What are you using to start the fire?

[rayttt]

Hand sanitizer comes in a squirt bottle already..but OP didn;t care for the residue it left behind.
Thats why I posted because it use the alcohol

 

[tjnamtiw]

electricity!

 

[NatureGuy]

Until a few days ago, I used to use the auto-igniter on my Harman P68. The igniter just quit! (so happy to have found this entire forum about alternative --manual-- starter solutions.) I'm headed soon (today) to my local Lowe's or other store if need be to get either starter gel or hand sanitizer. I read that some (one person?) uses lamp oil........how does that compare to using hand sanitizer??

I hate having to use the heat pump for even short periods to heat the house.

 

[Jack Morrissey]

One of the best features of having a pellet stove is the ability of the stove starting or stopping as needed by a thermostat.... imho

 

[Bioburner]

Until a few days ago, I used to use the auto-igniter on my Harman P68. The igniter just quit! (so happy to have found this entire forum about alternative --manual-- starter solutions.) I'm headed soon (today) to my local Lowe's or other store if need be to get either starter gel or hand sanitizer. I read that some (one person?) uses lamp oil........how does that compare to using hand sanitizer??

I hate having to use the heat pump for even short periods to heat the house.

The lamp oil trick works great for the Countryside and if use just enough to wet about 3/4 cup of pellets would get the stove quickly to temp so wouldn't need to baby sit and cycle the switch to satisfy the proof of fire. Hand sanitizer is available at most stores in the drug dept. Just try and get the stuff with high booze content. 70% or better.

 

[Flammam]

I use the firestarter cubes. Break one up light close door hit on switch. No ignitor on my stove

 

[NatureGuy]

I just applied hand sanitizer (69%) to the pellets in the burning chamber.....about 4 or 5 'pumps' from the container. It looked like it would take off....but, it didn't. --it just petered out. .....can anybody help? (yes, I set the pellet stove to 'manual start' --a Harman P68.) I also noticed the auger feed didn't budge....I just vacuumed-out the exhaust, too.

 

[Bioburner]

May need to mix them up and not close the door all the way till the pellets are burning good or the air will snuff out the early fire. PIA process for Harman stoves. Torch method is more like a igniter. Just got a new torch and it had a leak in the head and when I pulled the trigger I removed all the hair from my hand. A Worthington, supposedly made in Sweden

 

[ScotL]

I've heard a propane torch works really well. If my pellet grill doesn't light, that's what I use.
Except don't use a torch like Bioburner's.

 

[NatureGuy]

May need to mix them up and not close the door all the way till the pellets are burning good or the air will snuff out the early fire. PIA process for Harman stoves. Torch method is more like a igniter. Just got a new torch and it had a leak in the head and when I pulled the trigger I removed all the hair from my hand. A Worthington, supposedly made in Sweden

OK. I'll give that a try next attempt. The sun is getting higher in the sky....& outside is up to 57 F now....so, maybe I DID close the door too soon and the small fire just got gradually snuffed. (btw, the auto-igniter seems to have died a few days ago----is why I've been relegated to a new starting method.) THANKS!!

 

[NatureGuy]

OK. I'll give that a try next attempt. The sun is getting higher in the sky....& outside is up to 57 F now....so, maybe I DID close the door too soon and the small fire just got gradually snuffed. (btw, the auto-igniter seems to have died a few days ago----is why I've been relegated to a new starting method.) THANKS!!

--sometimes I wish I'd simply gotten a regular wood burning stove----except for the wood splitting and stacking aspect.

 

[Bioburner]

Its understandable as Florida is the only state without snow today. Looking to find a place in west central Fl for semi retirement and taxes. Would like to bring a favorite pellet stove for morning coffee as FL electric rates high.

 

[Bioburner]

--sometimes I wish I'd simply gotten a regular wood burning stove----except for the wood splitting and stacking aspect.

You forgot roaches and ants etc that love wood piles.

 

[mik_kane]

Handful of pellets in a small cup pour some 90% Rubbing alcohol in, let is soak for 1 minute put in burn pot with the rest of pellets light it close the door and walk away.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

tear off a small chunk of a SuperCedar sit in burn pot surround with pellets , light it wait a couple minutes hit on then ease the door closed. no residue

 

[Bioburner]

tear off a small chunk of a SuperCedar sit in burn pot surround with pellets , light it wait a couple minutes hit on then ease the door closed. no residue

What is SuperCedar? Sounds like some kind of composite decking. Regionally available probably.

 

[BrotherBart]

What is SuperCedar? Sounds like some kind of composite decking. Regionally available probably.

Just enter Super Cedar in the search box and get ready for a flood of reading.

 

[Bioburner]

Search worked once I spelled Cedar correctly. Eye glass checkup next week. Cedar plus wax

 

[hyfire]

Well on my setup I go to the cell phone app. and press heat mode, then turn on the stove cam and make sure its fired up.......about 1 hour before I get home..

 

[Bioburner]

Better be careful, our NSA is watching too

 

[GeHmTS]

OK, I can see that. Using the igniter, my stove will "smoulder" for several minutes until it reaches that breaking point and then POOF.... out the flue flows a big ole batch of smoke.

I like the POOF sounds.

 

[hyfire]

Better be careful, our NSA is watching too

I don;t have angry birds installed on my phone I should be OK?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/nsa-uses-smartphone-apps-to-track-people-snowden-docs-suggest-1.2512957

 

[GeHmTS]

Let um watch. They mess up where it really counts. If they're so good, how did they not know about the Boston bombing? Seems like they are spying on the wrong folks.

 

[Bioburner]

Lets see, your trying to light something and watch it. Who knows the key words or phrases?

 

[Bioburner]

Let um watch. They mess up where it really counts. If they're so good, how did they not know about the Boston bombing? Seems like they are spying on the wrong folks.

What if they had arrested Timothy for being AWOL?