COAL MOUSE FAILURE

attempted to start up the stoker last night and ran into a few problems. i purchased 4 coal mice to get me through the year. last year i started using mice to start the stove worked great. before that i used match light coal, that also worked great only problem was it stunk up the house a little. last year i would start the coal mouse using a propane torch the fuse would start and burn out rather quick without starting the white box on fire. the fix was to hold the torch on the white box untill the magnesium started (white sparks) then close the door and i was good to go. this year after repeating the same process i could not get the mouse started the fuse would burn, the box would burn but the material inside the mouse was nothing more than what looked like red brick dust not even combustible. as was before i had resort to matchlight. has anyone else run into problems using these, they are in a little white box with a green fuse if that helps. thanks again for the help

Cowboy Charcoal. Problem solved.

I'm with Smitty:
Cowboy Charcoal. Problem solved.

does it stink when you light it up. does it have lighter fluid on it, also since were on the topic and its lunch time how is it for cooking over.

modell79 wrote: but the material inside the mouse was nothing more than what looked like red brick dust not even combustible.

Perhaps they are old and there is slow reaction going on there.

Just guessing, do they have manufacturer on them?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

moisture degrades them and/or lack of the chosen metal flakes

i think maybe not enough metal or no metal. they were in a small zip lock bag looks like it was sealed pretty good.

Yep, Cowboy Charcoal.
No smell.
I use an old soup can put small pieces in, put a little fire starter gel on it and light.
Turn on the combustion fan, wait till it gets going good,
turn off combustion fan, add a couple handfuls of rice coal,
close door, turn combustion fan on wait till rice coal is burning,
turn off combustion fan, lift off soup can dumping burning coal backwards onto rice coal,
close door turn on the unit and should be good to go..

I use this method every weekend, due to my stoker being at my cabin and can only go on weekends.

Good luck.

Make a starter out of an old can. Here's a picture. It's the same idea as the charcoal starters for grills. Newspaper in the bottom, small pieces of dry wood (or cowboy charcoal) in the top. Set it on the grate and light it with the combustion fan on. Within a minute, add some coal on top and it will take right off.

I start mine the same way as the Hitzer rep. showed me. turn unit on intill feed ramp is full of coal ,shut unit off. Make a small hole in the coal in the middle of the feed ramp. Put 1 or 2 small handfulls wood pellets in the hole, squirt small amount gel starter on it, lite gel starter,close door. I let the pellets get going good, then turn unit on. Sometimes I sprinkle a little coal on the burning pile of pellets. 3rd year on the same bag of pellets,and I split them with my brother inlaw.

i like that idea of using pellets with gel i will give that a try next time. maybe after that i will try some cowboy coal and pick the best method. or just thinking maybe i will try to combine the can and newspaper with pellets gel and a small layer of coal. i am surprised the tin can take the heat from the coal and not melt.

Take a look at this....
Lighting a stoker

If you get a dud mouse try sticking a sparkler through it if you have one laying around that is. That should be hot enough to ignite the metal.

I would think that a propane torch would be enough to start it. I live in ny i think sparklers are illegal.

modell79 wrote:i like that idea of using pellets with gel i will give that a try next time. maybe after that i will try some cowboy coal and pick the best method. or just thinking maybe i will try to combine the can and newspaper with pellets gel and a small layer of coal. i am surprised the tin can take the heat from the coal and not melt.

The tin can is only in the fire for minutes. The one in my picture has only been used once. But when it no longer is usable, I'll open another can of peaches.