Ran out of gel - any tips for lighting stove?

[Sazz]

Hello
Used the very last of starter gel last night & it's blowing a blizzard outside (don't want to drive to town to get some more), - are there any tips for lighting the pellets without the gel?

 

[j00fek]

i use a propane torch even though i have electric start

 

[rayttt]

manufacturers recommendations say only starter gel...
that being said I have used denatured alcohol (91%)
and have used purell hand sanitizer... Others have used (my p38 doesnt work for it)
a propane torch.
using liquids instead of a gel can cause the liquid to go all over and can be hazardous,
but if you take a small cup of pellets and soak them in the liquid then it may be safer

 

[mgambuzza]

If you have access to a local Army-Navy store - you may want to get some Trioxane. These are tablets that come in a package and sell for about .50 - 2.00 a box. I used these with my Thelin Pellet stove. You simply open the package (there are three tablets in a box - and I used to use 1/3 of each tablet to start a fire), place it in the burn pot, light, and place pellets on the trioxane tablet. Within minutes the fire is roaring. You may want to pick a supply for backup for the next time this happens.

 

[Sazz]

These tips are excellent - thanks. I have the hand sanatizer - will try that one first.
Cheers

 

[Wet1]

I have found squirting some 91% IPA on the pellets works excellent.

 

[Glenn Angell]

The fire starter blocks work well. Buy a box and they will last you a couple years.

 

[drizler]

If you have access to a local Army-Navy store - you may want to get some Trioxane. These are tablets that come in a package and sell for about .50 - 2.00 a box. I used these with my Thelin Pellet stove. You simply open the package (there are three tablets in a box - and I used to use 1/3 of each tablet to start a fire), place it in the burn pot, light, and place pellets on the trioxane tablet. Within minutes the fire is roaring. You may want to pick a supply for backup for the next time this happens.

Heat tabs, National Guard 1990 me and the boys got into a lot of trouble at Ft Drum with some of those put into a few smoke grenades and rolled one or 2 into the Battalion Commanders tent. Makes a great improvised irritant gas bomb. One hint, scrape the lot number off the grenade's outer paint before throwing in case it doesn't go off first to avoid official hassles later on. Needless to say it didn't. Learned another thing that night, an M16 will bust someones head open real nice and not break in half or even bend. I was just there not tossing the bombs or breaking the jaw of the guy who started punching out one of ours as he ran by the crapper, innocent of that at least. Watch out for ambushes from the guy inside the blue porta jonny cause he might just reach right out and punch you out as you run by. All in good fun gone all to hell quickly. No more heat tabs for me................Sorry to the guy from Ticonderoga but I didn't hit ya, you should have stayed in the crapper and not come out so hostile.
So why not just use a turbo torch like I have done for years? No fuss no muss and works like a charm every time.

 

[MCPO]

[quote author=" So why not just use a turbo torch like I have done for years? No fuss no muss and works like a charm every time.

Because the torch just doesn`t work well with every stove. I use odorless charcoal lighter fuel or 91 % Isopropanol alcohol. , stir in 1 cup of pellets in 1-2 oz and pour in burn pot.
I prefer the charcoal lighter fluid because it doesn`t go *Poof* like the gel or alcohol. It lights slowly (2-3 sec) and burns much hotter and the fire is up to speed much faster.

 

[MButkus]

Buy fireplace logs or fireplace starters... cut them into 2" squares...

 

[orangecrushcj7]

for those looking for something they might have on hand in an emergency, why not use some fine steel wool? I know it ignites very easily. Try to put some under a handful of pellets, and ignite the steel wool with a match. should roar to life. II was once grinding some steel with an angle grinder, and the sparks ignited some steel wool i had on the work bench. The finer wool lights easier than the courser stuff.