Anybody know about coal fires? Why are we melting grates?

manda1205

Wonder if anyone with more knowledge of fires can help, please?

We have a standard open coal fire in our living room, this is our only source of heating (bar electric heaters in bedrooms). We currently burn taybrite coal mixed with logs, but we seem to be melting our grates. We've been her 3 years and are now on our 4th grate. They seem to dip and melt in the middle before finaly giving way to leave a big hole. This is costing us a bit of money cos a grate is about £17. (although recent one came from wilko for £10 but this is now dipping)
We know that taybrite is good in multi fule burners, but it does say open fires too. My mum and dad have a multi fule burner and they have had same grate in it for years! We have also tried other house coal, but that burns too quick and we use more of it, which is why we like taybrite cos it simmers longer.
What are we doing to them?
Thanks in advance for any info anybody has, its all appreciated!:D

latecomer

I know nothing about coal fires but is it possible that the grates you are using are just too cheap and hence rubbish? I've never heard of a grate melting before.

ariba10

If you allow the ash to build up under the grate it will eventually burn it away.

You need to empty the ashpan more frequently I would think.

shinybabe

It's probably the wrong type of coal for your fire. I have an open fire and my my mum has a glass fronted fire. She has to use smokeless in hers, while i use ordinary coal/doubles. I know it can burn quickly and is a bit dear (especially at this time of year), but just bulk the fire up with logs/turf. It will probably work out even when you think you won't have to be buying a new grate every few months!

manda1205

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll try emptying the ash out more often(dont have a pan, I use a shovel and bucket brought in). It does get pretty full by evening, as we're lighting the fire in morning, cos its bloomin freezing!
I did think this second grate maybe too cheap (£10) but £17 for a grate, from an ironmongers is not cheap in my book, it was the only type they sold too, and we expected it to last a lot longer.
As for the wrong type of fuel, the smoking, house coal is just ridiculous for us, we'd burn at least a couple of bags a day and it just doesnt give out the same heat as the taybrite does. Taybrite does say its suitable for open fires so would hope its not the coal!

vansboy

If you're buying baged coal, Focus had it buy 3 get 1 free, a week or 2 back.

I've also got a 10%off e mail voucher (but it's a £50spend) you're welcome to, if it'd help.

Caol was £3.99 smokeless £4.99 If I remember.

VB

manda1205

vansboy wrote: »

If you're buying baged coal, Focus had it buy 3 get 1 free, a week or 2 back.

I've also got a 10%off e mail voucher (but it's a £50spend) you're welcome to, if it'd help.

Caol was £3.99 smokeless £4.99 If I remember.

VB

Thanks very much for the offer, I've just had a look on their website, they seem to sell house coal in 10kg bags for £3.99. ATM we buy Taybrite in 25kg for £7.20. But a bag of Taybrite lasts around 4 days. Im pretty sure a 10kg of house coal would easily go in a day. So for cost will stick to the taybrite, just gotta find someone who does real strong grates I spose! :rolleyes:

hethmar

Smokeless fuels can eat away the metal - have you thought of getting some house coal and mixing it in with the taybrite?

dander

Not an expert but I do know that coal burns much hotter than wood - is it possible the grates you have been using are designed for wood rather than coal?

hethmar

Manda, if you are using that much fuel, do you think it would be worth thinking about getting a woodburner some time in the future? Lot more efficient, 80% of the heat back into the house rather than up the chimney as you are currently getting with the open fire.

manda1205

hethmar wrote: »

Manda, if you are using that much fuel, do you think it would be worth thinking about getting a woodburner some time in the future? Lot more efficient, 80% of the heat back into the house rather than up the chimney as you are currently getting with the open fire.

Yes we have thought about it. My mum and dad live next door, we are all in rented cottages out in the sticks (so no gas). My dad put one in and their house is much warmer than ours, trouble is dad only did half a job and didnt knock the hole fireplace out, so they just have the burner sticking out into the living room, losing a lot of much needed space. So if we had it done I would want it all knocked out and fitted into the chimney. Trouble is it all costs money and the thought of having our fairly newly decorated living room messed up by knocking out fireplace is not good at the moment! The landlord wont even entertain paying for it, so atm we're stuck really. We had warmfront out to see about a grant for oil central heating but they wanted us to pay an additional £2500, which we just dont have. Plus the cost of oil is not that much different to what we pay in coal anyway.
Oh how I wish we'd found a house with gas central heating :rolleyes:
Would really like a grate like mum has in her burner, cos its a lot thicker than our grates and obviously theirs doesnt melt. But dont know where to get them that thick and strong.