[dobbin]

I've recently got a multifuel stove installed. Its a great thing, really it is, and I have revisited the whether its legal to nick logs thread before starting this one so am all up on not buying logs from garages, and on seasoning and all that stuff, but I wondered where anyone gets coal from?

Why do I want coal? well, I have been told that it burns hotter and slower than wood - so I am thinking of getting some - starting the fire with wood, then putting a couple of lumps on when we go to bed, or out or whatever with a view to it keeping going for longer in the background. Is this nonsense? is it even possible?

[dave]

isn't burning fossil fuels a bit of a faux-pas for today's woodburning stove owner......?

[dobbin]

But but but.... Jim said it would be ok....

Oh. I see.

[Bubba]

I usually use a bit of coal to start a fire going, then just logs for the rest of the evening.

Get mine from the Dore More Nursery, opposite the Dore More Inn.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

I get my Taybrite from Wesley Nicholls on Halifax Road. http://www.wesleynicholls.co.uk/index.html

Smokeless, burns for hours, nothing but ash left over.

[Jim]

smokeless is shit and expensive

[lagerstarfish]

We get our smokeless from Wesley Nicholls. It burns much better (hotter and longer) in our open fire than house coal, but that's probably because we can't reduce the air supply like you can in a proper stove.

We had a wood burning stove in the cottage we stayed in in November and I used a mix of cheap, proper coal and logs. Worked fine.

[Bubba]

We get our smokeless from Wesley Nicholls. It burns much better (hotter and longer) in our open fire than house coal

I've always found smokeless a waste of time but willing to try it again - which stuff are you using from W.N.? They have quite a few different varieties.

[Jim]

It burns much better (hotter and longer) in our open fire than house coal

either youve been using dog shit for house coal or your on drugs, smokeless does burn longer yes, but doesn't give out as much heat and gives a less rewarding fire.
This is of course different as this is regarding a burning stove, smokeless would be better for you dob-egg as it lasts longer and doesn't clag up the chimney as quick, open fire = proper coal everytime for me

[slackline]

Theres no fire without smoke 

[Jim]

I agree with slack-line for a change 

[Tris]

Theres no fire without smoke 

[lagerstarfish]

It burns much better (hotter and longer) in our open fire than house coal

either youve been using dog shit for house coal or your on drugs

Cat shit for coal, couple of lines of plant food up my nose. Am I doing it wrong?

In the name of SCIENCE I'd  better get some smokeless and some dog shit house coal in and do some testing.

[Johnny Brown]

You outdid yourself with that post Jim, genius. I particularly liked this line:

gives a less rewarding fire

Gives a great image of you sat grim-faced in front of the fire, lambasting that shit coal for not giving spectaular enough flames.

[widdop]

anthracite will give you properly more units  per lb than other smokeless fuels ,foundry coke if you can nick some will be the hottest fuel but not easy to keep burning it needs a forced draught ,as for coal the nearest steam railway group will have sourced the coal worth burning ,

[webbo]

don't you just ask the coalman for a bag of whatever sort of coal you prefer.  

[hairich]

whats the point of having a wood burning stove and using coal.dont know if you all noticed but there is a rather large meeting taking place in denmark this week.

ben i will text you the number of my woodman £60 for 40 bags of seasond hard wood from an ethical source

[Iesu]

it fuckin stinks 'n' all. been to one of europe's biggest coke works in belgium a while back and at first the smell reminded me of "home". After working there for a month the smell of burning coal, tar and by-products made me retch.

I wouldn't burn it in my house even if the cat litter tray was empty

[widdop]

in Shetland we have no trees ,but plenty of peat ,,we burn peat to cook in a rayburn oven.Thats another can of worms.

[Jim]

now peat is great. it has a wonderfull smell when it burns

[tomtom]

Coal is hot but dirty.

I heated my cottage for a couple of years just on a multifuel stove. If you burn just wood it needed cleaning/emptying twice a year. If you burn coal, twice a week (if not every day). It leaves shit in your chimney, makes more smoke and more mess - and does not smell as nice.

I used coal in emergencies when I ran out of wood. Coal needs a clean grate to burn well on (airflow from beneath) wood burns best on a pile of its own ash (on a solid surface - bung in a tin plate to burn it on if yuor stove just has a grate) preferably when its a cm thick...

Find a good source of local wood, make sure its dry and seasoned - it will be not much more than coal and so much nicer/cleaner and better carbon wise...

[dobbin]

This is brilliant - thanks all. So is it not true that coal would take longer to burn? i.e. if I was going out at 1500, and she was going to be back at 1600 could I use Coal to bridge the gap and keep the fire burning unattended for when she gets home?

Rich - do PM your log info pls. Ta. They sell them in those big builders bags at that farm shop on hangram lane. Think it said £45 - that sounds allright?

[nik at work]

Logs will keep burning for several hours, you don't need coal. Getting a log fire to go through the night takes a bit of tweaking to get it to work reliably but up to say three hours should be very easy to keep burning.

[tomtom]

Logs will keep burning for several hours, you don't need coal. Getting a log fire to go through the night takes a bit of tweaking to get it to work reliably but up to say three hours should be very easy to keep burning.

Yup - if you have a decent stove you can shut the vents right down and itll keep going for 8 hours easy with a big log. I kept mine going 24-7 for a week to ten days once.. and that was with normal working/going out/sleeping etc.. Was ace - kept everything toasty!

[benpritch]

whats the point of having a wood burning stove and using coal.dont know if you all noticed but there is a rather large meeting taking place in denmark this week.

i agree with hairich