How to Start a Pellet Stove

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 18, 2024 References

A pellet stove is a great way to reduce heating costs in your house and stay warm in the cold weather. The process for starting your pellet stove depends on whether it's an automatic or a manual, but luckily, we can help you either way! ^{[1]
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Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Starting an Automatic Stove

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1
Read the instruction manual first. An automatic start pellet stove doesn’t require an igniter, like a lighter or match, in order to get started. Read the instruction manual so you know where to pour the pellets and any other details or warnings you need to know. ^{[2]
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- The instruction manual will tell if you have an automatic or manual start pellet stove.
- Automatic pellet stoves will have a control panel with an on/off button or switch.
2
Pour pellets into the stove’s hopper. Automatic pellet stoves have a hopper on the back of the stove that steadily feeds pellets to the tray inside of the stove. Open the back of the pellet stove and carefully pour pellets into the hopper until it’s 3/4ths filled, then close the lid. ^{[3]
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- You can purchase pellets from a hardware store or online.
- Some stoves will have options that dictate how quickly the hopper feeds pellets into the stove.
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3
Open the control panel and push the “On” button. Look for a control panel on the front or the side of your stove. The control panel will have the on/off buttons, temperature controls, and an option to turn the fan on and off. ^{[4]
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- Sometimes this panel will have a plastic door that you need to open in order to access the stove’s controls.
After you press the “On” button, the stove should ignite and start to gradually heat up. The fire should look active and bright yellow.
Turning on the fan will make it run more efficiently and will cycle the air inside of your stove. If you don’t do this, you run the risk of filling your house up with smoke. You can also raise or lower the temperature of the stove with the options on the control panel. ^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Turning on a Manual Start Stove

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Before you ignite your manual start pellet stove, it’s important you read the instruction manual. It will have important details and warnings that you need to know before you start using the stove.
The hopper is the mechanism on the back of the stove that feeds pellets into the burn pot. Open the lid on the hopper and pour pellets into it until it’s 3/4ths filled. Close the lid once you’re done. ^{[6]
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Open the front door of your pellet stove. The burn pot is the tray in the bottom of the stove, where the pellets burn. Scrape out the ash with a metal object like a gardening shovel or fire iron. ^{[7]
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Scoop a couple of handfuls of pellets into the burn pot until it’s full. These pellets will ignite the stove’s fire. ^{[8]
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Pour ignition gel on top of the pellets and stir them. You can purchase ignition gel online or at hardware or department stores. Thoroughly saturate the top of the pellets with the gel and mix the burn pot with your fire iron or small shovel. ^{[9]
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- Lighter fluid can drip through the burn pot and to the bottom of your stove. Avoid using it.
Ignite a lighter or a match and carefully put the flame on the ignition gel. A small fire should start to catch on top of the pellets. ^{[10]
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Wait 1-3 minutes. The fire should gradually get stronger. If you close the door too quickly, the fire won’t get enough oxygen and will go out. ^{[11]
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Turn on the stove's fan. The fan button can be found on the side or the front of your stove. The fan will recycle the air in the stove and prevent it from making your house smokey. The fire should sustain as long as it’s filled with pellets. ^{[12]
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- Once the fire gets going, you can also adjust the temperature higher or lower.