Old Parkray fire fuel

i_hate_the_csa

Just bought a house with a old Parkray and backboiler fitted.Just wondered if you can burn wood on it aswell as coal? What harm could burning wood on it do?
Thanks for any advice folks.

scrimpingbadger

Best to only use coal/stove nuts on it. Wood could ruin it's insides and your chimney lining too. They are OK to run but are tricky to regulate temperature.

i_hate_the_csa

Thanks for that.Still cant understand why wood might be so bad.Was gonna use logs and coal together.It's a old house from the 1700's so plenty of wood will have been burnt there already.

Raksha

IIRC wood burns at a much higher temperature, it also produces tar as it burns, and this coats the inside of the workings, including the glass.

i_hate_the_csa

IIRC? Sorrry for being thick!

Andy_WSM

i_hate_the_csa wrote: »

IIRC? Sorrry for being thick!

If I Remember Correctly.

birchy

If its seasoned wood (at least six months from being chopped down) then I would say burning coal and wood wouldn't be a problem. If you live in a smokefree zone then you can't burn anything other than smokeless coal nuggets.You should also consider that burning wood produces alot more smoke and would have to have your chimney swept more regular.

You can't beat burning free logs

A._Badger

Raksha wrote: »

IIRC wood burns at a much higher temperature, it also produces tar as it burns, and this coats the inside of the workings, including the glass.

Wood burns colder than coal, but it can, as you say, produce all sorts of nasty tarry deposits which can cause serious problems in a chimney. That said, the OP could get an informed opinion from a local sweep, who would be able to look at the condition of the chimney itself.

The choices if it's a roomheater (as opposed to an open fire) are the usual smokeless suspects like Homefire, Coalite, Phurnacite, Sunbrite and so on.

If it's an open fire with a back boiler (as opposed to a closed device) and assuming you're not in a smokeless area, you might even be OK burning housecoal, which would be the cheapest option, if wood is ruled-out.