What is the secret to burning logs - can't get it going?!

[Decaffe]

I have tried all sorts of kindling and all sorts of logs and I just can't find a decent combination. What do you use for a guaranteed burn?

We use the firelighters made of curly wood shavings, no kindling just a couple of small logs. Front vent open, door closed. After about 5 mins we put a bigger log in the stove- vent still open. Once that's alight, we close down the vent until the wood is burning red hot.

Kiln dried birch logs.

clean out old ashes
scrunched up newspaper 4-6 sheets , thin kindling and thicker wood or small logs on top put a match to it and shut the door , open the vent/flap at the bottom, close it as it gets going

IMO it's all in the stacking and arranging of the wood. We need a picture of how you build it op

Another vote for Hotmax, I use those with firelighters abd they get going very quickly and put out a lot of heat very quickly. Once going, add logs.

We were told by stove store not to remove the wood ash (just once ever 2 weeks) and they were right. Wood burns better on a bed of wood ash.

This is my technique too. I grew up with fires and have had them my whole life, so getting a fire roaring is one of my skills.

Scrunched up newspaper on the bottom, kindling on top of that, and then one log.

shard5

Is it ok to burn both wood and coal at the same time?

Yes, I use anthracite, or anthracite substitute. I wait until the first 2 or 3 logs have burned down well and can be broken up with gentle use of the poker, then put a couple of shovels on to, with another log on that.

I've been using Zip high performance firelighters. They're compressed wood fibre, with paraffin, bound with wax.

Is it ok to burn both wood and coal at the same time?

Yes, I use anthracite, or anthracite substitute

In a wood burner that is incorrect.

Coal burns far too hot and will buckle a wood burner and or wreck the flue, if you have one and its for a wood stove only.

Aah right thankyou. Ours is a multi fuel so can do both just wasn't sure if it's ok to do both together

Not a wood burning tip… because you have loads!

Bur to clean the window of the wood burner / stove….. dip wet kitchen roll or cloth in the ash at the bottom. Then rub it all over the window & wipe it off with a dry clean cloth/sheet of kitchen roll….. it’s like magic, cheap, wayyyy easier than those sponge things!

I do both together in my multi fuel.

Is it ok to burn both wood and coal at the same time?

It depends if you have a wood burner or a multi fuel stove. You can't tell the difference just by looking but the manufacturer's website should tell you what kind of fuel is suitable.

OP you don't say if this is a recent installation or whether you have inherited a stove in a new house. People have given all sorts of suggestions about how to start a fire but it may be worth getting the flue checked, particularly if it's a steel flue installed for the stove rather than a chimney. It needs to be long enough to clear the roof line to ensure a good draw. Weather conditions will also affect how easy it is to get a fire going, mine takes longer on a still day but on other days the draw is so strong the ash pan rattles and the fire sounds like a jet taking off.

Whether to clear the ash each time will depend on the stove. A friend cleans theirs once every couple of weeks but mine will struggle to get enough air by the end of a second day so I have to clean it out after every use.

It's a lot of trial and error, there are so many variables, you need to get to know your stove and what works best for your situation.

^100% this

i use an old kitchen sponge dipped in warm water.

Its unbelievable...

This is what use each time, and has never failed. Used to use firelighters below the kindling / in the V shape of the bottom two logs but run out once and used a blow torch to get it going. Have used the torch ever since, which takes about 20 to 30 seconds and aimed around the centre piece of kindling.

God I didn't know it was this complicated!

Pine cones are way better than kindling and get a good flame going. Then teepee position the wood. We use briquetttes or old logs.

Honestly, its not.. a well designed fire, flue and cowl and so long as its dry, anything will burn with a small piece of firelighter.

People who have to go through convoluted methods to start a fire need to look at flue and air draw.

Clever use of vents, flue thermometer, plenty of kindling and nothing large initially. DS worked in a chippy, we have lots of his wrapping paper to get started. I am not willing to use firelighters.

You’re probably not stacking it correctly. Are you perhaps putting a heavy log on top of small kindling?

Build a pyramid. In middle is firelighter. Around that are scrunched up balls of paper. In a pyramid over that is kindling. In a pyramind over that is very small split logs but they are slow burning hardwood, not kindling. Then a few bigger split logs. Set fire to firelighter, once the split logs are burning ok then you can put a proper log on top.

I've also used that method, and on occasion had to quickly put the paper on, that I used.

Hmmm, are you my sister, I wonder? Our late Dad used to do this. Much merriment when it inevitably caught alight.

We use the Lekto firefighters, they are excellent, with kiln dried kindling. Then I sometimes use a heat log or a coffee log to get everything really hot before adding logs. We always leave a bed of ash in place, have the chimney swept regularly.

Hate the smell of firelighter tablets. We use a product called Fatwood, comes in bags from the hardwood store. Like a tiny piece of kindling, it’s heartwood from the pine soaked in resin. Light one under a teepee of small sticks, then when well alight add larger pieces progressively. We’re lucky we have unlimited access to very dry, well seasoned kindling and wood.

If it’s a woodburner then make sure you’ve got your vents the right way round.

use dry wood and kindling. Natural firelighters…flamers. And if it’s not dtawing open a window in the room while you get it lit.

3 natural firelighters, little stack of kindling with air spaces and 2 kiln dried logs smallish to start with.

get your chimney swept too.