Top Down Firelighting

How to light your log burner or fire from the top down - no faffing around adding logs to a burning stack of kindling, just light, sit back and enjoy.
Absolute wizardry if you ask me!
Learn more about us at www.love-logs.com 🔥
#fire #firepit #fireplace #firewood #woodburningstove #woodburner #logburner #openfire #firelighting #warmth #warm #warmtones #cosy #cosyhome #autumn #autumnvibes ⁣#environment #plasticfree #nature #green #eco #sustainable #sustainability #natural #zerowaste #savetheplanet #biodegradable #sustainableliving #sustainable #sustainability

[@ollieox9181]

I measure fire-lighting success by how many matches I need to get the fire going in my firepit. If it starts with one match, perfect. If it blows out and I have to start over again and again, then I suck at fire-starting and I suck at Life. Very often, when starting with the small kindling and building up method, it requires 3-4 matches - which really sucks. However, ever since I adopted this top-down method last fall, my success has been perfect - one match, every time. And Life gets a little better. Thanks for sharing.

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

Agree 100%, as long as you have quality firelighters and kindling, it's pretty faultless!

[@LANKY123]

thanks very much, no bs, quick clear to the point

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

No problem! With more modern burners than ours, no need to keep the door ajar 👍🏻

[@lannyplans]

Very good, with the fire on top, flames will follow the airflow down through the stack, the wood gas/smoke flows up through the flames on top causing cleaner combustion. Now if you could “under feed” the fire, with new wood on bottom, that would be a very clean burning system.

[@PaulThomas-qo9vy]

Top down burning originated in Europe (maybe sweden), documented in the 1600's. The high up flames draw smoke Into it, combusting those vaporized gasses, for much less smoke during initial stages. Notice how many forced air trash/rubbish burn barrels on YT are tremendous smoke belching polluters when they light them & blow air from the bottom up? I saw a almost Smokless/smoke- free design using Top-down burn & air entry design. It's on Instructables, "Burn Barrel in 20 steps". It's a barrel topper with a central exhaust stack with 2 air inlets angled into the barrel with pre-heated air from a gas or electric leaf blower. If using a single speed electric blower, a bypass valve is needed in the pressurized blower outlet pipe. This dumps air until the fire can take it. Close in several steps. With gas blowers, begin at idle & gradually throttle up. I've been using & teaching top down fire starting for several years. Thanks, good vid.

[@grahamkitchen6650]

Good job👍 ,What make and model is your log burner ?

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

@@grahamkitchen6650 Not sure Graham sorry, it was very old and we’ve now moved from that house

[@grahamkitchen6650]

@planetfriendlyfirewood I would have taken it with me onto the next house ,but thanks all the same 👍.

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

@ Brick built so it’s a fixture, but it was super inefficient!

[@firemantod]

Right to the Pointe, no wasting my time

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

Cheers!

[@sonjacarey2602]

We only have a small burner so don't have room for a log cabin. Do we just make a mini one? We wouldn't be able to fit the thicker logs. All our logs are your smaller ones... 🐾

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

In a small burner, if you have room just a couple of logs laid on the bottom, then a small kindling stack and a firelighter should do it 🙂

[@sonjacarey2602]

Hello, another quick question. Our flue is at the back of the burner, not the top. Would the top down method still work?

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

It will should work yes! I use top down for a nice, easy, slow and steady experience where you don’t have to “baby” the fire. You can also light bottom up with a log or two on top of a kindling stack 🙂

[@sonjacarey2602]

@@planetfriendlyfirewood Awesome, thank you so much. I'm all set! 🤩

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

@@sonjacarey2602 Good luck 🔥🔥🔥

[@elyssaalex9469]

Is that a Chiminese Philippe fireplace?

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

I don’t know but I doubt, it’s about 14 years old and was in the house when we moved in 😃

[@luke8210]

With this method, are you still pre heating the flue for a good draft? Or does this method eliminate that step? Thanks

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

That’s the whole point of this method 🙂

[@luke8210]

I figured. But wanted to be sure. Thanks, I appreciate the video and reply.

[@siriosstar4789]

@planet if pre heating the flue is the whole point then bottom down does this even faster . the secret is having sufficient air flow . place one or two small starters of your choice on the bottom .place two sticks thicker/higher that the starter leaving plenty of space for air . Then begin adding kindling in a cross cross pattern with lots of space in between the kindling . now add intermediate size pieces in the same manner and full size logs on top. The starter will ignite immediately and a few seconds later the kindling followed by the intermediate pieces at a much higher level of heat and more quickly than with the top down method . the fire box should be fully engulfed in flame in about five minutes or less . the higher the heat the more complete the combustion resulting in less pollutants .

[@stoneycut]

I do similer method but build it on a small bed of coal I'll get 4 hour of heat from it

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

We’re an eco-friendly firewood company, so coal is a big no from us I’m afraid!

[@glitch314]

@@planetfriendlyfirewood good coal pollutes less actually. it is condensed fuel compared to wood.

[@planetfriendlyfirewood]

@@glitch314 Yes but it’s a fossil fuel, so it releases long-stored carbon into the atmosphere that can’t be recovered. By planting new trees we can recover any carbon released through burning in a very short timescale…