Multi Fuel Stove - getting the best out of it.

dooby

Hello.

I had a multi fuel stove installed around six weeks ago, a Tiger 5-6kw output, with flue.

Up until now we've just been playing around with it but now that the weather has taken a real dip i'm after some tips on how to get the best out of it.

We're not in a smokeless zone but the first few weeks we used smokeless fuel which is great for staying in for long periods but the heat output isn't hot enough for these icy days. We've been using coal this past week and the heat output is fab but the coal doesn't last long and we're shoveling loads of it on.
We also have some wood that we got given, our neighbour chopped down two trees in the summer and we've been drying them out. The wood kicks out some heat also but that doesn't last long either.

Our home is 3 floors high with 2 rooms on each floor and we spend most of our evening on the top floor as that is where the office is situated so we're looking for heat to reach right up here. The roof of the house is insulated so we should suffer no or minimal heat loss.

I did hear that you shouldn't add smokeless fuel on top on coal as it makes it burn out too quickly but apart from that we've had no tips as to what to burn when or the order of burning. I was hoping you could share your experiences about what you've learned with me. All tips appreciated.

Thank you.

A._Badger

Wood actually produces less heat, pound for pound (in weight) than coal while, in my experience, good smokeless fuel seems to produce a bit more heat than coal - but at a substantially higher price. You might want to try various types of solid fuel until you find what suits your draughting arrangements best. I've found Maxibrite quite good.

One tip I've seen and tried is to get a good coal fire going then top it up with wood. That certainly des seem to kick out the heat - though will have to refuel quite often, with both coal and (especially) wood.

That said, expecting a 5kw stove to heat a room two stories above it might be being a bit ambitious.

dooby

Thanks.

We were advise re-the kw output as we were told that when we burn wood we will be best to burn it on a roar rather than a flicker as this is better for the fire/flue and that a higher output fire would make the room it is in too hot to burn on a roar.

We have just one coal man around here that I know of that has a good reputation. His coal for large pieces is £15.50 a 50kg sack and his smokeless fuel is £16 a sack so there's not much in it.

Which would you recommend, using the same amount of fuel - say a coal buckets worth - making it last for 3 smallish fires or shove the whole lot in one go and let it burn burn burn?

A._Badger

At that price I'd be tempted by smokeless fuel - especially as you won't be in the room to enjoy the flames from coal. It would be worth finding out what kind of smokeless he offers - there are several on the market and some seem to work better in some stoves than others, in my experience.

As for running it, all you can do is try it and see - though I'd agree about running it as high as you can. None of the stoves I've had have really liked dozing.

dooby

Thanks Badger.

I'm due to order some more so i'll ask what smokeless fuel it is and come back for your opinion if that's ok.

Welshwoofs

My solid fuel stove (Hunter Herald 14) supplies the CH and hot water for the whole house. I've experiemented with a number of things in the 2 years I've had it and come to the following conclusions:


Wood: Gives a nice flame, but doesn't kick out enough heat to warm rads and water beyond tepid.
Coal: Produces way too much smoke for a stove; blacks up the window and smokes (leading to black walls over time). It does kick out heat, but you shovel a lot into it.
Smokeless fuel: I used one large nugget whose name now escapes me which was *awful*, tarred up the inside of the stove and had a terrible acrid smell. Then used Maxibrite which I'm still on now. Doesn't have much of a flame so you don't get that nice romatic flicker, however it does pump out the heat and a stove full will last the night if damped down. It is quite hard to light I find; I use firelighters with kindling on top and a few smatterings of Maxibrite which I gradually build up.

I just got a load of Maxibrite on Tuesday - half a ton cost £170, which is a £45 increase on the last load I got in July! :eek:

elektra-2007

i have no idea about coal ect but ive just moved and started using it...ive found anthricite ok and all my friends swear by it....but another one people seem to like is coke as its a bit cheaper than anthricite but burns hotter aparently, imin derbyshire and my prices are the same as urs 50kg for 16.00 smokless...ive heard coke is only £13.00 but ud have to ring round and ask...

elektra-2007

i have no idea about coal ect but ive just moved and started using it...ive found anthricite ok and all my friends swear by it....but another one people seem to like is coke as its a bit cheaper than anthricite but burns hotter aparently, im in derbyshire and my prices are the same as urs 50kg for 16.00 smokless...ive heard coke is only £13.00 but ud have to ring round and ask...

mardatha

We have a big Charnwood that runs best on smokeless egss at £15 a bag. We fill it once a day and keep it at 1 . If its cold in here we turn it upto 3 for a while then down again. It helps to empty the ashcan twice a day so it doesnt get too heavy. This house has big rooms with high ceilings although no upstairs, and all but the 2 north-facing back rooms with huge windows, are very cosy.

John_3:16

We have a stove in a room that we sometimes do not sit in front of. This may sound daft but I put a small fan to blow down one side to help bring hot air out. I have found it boosts the heat output as we burn the stove hard.

dooby

John_3:16 wrote: »

We have a stove in a room that we sometimes do not sit in front of. This may sound daft but I put a small fan to blow down one side to help bring hot air out. I have found it boosts the heat output as we burn the stove hard.

It doesn't sound daft. I've heard that works really well.

What sort of fan do you use?

I've looked at eco fans but i'm undecided whether to get one or not. They're about £90 and some people think they are fantastic but others are complaining that they start failing after two seasons use as they get clogged with dust and dirt. That's all that's putting me off getting one - the thought that it wouldn't last that long.