stoves which could be used on a woodstove , being a gel they don't gasify quite as fast, but they will still do it. ive seen pellet stoves in second attempts where the fire didn't catch the first time gasify this stuff and bow flames  a pretty good ways out past the door opening.

dry kindling, fat wood , paper knots , even pine cones (which I always favored and have in abundance out back of the house) work great. purpose made firestarters such as the Supercedars we all love do wonderfully and are actually quite inexpensive and very safe by comparison


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## BrotherBart (Jan 2, 2014)

Spent twenty years finding out what people in oil refineries do for a living and developing computer systems to help them do it. Never forget the session with five chemical engineers in Beaumont Texas when I said I burn wood and use a pet food can half full of kerosene under splits to start the stove.

"You do what?!!" and three people at a white board went on for thirty minutes about vapor pressure and combustion. And called me an idiot and convinced me that I was.


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## Dustin92 (Jan 2, 2014)

I make my own firestarters- stuff dryer lint in a mini cupcake pan, pour melted wax (used candles or wax melts) over, let harden, pop out and store in a basket (scented candles/wax make the room smell nice). No explosive vapors, put one in a pile of kindling, light with a match, and then add some larger splits after the kindling catches. Most will burn for about 5 minutes.


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## stoveguy2esw (Jan 2, 2014)

yep, doesn't outgas rapidly like fluid does , much more stable. i played with it back in the day with some wax and the chips from the chainsaw, worked pretty well when I was done bucking rounds i'd gather up most of the shavings from the cutting and keep em in the house next to the stove in a couple sheet pans to dry out for a few days, then mix em with melted wax making little cookies with them.


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## Charles1981 (Jan 2, 2014)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Fire-Starter-From-Used-Coffee-Grounds/

I've done this as have friends. If you drink coffee, you can turn all those used grounds into a potent fire starter


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## firefighterjake (Jan 2, 2014)

Starting a wood fire with flammable fuels is for amateurs . . . and for folks who have always wanted to know what a 3rd degree burn feels like.

Don't do it. Seems like every year some person up this way tries to light their woodstove with some sort of flammable fuel . . . and usually ends up on a field trip to the local hospital ER . . . or the Burn Unit in Boston . . . if they're "lucky."


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## Kevin Dolan (Jan 2, 2014)

firefighterjake said:


> Starting a wood fire with flammable fuels is for amateurs . . . and for folks who have always wanted to know what a 3rd degree burn feels like.
> 
> Don't do it. Seems like every year some person up this way tries to light their woodstove with some sort of flammable fuel . . . and usually ends up on a field trip to the local hospital ER . . . or the Burn Unit in Boston . . . if they're "lucky."


Sort of reminds me of hand grenade training, pull pin, count to ten and hope you have a dud!!lol
Scary, scary.


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## Burner (Jan 2, 2014)

Kevin Dolan said:


> Sort of reminds me of hand grenade training, pull pin, count to ten and hope you have a dud!!lol
> Scary, scary.


Is this something you've done already? If so, was it from a cold start? If so, that's a huge difference than starting with a few coals in the box. If they warm up the fluid and begin to vaporize it, you'll definitely never do it again. Use super cedars instead. Not much more costly.


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## Paul L (Jan 2, 2014)

Those with the Heavy Stamp of Closure, please use it.   There is nothing helpful that can be added to this thread.


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## Gboutdoors (Jan 2, 2014)

All I can say is WOW ! A box of fat wood at Benny's is $19.00 and last me a season. So let's see fat wood for $19.00 or lighter fluid for a life time of painful burns if you live. I will take the fat wood or cedar starters.


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## begreen (Jan 2, 2014)

Paul L said:


> Those with the Heavy Stamp of Closure, please use it.   There is nothing helpful that can be added to this thread.


Done. Be safe folks.


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