You wake up in the morning and walk over to the stove. It's got a little bit of heat coming off it but when you touch the stove and it's lukewarm at the most. Open the door and stir it up. There's a few hot coals. Barely anything. So because you are of work and like a challenge you decide to try to bring it back to life versus go with a start up type of procedure. You rake the ash to the ash pan and try to preserve the coals. Lovingly rake them into a small pile. Carefully pick out your smallest kindling, maybe even a few wood chips that are laying in the mortar cracks of the brick hearth. Lay them onto the glowing coals with the light touch of laying down a baby. Careful... Not too much, don't want to smother it. Go make some coffee.. Come back to some smoldering kindling.. Take the dog out and look at the little whisps of smoke coming from the chimney. Come back in and there it is... Flames!!! Add a few more small pieces of kindling and maybe the smallest of splits. Oh baby it's taking off. Then very carefully you slowly build it back up to a full load. Probably takes about an hour. Could have had it up and running in 15 minutes but hey it's Sunday. No rush right? I didn't take a picture of the coals but here's two from during my morning. Anyone else ever do it this way? Outside of the people who only have wood heat that is.
Guilty as charged! I do it all the time! If there is a chance of firing that stove back up with what's still glowing in there, I'll give it a go.
Sure. Keep the fire going with a few coals. Having an ash pan, allows me to open its doors which gives the coals all the air they want.
Yes sir!!! Another thing that works well is taking some kindling and shaving it with a sharp axe or knife to make some curlies. They light up real easy. Just lay the smallest kindling on those curlies and Presto!!! On the weekends it’s nice, I can actually sit for a few minutes and watch it take off while sipping my coffee. Not like during the week where it’s go go go
I agree and it helps that the IS seems to be all but self starting anyway. I don't even bother with much small stuff. Just rack the coals, throw splits in and poof, we have fire!
Every morning that you have time that’s what I do. Not sure why? I think it’s the challenge. Sometimes I cheat and throw a couple pieces of newspaper on the coals to get them hotter.
Well, yes I do that with one exception. I do not get rid of the ashes first. Just put the coals in one spot and go from there. I do still believe that it is slightly easier to get the fire going again if there is a bed of ashes and a few coals.
This... If given the time, this it's the only way I do it. Even during the week, I let the pups out, and rechooch the stove. By the time I am done with my shower, the air valve can be shut to the sweet spot and it's all good.
There are always coals left in the IS. Even 18-20 hours later. Seldom need a match in the main heating season.... just the SS needs cold starts.
Pretty much every morning I do something similar. Scoop out as much ash as I can, bring the coals and ash to the front and leave the door cracked open for a few. I also cut a groove in the coals/ash from front to back which I feel lets air circulate better once the splits are placed. After a few minutes I put in some smaller splits and off to the races. Try not to use the torch unless I am in a hurry.
I had next to nothing left this morning in the way of hot coals. I probably put the last load in around 6pm last night. Only 3/4 load due to just using what I had in the tote. I normally try to time the overnight load around 9pm. That leaves me with plenty to fire right back up. This morning there was only about a 3 inch by 2 inch hot spot left that glowed with the air turned all the way up. Not bad enough that I had to blow on it but pretty close. It's oddly satisfying bringing it back from that state.
This. I have barely used any kindling this year. Even if theres no lit coals, I'll rake everything to the front, then open the ash door and hit the coals with the torch for 20 seconds. Close the firebox door and go get my wood. Theres a fire going in the coals when I come back 2 minutes later.
Yeah I ran out of fatwood a couple weeks ago. Otherwise I admit I’ve gotten lazy. Add the fact I’ve been burning Catalpa, Tulip and pine almost all winter. By the time the soapstone cools enough to where I Feel like relighting there’s no coals available. Gotta say tho I’m getting g very little ash. Can remember only dumping the ash pan three times this winter. Have t used a drop of oil either.
