Lump Charcoal

Can i use this to start my coal up?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Royal-Oak-All-Natural-H ... B/54065925

That is best for cooking but most here prefer Match Light, only a little more money than the natural hardwood charcoal.

My only concern with the use of any charcoal is that charcoal seems to kick up loads of carbon monoxide, and that's not something you want inside a house. That said, I use lump charcoal when lighting my boiler, and it is in my house.

That's exactly what I use to start my coal.

4 handfulls a year.

Quirkalot wrote: ↑

Thu. Dec. 13, 2018 11:42 am

Can i use this to start my coal up?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Royal-Oak-All-Natural-H ... B/54065925

Yup, I use the royal oak too. It burns nearly white hot. I often put in a one inch layer of anthracite to help protect the grates first, then a three inche layer of Royal Oak, let it get burning good, then layer on the coal. I've also tried loading the stove full of coal before lighting the lump charcoal sandwiched in between, that worked good too.

How are you lighting the charcoal?

Bubbalowe wrote: ↑

Thu. Dec. 13, 2018 2:49 pm

How are you lighting the charcoal?

I soak the charcoal with lighter fluid, in a cold stove of course. Then I'll also use a wadded up brown paper bag in the front end of the fire box that reaches down to the grate to wick the fire up to the charcoal layer.

Just an FYI on starting up... I used a BBQ chimney starter in my sf-260.

1. Put a 1" layer of anthracite coal to cover the entire grate area
2. Load a chimney starter with hardwood lump charcoal with newspaper in the bottom for lighting
3. Place on top of coal in center of grates and light.
4. Shut load door and let the lump charcoal get red hot.
5. Carefully pour out charcoal in center of grates and add a shovel of coal on top of charcoal
6. Let added coal catch fire and continue slowly adding coal until filled
7. Leave ash door open during this but never walk away with ash door open

Hardwood lump is key. Start to finish takes about 30 to 45 minutes to fire up a big boiler holding 80 lbs of nut.

Lightning wrote: ↑

Thu. Dec. 13, 2018 4:46 pm

I soak the charcoal with lighter fluid, in a cold stove of course. Then I'll also use a wadded up brown paper bag in the front end of the fire box that reaches down to the grate to wick the fire up to the charcoal layer.

Pay particular attention to the cold stove part...a mistake here can be devastating to life and property.!

Also consider that a stone cold chimney will barely draft in the beginning and leak exhaust fumes out any cracks or openings until the draft takes off well enough.

Never add additional lighter fluid thru stove doorway, as spark or flame here can ignite the fluid stream and flash back suddenly to the held fluid container or back to any spilled or splashed fluid.

So always remove the lighter fluid container to a distant location away from stove lighting activities before lighting fuel.

Lightning wrote: ↑

Thu. Dec. 13, 2018 4:46 pm

I soak the charcoal with lighter fluid, in a cold stove of course. Then I'll also use a wadded up brown paper bag in the front end of the fire box that reaches down to the grate to wick the fire up to the charcoal layer.

I love the way Matchlight starts a coal fire but it's over $9.00 for a small bag and I'm in this to cut costs. So thinking of taking a bigger $5.00 bag of briquettes and soaking with lighter fluid in the bag and then once absorbed put in stove, voila, homemade Matchlight. I have used charcoal lighters that use newspaper wadded in the bottom of a cylinder and then dumped in grill after lit is why asked how.

Home depot lump charcoal...
Alcohol gell starter...
Cheap...
No BOOM...
Done...