Tips for stove?

[Ricco1]

I'm sure this has been done to death but having used the search facility, I still haven't solved my problem:

 

The fires I light either don't catch or otherwise, end up raging infernos that prompt me to open the doors and windows. Earlier the thermometer touched 90 degrees!

 

The obvious remedy is to put less fuel on. But when I do that, it doesn't catch.

 

My method is to open the screw control thingie on the front of the stove. I use fire lighters, then some normal house coal, and top it with smokeless. The theory is to add more smokeless as and when I need it. I've tried closing the vent at the front, or nearly closing it, the fire then goes out.

 

My stove is a boatman by the way, 35ft boat.

 

Any tips much appreciated!

[Ange]

I'm sure this has been done to death but having used the search facility, I still haven't solved my problem:

 

The fires I light either don't catch or otherwise, end up raging infernos that prompt me to open the doors and windows. Earlier the thermometer touched 90 degrees!

 

The obvious remedy is to put less fuel on. But when I do that, it doesn't catch.

 

My method is to open the screw control thingie on the front of the stove. I use fire lighters, then some normal house coal, and top it with smokeless. The theory is to add more smokeless as and when I need it. I've tried closing the vent at the front, or nearly closing it, the fire then goes out.

 

My stove is a boatman by the way, 35ft boat.

 

Any tips much appreciated!

Hey Ricco

 

It's a dark art I'm afraid my friend. This was us 4 years ago http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=26117&hl=taming

 

There's no easy answers I'm afraid - you just need to wiggle your toggles and experiment over a period of time till you get it right.

 

For what it's worth with our Squirrel, burning wood, we keep top and bottom vents open two turns during the day and half a turn overnight.

 

Best of luck sussing it - it really is an enormously satisfying moment when you discover you are in charge of the monster

[bizzard]

Tip. Clean the grate and empty ashpan. I wouldn't waste money on fire lighters, a jam jar half filled with paraffin, old used white spirit and fill it with thin sticks to soak. One of these lit and laid on the grate and then plenty of nice dry kindling, undo bottom air control with door 1/2'' ajar, when alight properly a small amount of house coal and a few knobs of smokeless, when burning nice and red close the door then a bit later add more smokeless and turn in the knob to about half a turn out from fully closed. This how my Boatman is lit.

[davidc]

When I had coal fires, to light them I used home made fire lighters

worked no end as the paper burns slowly

 

 

[bottle]

Hi Ricco

 

As Ange says it s a dark art.

 

Mine a Squirrel, burning Excel (smokeless fuel) to light, fire lighter, dry kindling and Excell, both vents fully open, rest of the time top vent fully open, bottom one closed.

[Chop!]

Our butty has a Boatman, I usually put a handful of coal in the bottom, then 2 bits of wood, then kindling and paper on top.

Open the bottom door, put the top plate on, leaving a small gap until it starts to roar.

It's worth once or twice a year getting dirty, hoovering out all the soot and crap from all the nooks and crannies (after sweeping the chimberly ;o)

[Mike at Mayroyd]

Same stove, same sized boat and same problem. I use firelighters and kindling to start. When roaring add a large amount of smokeless all at once. This always works but a couple of hours later it's too hot. Anybody with any experience of adding firebricks to reduce the volume of the grate - would that work?

[bizzard]

I presume we're talking about the welded steel bodied Boatman stove and not a back cabin type cooking stove.

As well as the slabs of fire bricks in my Boatman stove I have two and a half ordinary house bricks, one either side and a half brick at the front to reduce grate area and heat.

[Mike at Mayroyd]

I presume we're talking about the welded steel bodied Boatman stove and not a back cabin type cooking stove.

As well as the slabs of fire bricks in my Boatman stove I have two and a half ordinary house bricks, one either side and a half brick at the front to reduce grate area and heat.

 

That's a "grate" idea. I'll try that, thank you

[Simon (Hawksmoor)]

4-5 pieces of kindling aligned back to front

4-5 pieces left to right stacked on top

2 firelighters nestled in the middle

a dozen pieces of "Homefire" smokeless nuggets in a loose mound (by far the best brand - turns 100% to ash with no clinker)

light the firelighters and close the main door

bottom door open until blazing then close it and open the slidy bit (technical term

[peterboat]

Turn on, light diesel set to 1 or 2 ohh sorry thats my bubble stove takes 5 seconds to light . I find the paper oil filters from work get my wood burning stove going well one in the bottom two lumps of wood on top light and bobs the uncle etc

 

Peter

[Machpoint005]

I thought lighting fires was the main purpose behind buying a quality broadsheet newspaper.

What's a firelighter?

[Black Ibis]

Yup, every stove is different and when learning a new one it's just a matter of trial and error. We went from a diddy little Squirrel which we loved and could tame no problem at all, to one of these:

We're still learning!

 

[junior]

I lit my first fire in my sfs yesterday. Having read all the tales of it being a black art my method went something like this:

 

Screw up 3 sheets of newspaper and put in fire along with one fire lighter. Bung some kindling on top and light with a match. Once alight wait a few minutes and chuck in coal. 10 minutes later I had a lovely fire that stayed in all night.

 

Black art my arse.

[Phil Ambrose]

Junior,be afraid, fires ARE a dark art,yours is just lulling you into a false sense of "oh this easy"before biting you on the bum.

Phil

[Richard10002]

I have a Boatman and mine has lit every time for 2 years. Every now and then it gets a bit hot, but that's because I forget to close the vent down.

 

To light I place 2 firelighters on the grate, and a a couple of layers of kindling. Then I put a layer of Excel, or sometimes a layer of no-name coke.

 

Open the vent wide, light the firelighters, and close the door. A while after, it's glowing red, so i put a heap of coal on, close the vent to closed minus a few turns, and it lasts all evening, 7pm to 11pm. Top up again at 11pm, (just done it), close the vent minus half a turn, and it generally lasts all night with a gentle heat.

 

If you're having trouble, it could be to do with the draught through the vent and up the chimney, but mine has just worked since I got the boat - and I hadn't lit a fire for about 35+ years !!

[Ange]

I lit my first fire in my sfs yesterday. Having read all the tales of it being a black art my method went something like this:

 

Screw up 3 sheets of newspaper and put in fire along with one fire lighter. Bung some kindling on top and light with a match. Once alight wait a few minutes and chuck in coal. 10 minutes later I had a lovely fire that stayed in all night.

 

Black art my arse.

Beginners luck We did get it right occasionally in the early days but it was a long time before we got it right consistently.

[Guest]

I lit my first fire in my sfs yesterday. Having read all the tales of it being a black art my method went something like this:

 

Screw up 3 sheets of newspaper and put in fire along with one fire lighter. Bung some kindling on top and light with a match. Once alight wait a few minutes and chuck in coal. 10 minutes later I had a lovely fire that stayed in all night.

 

Black art my arse.

 

Indeed - that normally works for us...

[Dar Kuma]

2 mins and I'm done, , maybe add 2 more pieces of wood after about 10 mins but thats it all night.

 

in total, 10 kindling sticks 4 pieces of firelighters about 1cm squared and a log, anymore and its a tropical microclimate in here.

 

I lit it earlier but its all burnt up now so wont bother till tomorrow night, I doubt i'll light it tomorrow either, its still mild.

 

allthough I have had lots of experience with fires when i've gone camping in the middle of nowhere

Edited September 17, 2013 by Dar Kuma

[canals are us?]

Yup, every stove is different and when learning a new one it's just a matter of trial and error. We went from a diddy little Squirrel which we loved and could tame no problem at all, to one of these:

We're still learning!

 

 

I recognised the stove but couldn't put a name to it and driving me mad, so searched. A stovax Huntingdon.

http://www.stovax.com/stoves/traditionalstoves/wood__multi-fuel_stoves/huntingdon_stoves.aspx

 

My word it has dirty glass.

 

James

[Ange]

 

Indeed - that normally works for us...

How many days do you spend keeping your stove in 24/7 in the winter?

[Black Ibis]

 

I recognised the stove but couldn't put a name to it and driving me mad, so searched. A stovax Huntingdon.

http://www.stovax.com/stoves/traditionalstoves/wood__multi-fuel_stoves/huntingdon_stoves.aspx

 

My word it has dirty glass.

 

James

That's the one. It's beautiful but although we have the solid fuel variety it is really a Wood burner and doesn't like coal.

 

The glass soots up very quickly too.

[bizzard]

If the OP'S stove is the original welded steel Boatman stove it doesn't have a separate bottom ashpan door, it has a single main door which covers both firebox and ashpan simultaneously hence the reason why I suggested leaving the door ajar a little when starting the stove.

[Ricco1]

I really like the idea of using a couple of bricks to reduce the capacity of the stove. Is it safe to use any type of brick, no possibility of an explosion?

[bizzard]

I really like the idea of using a couple of bricks to reduce the capacity of the stove. Is it safe to use any type of brick, no possibility of an explosion?

I've been using them for 20 odd years and no explosions, ordinary Flettons mostly. You may just crack one if a pocket of trapped air expands.