Drolet 1800 hard to start

[EbS-P]

Okay, team - I practiced top-down lighting this morning and it worked a treat - I followed the instructions from the Canadian video and also learned about E/W logs versus N/S and found some other EPA-style fire lighting videos and the fire is starting in less than 10 mins and is burning clean - I will have to cut my wood shorter for the N/S log lay and it will take a little more kindling than I'm used to but all your suggestions have been super helpful. I think I can ignore the chimney height unless I can't get the fire hot enough this winter but I haven't had to really load up the stove as I'm only trying to get the chill off the house - I'm going to look for one of those nifty fire tools that looks like a mini rake without prongs for bringing the coals forward - the stove does like to have the air open for longer than I'm used to but that that may be related to my minimum chimney height - thanks, everyone I'm feeling much more secure about winter - this is my only heat source other than a backup heater near the north wall water pipes for windy negative twenty nights.

It's not a cat stove - nevertheless, how vigilant are you about not burning colored paper glued to cardboard?

I used to use paper now it’s a kitchen butane torch. If I didn’t have little kids it would probably be a bigger benzamatic but the wife might complain if I didn’t have an out of sight place to store it.

 

[bholler]

Yeah for me it's usually a small piece of cardboard and a torch. 30 seconds or so with the torch and it's burning 10 to 15 mins and it's up to temp. I do typically use soft wood for cold starts though. It just goes faster

 

[GrumpyDad]

Yeah for me it's usually a small piece of cardboard and a torch. 30 seconds or so with the torch and it's burning 10 to 15 mins and it's up to temp. I do typically use soft wood for cold starts though. It just goes faster

I like the torch idea. Great for getting wood fires going. I use a torch for my wood pizza oven. I dont use one just yet for my wood stove, but I probably should. I could save time from having to chunk up cardboard in my starting setup.

Also torches make a great conversation piece for lighting birthday cakes for people 30 and older.

 

[RomanW]

I followed the instructions from the Canadian video and also learned about E/W logs versus N/S and found some other EPA-style fire lighting videos and the fire is starting in less than 10 mins and is burning clean - I will have to cut my wood shorter for the N/S log lay and it will take a little more kindling than I'm used to but all your suggestions have been super helpful.

Hey @app333 could you link this video you referenced? I've got the same stove, and am also in Canada, might give me a leg up before I get this thing going

 

[jfhull71]

Only been running mine a week, what I've learned so far is I think n/s packing the box is going to be the ticket for comfort in hard winter, I also think that in deep winter a fire screen and locust or comparable hardwood is what it's going to take... very easy to light and run, but if you work 12 hours shifts it's going to take some creativity. Heating 1600 SQ ft with outside 30 f at night, 45 day this week

 

[EbS-P]

Only been running mine a week, what I've learned so far is I think n/s packing the box is going to be the ticket for comfort in hard winter, I also think that in deep winter a fire screen and locust or comparable hardwood is what it's going to take... very easy to light and run, but if you work 12 hours shifts it's going to take some creativity. Heating 1600 SQ ft with outside 30 f at night, 45 day this week

Burning with the door open and a fire screen will kill your efficiency. All the room air will just head up the chimney and will be replaced by colder air from outside. I do want to get some n/s burns in. I never packed anything really full last year.

 

[jfhull71]

Ok well we'll see, you are only going to want NS burns after you get tired of cleaning the glass