How to Light a Pellet Stove: Step-by-Step Guide for Outdoor Pellet Heaters
Last updated: 9 October 2026
How you light a pellet stove depends entirely on the type. An automatic indoor pellet stove starts itself from a control panel. A non-electric outdoor pellet heater, like every Flamesa model, has no ignition element at all: you light it yourself with wood wool fire starters and a gas torch. This guide covers both, with the step-by-step method for outdoor heaters and the mistakes our customer service team helps people fix.
How do you light a pellet stove? First check which type you have
Look for a plug and a control panel. If your stove has them, it is an automatic indoor model and the manufacturer's manual is leading. If it has no cable, no fan and no buttons, it is a manual outdoor pellet heater and you light the pellets by hand.
| Automatic indoor pellet stove | Non-electric outdoor pellet heater | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Mains electricity | None needed |
| Ignition | Built-in igniter, started from the control panel | By hand: fire starters and a gas torch |
| Fuel feed | Auger and fan | Gravity: the pellets in the pellet reservoir burn down |
| Where to look for help | The manufacturer's manual | This guide and the manual for your model |
The rest of this article is about the second column. If you want to understand the principle first, read how an outdoor pellet heater works, or why it runs happily as a pellet stove without electricity.
What you need to light wood pellets
- Clean, dry wood pellets: 6 mm, with ENplus A1 recommended. Pellets for indoor pellet stoves work too, as long as they meet that spec. More in our guide on which pellets to use.
- Wood wool fire starters: loose, waxed wood wool catches quickly and passes the flame on to the pellets. Don't use firelighter cubes.
- A gas torch: you aim the flame through the ignition opening onto the fire starters. A gas torch for pellet heaters gives you a steady, directed flame, and there is also a torch and fire starter set.
- A clean grate: residue from last time blocks the air holes. A cleaning kit or an ash vacuum makes this a quick job.
How to light an outdoor pellet heater: step by step
Lighting takes a few minutes of work, then patience. Your heater needs roughly 20 to 25 minutes to get properly going, so light it a little before your guests arrive.
- Clean the pellet reservoir and grate. Remove ash and hard residue so every air hole is open.
- Fill with pellets, but not to the brim. Too many pellets block the air supply and give a low, smoky start.
- Place the fire starters loosely on top of the pellets. Don't press them in; air needs to get to them.
- Light them with the gas torch through the ignition opening. Hold the flame on the wood wool until it burns on its own.
- Open the air supply and leave it alone. The fire starters ignite the top layer of pellets. Don't stir, poke or add pellets during this phase.
- Wait about 20–25 minutes. Then the heater is properly up to speed and you can fine-tune the flame with the adjustable air supply.
Once it is going, the heater burns for roughly 2–2.5 hours on one fill (depending on conditions), using roughly 0.8–1.2 kg of pellets per hour. Pellets come in 15 kg bags, so one bag covers several evenings.
Topping up while it burns
Don't wait until the flame has nearly gone. Top up while there is still a good flame. If the flame drops after topping up, briefly relight the new pellets with the gas torch until they catch again, and add a smaller amount next time.
How to light the tabletop Vulcan
The Vulcan tabletop model works on the same principle, only smaller: 20 cm high, stainless steel, filled with the same 6 mm pellets. Fill it, put a little wood wool on top and light it with the torch. One fill burns for roughly 80 minutes, depending on flame height and wind. Always place it on a stable, heat-resistant surface.
Common mistakes when lighting pellets
These are the issues customers contact our team about most when a first evening doesn't go to plan.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| It won't stay lit | Damp pellets, or ash and residue blocking the air holes | Use dry pellets, clean the grate fully, relight |
| Smoke at the start | Pellets smouldering instead of burning: too full, or not enough air | Relight with the torch until there is a proper flame; fill less |
| Smoke after topping up | New pellets are smothered | Relight them briefly with the torch; top up in smaller amounts |
| Low flame after topping up | Clinker (fused ash) on the grate blocks part of the air holes | Normal, not a fault. Clean the grate completely before each use |
| Low flame all evening | Too sheltered: tight in a corner or against a wall | Move it to a spot with natural air movement |
Damp pellets deserve a special mention. Pellets kept in a damp shed or left outside absorb moisture, burn poorly and give more smoke. Store the bag somewhere dry and close it after use.
What does a normal flame look like?
On a sheltered, still evening, a flame reaching about halfway up the glass tube is normal. With more wind it can reach the top. Flame height isn't set with a knob like on a gas patio heater; it depends on the air supply, the amount of pellets and the weather. With dry, good-quality pellets you get a clean, low-smoke burn with hardly any ash.
Safety and honest limits
- Use it outdoors or in a well-ventilated covered space: at least 25% of the sides open, at least 40 cm free space above the heater to the roof, and at least 40 cm all round. Not in a fully enclosed room. See pellet heaters on a covered patio and the ideal placement.
- Never use petrol, lighter fluid or other liquid accelerants.
- Expect radiant heat for the people around it, not a warm room. It is a real fire, not a switch-on appliance: if you want instant heat at the press of a button, an outdoor pellet heater isn't the right fit.
- Let it burn out and cool down before cleaning or covering it with an outdoor cover.
For pellet quality, the certification body ENplus explains what the A1 class means.
Frequently asked questions
How do you light wood pellets without electricity?
Put a little loose wood wool fire starter on top of the pellets and light it with a gas torch. The wood wool burns long enough to ignite the top layer of pellets, and from there the fire works its way down. This is how all non-electric outdoor pellet heaters are lit. In practice, the fire starter is what makes a quick, reliable start.
Do I need a pellet torch?
For an outdoor pellet heater, a gas torch is the easiest way to light the fire starters through the ignition opening and to relight pellets after topping up. A lighter or long match can light wood wool, but a torch gives a steady, directed flame and makes relighting much easier. You don't need it for an automatic indoor stove with its own igniter.
How long does it take for an outdoor pellet heater to get going?
Count on roughly 20 to 25 minutes before it is properly up to speed. In that time the fire starters burn out, the top layer of pellets catches and the flame settles. Don't stir the pellets or add more during this phase. After that, you can fine-tune the flame with the air supply and enjoy roughly 2–2.5 hours on one fill, depending on conditions.
Why won't my pellet stove stay lit?
The usual causes are damp pellets, ash and clinker blocking the air holes, a reservoir that is too full, or a spot that is too sheltered. Use dry 6 mm pellets (ENplus A1 recommended), clean the grate completely, fill a little less and give the heater some natural air movement. Still no luck? Send our team a short video of the flame and a photo of the grate.
Can I use firelighter cubes?
We advise against it. Use loose wood wool fire starters instead: they catch quickly and pass the flame on to the pellets, which is the method we use and recommend. Whatever you use, never add petrol, lighter fluid or other liquids to pellets. They flare up unpredictably and are not needed for a good start.
Can I light a pellet stove manually?
Outdoor pellet heaters are always lit manually: fire starters plus a gas torch, no buttons involved. Many automatic indoor stoves also have a manual start procedure for when the igniter fails, but follow that manufacturer's manual, as the steps differ per brand and model. The method in this guide is for non-electric outdoor heaters.
Still choosing a heater for your garden or covered patio? See which model suits your outdoor space, from the mobile Flare on wheels to the Lumina with its built-in table, or the 122 cm Avara in our small pellet heaters. Light it once and you'll see how easy those autumn evenings outside become.
