Top Down Lighting

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Ultralume
Member
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun. Dec. 08, 2019 10:05 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Vigilant II, Godin 3720, Godin 3731
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Nut and Stove Coal

Post by Ultralume » Mon. Dec. 07, 2020 12:59 am

I saw a YouTube video of a wood stove being lit using the “ top down” method in which kindling wood is on top of the wood pile and progressively thicker logs are on the bottom. Apparently the logs on the bottom will ignite by starting the fire on top. This seemed so counterintuitive that I had to try it with coal.
I conducted such an experiment in my Vigilant II with anthracite nut coal. I filled the stove about 2/3 fill with nut coal and started a wood fire on top. Once there was a nice hot glowing ash bed, I added a few pieces of nut coal on top of the ash bed but not many. Not surprisingly it began to crackle and some yellow and blue flames were visible as the few top pieces of coal ignited. I confirmed that the doors and ash pan were tightly closed and just let it burn. It was around midnight when I started the fire. I fell asleep doubting that this would work. Much to my surprise, I woke up at 7 o’clock finding that the entire coal bed was burning normally. I was shocked that top down lighting method works with coal as well!!


 
Hoytman
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Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
Location: swOH near a little town where the homes are mobile and the cars aren’t
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
Coal Size/Type: nut coal
Other Heating: electric, wood, oil

Post by Hoytman » Thu. Dec. 17, 2020 1:31 pm

I’m sure much more experienced coal burners can address this, but I would be careful doing that.

For wood burning...
The top down method is a great way to start a wood fire with good dry wood. What I like about it is it warms the stove and the chimney slowly and this is important for a masonry chimney...especially if it is cold. A cold masonry chimney with a good and quick hot fire is a big no-no in my book and by the advice of old timers I once knew that have long been deceased...a sure fire way...pun intended...to crack your masonry liner.

Today’s wood stove manufacturers manuals call for quick hot fires to be built in their stoves. This is where newspaper on the bottom of a stack of kindling and lighting paper from the bottom is recommended. The fire travels up through the wood igniting it.

Manufacturers won’t tell you why they recommend the quick, hot fires, but I will tell you. It has more to do with EPA regulations and limiting wood stove smoke emitting from chimneys during start-up. They fail to tell you how this type of fire can ruin a masonry chimney in a hurry via thermal shock on a cold chimney. Think starting a fast hot fire in a chimney that is below 50F or below freezing. If you have stainless steel liners in your chimneys this concern is a moot point and a quick hot fire is a nice thing.

Top down lighting you also get less smoke.

Then you have to understand how wood and coal burn differently. Wood burns from the top down. That is, from the outside in. Moisture is inside the wood and the inner wood will not burn until all the moisture is boiled out.

I am told anthracite burns from the bottom up. I’ll let others explain this.

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