Laying a fire

Pink.

Hi grastgirl,

We live in an area where it's fine to burn any fuel, but I did buy a bag of smokeless coal by accident recently and it is very slow burning and slow to catch light. What I've done is to mix it with any ordinary coal/logs I'm using and that makes it last a bit longer.

You may find some more tips and advice to help on these earlier threads:

Tip for those with an open fire to save fuel!

Laying a fire

Looking after the fire

Wood burning fire

OS firelighters

Making Paper Bricks

Pine Cones on the fire?

Cheap Fire Kindler wood

I'll add your thread to one of those links later.

Pink

grastgirl

Camelot - It might not be as dry as it should be (we bought it when it snowed the other day), we have kept it inside, but downstairs is pretty cold at the moment (ice on the insides of the windows). We have reasonable gaps in our grate, so I think it's OK. I had noticed that the wood needs to be pretty hot before the coal will light. I have been practising as much as my OH will let me, but I don't want to waste fuel. I thought I knew about fires from camping for years, but using coal has thrown a spanner in the works.

Sueeve - chimney was swept before we moved in, we have a carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm right next to the fire, so I think the chimney is fine, I can see the difference when the wind is blowing though.

Quintwins - I think I've been trying to add the coal too early from what you wrote. I don't think we're in a smoke free zone, so we burn logs and could probably use proper coal.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I was worried we'll have a power cut and then we'll have to rely on me keeping the fire going to keep warm and eat.

Penelope_Penguin

grastgirl wrote: »

I can get the fire going OK - one piece of firelighter and some pieces of shop bought kindling (although some of the bits are bigger than they should be), and can normally keep it going OK when it's just wood, but I have to check it every 30 mins or so and keep adding to it regularly. We bought some smokeless coal/fuel stuff the other day and I've been trying to add some of that, but it seems to take forever to get alight, and I've had a couple of occasions when it's almost gone out on me.

If you're not in a smokeless area (which I assume you;re not as you mention burning wood) then ditch the smokeless fuel for regular coal

Coal fires will stay in longer without tending than will log fires.

grastgirl

PP - We have assumed it's OK as the landlord who lives next door said to burn the smaller logs they don't use. I think next year we'll make sure we're better prepared in terms of coal, but then we didn't think it would have got so cold so early in the season.

seraphina

Smokeless coal is a pig to get lit - if you can use normal coal then I'd switch to that.

pollys

I remember my dad rolling up the newspaper and then tying it into a knot for the fire. We had a coal bunker outside the back door. I really miss a proper fire and would love one.

Pollys xxx

grastgirl

Sounds like I could use newspaper firelighters rather than shop bought as well, I'll have a go over the holidays.

quintwins

i always use paper when i have some, as a general rule i would have waited til all the sticks had started to burn, phone your local council and just ask if your in a smoke free zone or not, if not i'd switch to normal coal aswell infact i'd mix the smoke free stuff in with it to get it used aswell, enjoy your fire it's so lovely and cosy, i really hope my next house has 1

Penelope_Penguin

grastgirl wrote: »

Sounds like I could use newspaper firelighters rather than shop bought as well, I'll have a go over the holidays.

I never use firelighters I scrunch up newspaper, cover with kindling, then add slightly bigger logs, then big logs or coal lights first time nearly every time

greenbee

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

I never use firelighters I scrunch up newspaper, cover with kindling, then add slightly bigger logs, then big logs or coal lights first time nearly every time

me neither... they're horrible... I do use tumble dryer fluff and the insides of loo rolls though...