Lighting a Stoker
- SMITTY
- Member
- Posts: 12520
- Joined: Sun. Dec. 11, 2005 12:43 pm
- Location: West-Central Mass
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
- Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler
Naw, fridge costs money to run - I just keep the booze near the sill of my foundation, or next to the window, or on the floor. 20° shots are to die for.
As for lighting ....... charcoal (cheap - nothin fancy), diesel, match, coal - in that order. Done. Fire is going and I can walk away in less than 10 minutes.
As for lighting ....... charcoal (cheap - nothin fancy), diesel, match, coal - in that order. Done. Fire is going and I can walk away in less than 10 minutes.
- Rick 386
- Member
- Posts: 2508
- Joined: Mon. Jan. 28, 2008 4:26 pm
- Location: Royersford, Pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AA 260 heating both sides of twin farmhouse
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: LL Hyfire II w/ coaltrol in garage
- Coal Size/Type: Pea in AA 260, Rice in LL Hyfire II
- Other Heating: Gas fired infared at work
- Contact:
Agreed. Bottle of Jaeger in freezer at all times......SMITTY wrote:Naw, fridge costs money to run - I just keep the booze near the sill of my foundation, or next to the window, or on the floor. 20° shots are to die for.
As for lighting ....... charcoal (cheap - nothin fancy), diesel, match, coal - in that order. Done. Fire is going and I can walk away in less than 10 minutes.
But the description I gave was for getting some alone time with the girl in the basement....... And you only spend 10 minutes with her ?????
Rick
- SMITTY
- Member
- Posts: 12520
- Joined: Sun. Dec. 11, 2005 12:43 pm
- Location: West-Central Mass
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
- Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler
That's all it takes! I'd rather be on the couch - she complains less about her knees and wrists ....
- Ed.A
- Member
- Posts: 1635
- Joined: Thu. Aug. 30, 2007 7:27 pm
- Location: Canterbury Ct.
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Channing III/ '94 Stoker II
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
Welp there goes my Jager...spitting it all over my G-damn Key board!!SMITTY wrote:That's all it takes! I'd rather be on the couch - she complains less about her knees and wrists ....
- mariohotshot
- Member
- Posts: 114
- Joined: Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 10:58 pm
- Location: Blakeslee, PA
I have tried many methods but Coal mice works everytime in less time. I only light the stove once a year, so a buck or two won't break the bank.
My first stoker this fall and my 2 cents on lighting. Thanks to a direct and simple previous post I also found now the Cowboy charcoal and just dampened with lighter fluid works fine. I don't even crush it. Simple. Gone are the lunch bags,magnesium,fuses,etc.
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- Member
- Posts: 111
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 24, 2013 2:23 pm
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Baseboard Electric Backup
I've done charcoal before, but Coal Mice are the bomb IMO. Light a fuse and walk away. And 2.00 isn't that expensive to me.. esp. considering you might use 2-3 a year tops.
- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
I've done match light charcoal. Worked fine. I like the coal mice better. I used two to get started for the winter. One was a dud. I got a half dozen just to have some on hand, just in case. Plus,the spousal unit was instructed on the coal mice. Would be easiest for her to restart the fire if ever necessary.
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- Member
- Posts: 12236
- Joined: Thu. Mar. 13, 2008 10:29 am
- Location: Linesville, Pa.
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: keystoker 160
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: hitzer 75 in garage
I used a couple of boxes of sparklers this year & they worked well except the ones I remembered from my kids days & what they have now are nothing alike. The big old ones would have only taken a couple, these ones I had hardly had any powder on them & maybe lasted a minute. I think I'll use the coal mice next year.
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- Member
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 28, 2009 3:30 pm
- Location: Sunbury PA
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker A 90
- Coal Size/Type: rice
- Other Heating: New Yorker Oil boiler
I dont' know what they are called, but I buy little boxes with a short fuse from Bloom Supply in Sunbury. I put the box on the grate, cover it with coal, allowing the fuse to stick out. I turn on the stoker unit, light the fuse, close the door and in about 20 minutes I have a nice warm fire going. There are (I think) 6 boxes in a bag, and they cost about $9.00. Well worth it.
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- Member
- Posts: 12236
- Joined: Thu. Mar. 13, 2008 10:29 am
- Location: Linesville, Pa.
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: keystoker 160
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: hitzer 75 in garage
MC, they are called coal mice, if your getting 6 for $9 that's a good price around here they are normally $2 each. I agree you can't beat them for the pure ease.
- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
I think I'll order some magnesium ribbon. I'm thinking if I put a length on the grate, cover all but a little with coal and hit with a torch, it'll take right off. This stuff burns really brightly and really hot. If it works, 65-70 feet of ribbon should last a long time.
http://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Ribbon-Shipping-6 ... B0051HBSI0
http://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Ribbon-Shipping-6 ... B0051HBSI0
I accidentally left my Keystoker run out of coal on Friday afternoon so I tried a new way to relight it. I put 2 handfuls of wood pellets from my pellet stove and hit with my Mapp torch, once they lit off I put some rice coal over top of the burning pellets. I wish that I would have tried this years ago.
Jim
Jim
Yep, good stuff....
That's the way I light my DVC-500's. Its right in the Operator's manual to use pellets.
Except I quirt a short shot of Gelled Fire Starter on the pellets. Available at Tractor Supply.
That way, you don't have to hold the torch on it..
That's the way I light my DVC-500's. Its right in the Operator's manual to use pellets.
Except I quirt a short shot of Gelled Fire Starter on the pellets. Available at Tractor Supply.
That way, you don't have to hold the torch on it..
TAMNOZ wrote:I accidentally left my Keystoker run out of coal on Friday afternoon so I tried a new way to relight it. I put 2 handfuls of wood pellets from my pellet stove and hit with my Mapp torch, once they lit off I put some rice coal over top of the burning pellets. I wish that I would have tried this years ago.
Jim