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

abigbill

I can't belive the nonsense I read in this thread. Wrong coal? Smokeless is your problem???! Poor grate, psuedo science etc etc. Utter giberish. Right, for !!!!s sake, if you put a grate in a forge, which if you don't clear the ash from underneath it, then that is what you tehn have, it will melt. The heat can't escape. Its metal not 'kin Krytonite. A smithy does this to melt and form shapes. Have a go, I suggest you put you vacuum cleaner on blow and you've got a cheap bellows, then you can knock up horseshoes out of that grate.
Now, grates should last years. 10 or more. Or surrounded by ash adn hot coal, 10 days. Then its not a firepalce, its a forge. For cryin' out.

withabix

abigbill wrote: »

I can't belive the nonsense I read in this thread. Wrong coal? Smokeless is your problem???! Poor grate, psuedo science etc etc. Utter giberish. Right, for !!!!s sake, if you put a grate in a forge, which if you don't clear the ash from underneath it, then that is what you tehn have, it will melt. The heat can't escape. Its metal not 'kin Krytonite. A smithy does this to melt and form shapes. Have a go, I suggest you put you vacuum cleaner on blow and you've got a cheap bellows, then you can knock up horseshoes out of that grate.
Now, grates should last years. 10 or more. Or surrounded by ash adn hot coal, 10 days. Then its not a firepalce, its a forge. For cryin' out.

It's a shame you don't know what you are talking about. Grates are castings. Different metalic structure to the stuff that blacksmiths bend in forges. Grates don't melt, they fracture due to changes in the crystal structure in the casting.

Blacksmiths don't MELT iron and steel either, by the way. The tools they work the glowing solid metal are made of the same material as the metal they are heating up. Glowing iron and steel bars are still in the solid form. Much higher temperatures required to melt.



My answer is the correct answer and is not pseudo scince, it is REAL science. Thankyou.

hethmar

abi, certain types of smokeless fuel were banned in this country in the last few years because they were eating not only the cement in the chimneys but the grates.

I think you are the one talking nonsense

manda1205

abigbill wrote: »

I can't belive the nonsense I read in this thread. Wrong coal? Smokeless is your problem???! Poor grate, psuedo science etc etc. Utter giberish. Right, for !!!!s sake, if you put a grate in a forge, which if you don't clear the ash from underneath it, then that is what you tehn have, it will melt. The heat can't escape. Its metal not 'kin Krytonite. A smithy does this to melt and form shapes. Have a go, I suggest you put you vacuum cleaner on blow and you've got a cheap bellows, then you can knock up horseshoes out of that grate.
Now, grates should last years. 10 or more. Or surrounded by ash adn hot coal, 10 days. Then its not a firepalce, its a forge. For cryin' out.

I was told by my coal merchant that it was likely us not empyting out the ash enough. And we've been doing this, but it is still sagging, and now has a crack, which Ive no doubt will eventually drop through. It would have been nice if your attitude had come across a bit nicer and less "I know everything and I am right!" But thanks all the same for your input.
Hethmar - Im pretty sure our coal merchant wouldn't be selling us banned coal. Well I hope not anyway. And as I said my mum and dad use exactly the same and it doesnt melt their grate in their multi fuel burner.

hethmar

Not coal manda, smokeless fuel, eg Extracite.

silver-birch

My parents live in a village with no gas but have a Calor gas fire which looks and feels identical to a normal gas fire. This is not like a mobile indoor Calor fire, the gas cylinder is stored outside. Is this a possibility for you?

Regards Wendy

manda1205

silver-birch wrote: »

My parents live in a village with no gas but have a Calor gas fire which looks and feels identical to a normal gas fire. This is not like a mobile indoor Calor fire, the gas cylinder is stored outside. Is this a possibility for you?

Regards Wendy

No, we live in rented accomodation where you're not allowerd stand alone gas heaters.
Also because our house is so old, and not all double glazed, they create loads more condensation too.
But thanks anyway.

Hollyberry

No technical knowledge here, so this is only based on what works for us.

We burn a mix of smokeless, coal and logs on our living room fire. There is a 6 inch drop between our grate and our ash pan, so this may be why we have never needed a replacement grate.

I normally light up with kindling and coal, which is easier to get started, add smokeless for a long slow burn, and put the logs on in the evening when we can keep a closer eye on them. We were buying logs from the garage, but found a tree surgeon through a friend; the logs are much cheaper, and we now have a good stack in the outhouses. Would logs be feasible for you?

greyteam1959

Its a simple answer.........you need to remove the ash more frequently or get a grate that has a bigger space below it so that the ash bulid never touches the base of the grate.
P.S.
Don't think the cheap grates are helping......why not ask your coal merchant for advice ?????????

manda1205

I have been using wood this year, mixed with the coal. We'll prob carry on this, cos we get quicker heat from wood. There is only a 3 inch gap at the most under our grate, so may be worth trying to get some bricks to go under it.
We havent always bought cheap grates, just this last one, cos we saw it so thought it was worth a go. Previous to that we've had more expensive ones. We will be getting our next one from our coal merchants though.