How to Light a Coal Stove? The Top-Down Method Step by Step

Short answer: light a coal stove from the top. Coal goes at the bottom: the Manisa environment directorate says to fill it no more than halfway, the TKİ guide at most 2/3. Lay kindling and thin wood on top, light it with both air vents open, close the upper vent once it catches, and never add coal afterwards.

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Why is top-down lighting recommended?

According to the “Guide to Using Coal in Stoves” by Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKİ), when coal is lit from the top, the volatile and flammable gases it contains also burn inside the stove: you get more heat, less gas and smoke leaves the chimney, and the pipes and chimney soot up more slowly. The guide also says that properly done top-down lighting minimises the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. When a stove is lit from the bottom, some of the gases from the first coal to heat up can pass unburned through the cold coal above and go up the chimney.

What should you check before lighting?

• Chimney: TKİ asks for the chimney to be cleaned and its draught checked before the stove is set up; the guide calls for cleaning at least once a year, the Manisa note at least 2 times a year. See chimney cleaning and stove maintenance.
• Ash: The grate and ash pan should be empty so air can come in from below.
• Dry coal: TKİ advises opening the bag a few days before use to let the coal air; dry coal burns more efficiently.

How do you light a coal stove step by step?

Dry pine kindling is the practical way to start; its resin makes it catch easily.

How do you set the air vent and the flue damper?

The lower air vent supplies combustion air; the wider it is open, the faster the coal burns. The damper is the setting at the flue outlet. TKİ says that while the stove burns, the lower air vent and the damper must stay open. Starving the stove of air so that it “lasts longer” leads to smouldering: the carbon monoxide risk rises and soot and tar build up in the chimney.

What are the common mistakes?

• Filling the stove to the brim.
• Emptying a bag of coal onto a burning fire.
• Adding fuel before going to bed; the Manisa note explicitly rules this out.
• Closing the damper completely.
• Burning wet coal (part of the heat goes into boiling off the water).
• Using nut-size (10–18 mm) coal in a stove with a grate.

Which coal burns in a stove?

The Manisa note asks for coal to be 18–150 mm, that is, no smaller than the size known as “walnut”; “nut” coal of 10–18 mm is for automatic-feed (stoker) boilers. Whether “central heating coal” burns in a stove depends largely on this size; we cover it in which coal burns in a stove, and can boiler coal be used. According to the bag declarations, Siberian coal is 22–65 mm and domestic lignite is 50–100 mm. For how long one fill lasts, see how long stove coal burns; for a season's quantity, use our fuel calculator.

What does it depend on?

• Your stove manual: Fill level, vent positions and suitable coal size vary by model.
• Chimney draught: In a dirty or weak-draught chimney, even top-down lighting works poorly.
• Coal size: Walnut-size and larger lumps let air through the grate; fine grains block it.
• Moisture: Wet coal is hard to light and part of the heat goes into the water.
• Air setting: Too little air means smouldering and carbon monoxide.

How do you stay safe from stove gas?

Turkey's Ministry of Health describes carbon monoxide as a colourless, odourless, tasteless and toxic gas; the first symptoms are headache, dizziness and weakness. No fuel is smokeless, and every solid-fuel stove can produce carbon monoxide. TKİ asks for the stove to be put out at bedtime if possible, or the lower air inlet and damper left open, and for buckets that are not fully out to be kept outside the home. If you notice symptoms, open the windows, get out and call 112 (the emergency number in Turkey). Use a carbon monoxide detector wherever a fuel-burning heater is used: stove gas symptoms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Frequently asked questions

Does central heating coal burn in a stove?

It depends on the size. Nut-size (10–18 mm) boiler coal is for stoker boilers; a stove with a grate needs walnut-size (over 18 mm) or lump coal. Details: which coal burns in a stove.

How much coal goes into a stove?

The Manisa note gives half the stove as the upper limit, the TKİ guide 2/3. Starting at half and following your stove manual is the cautious approach.

Can you add coal to a burning stove?

Not to a top-lit stove. According to TKİ, combustion worsens and carbon monoxide rises; once the stove is out, it is refilled and lit from the top again.

Can the stove be left burning overnight?

TKİ asks for the stove to be put out at bedtime if possible, and otherwise for the lower air inlet and the damper to be left open. Never add fuel at bedtime.

When is the upper air vent closed?

After the coal has caught. According to TKİ, both vents are open while lighting; once it catches, the upper vent is closed and the air is set with the lower one.

Sources: Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKİ), “Guide to Using Coal in Stoves” (top-down steps, 2/3 fill, air vents, damper, no adding coal, buckets); Manisa Governorship, Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanisation, “Information Note on Air Pollution” (filling no more than halfway, top-down lighting, 18–150 mm and 10–18 mm sizes, chimney cleaning, no refuelling at bedtime); Turkish Ministry of Health, “Carbon Monoxide Poisoning”; US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “About Carbon Monoxide Poisoning”.