Lighting a stoker

This would apply to larger furnaces like a Van Wert, EFM or other models that use the upside bell, I'm sure you could adjust for smaller stokers. If you do it right you'll have no smoke in the house and fire ripping in 10 minutes.

Get a 2x4 and cut two 4 inch lengths. Split them into about 20 pieces each. Each piece should be no wider that about 1/2 inch. Dig down into the bell to remove any ash or coal. Ball up about 4 or 5 pieces of newspaper and place them in the bottom of the bell, place half the wood on the newspaper preferably the smaller pieces directly in the center. Light the news paper and close up the furnace.

Wait about 3 minute or so until the wood is burning good then place the rest of the wood on the fire. Wait another 2 or 3 minutes until that has time to catch. At this point you should have a pretty good fire going.

To avoid getting wood smoke in the house you have to do this step quickly, Shovel a good two or 3 inch layer of coal onto the fire. Close the furnace up and turn it on. Note if you look into the furnace at this point it will most likely appear that the fire is out. you should start to see little blue wisps of flame penetrating the coal shortly. At this point shovel on another 3 or 4 inches. You're done.

Within about 5 minutes you should have a full bed of burning coal. Generally at his point I turn the furnace off if it's a warmer season because it will take a quite while to get the water temp up. If you allow it to keep going you will have a huge fire going. The furnace may not run for while and go out.