Preparing for winter II

lostinrates

suki1964 wrote: »

Sounds like a cold chimney and/or damp logs - I have a lot of wet wood here that wont flame

The other thing is lighting a stove is really quite different from lighting an open fire, you have to feed it from the start really

crphillips over on the LPG forums has a linky somwhere to a video he posted on you tube on how to light a fire in a stove

Start as you have with the kindlers, then you need to slowly up the anti and add smaller logs - or larger kindling - and get a real good roar before you get to those big expensive logs

I found the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ewoH7FWT0

OK,well I'll try again exactly as he does it and we'll see...the logs I've put on are about the same size as his first lot,but I put them on with the kindling straight away. And I've been using about the same amount of kindling but less newspaper, so I'll try more paper, no small logs at first and see what happens!

Thank you suki..

do you think I should whack the hair dryer on? We have really high ceilings so its a Looooooooooooooooong flue!

Confuzzled

annie123 wrote: »

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whatfood/index.aspx

taken from the link:
Porridge oats must never be cooked, since this makes them glutinous and could harden around a bird's beak. Uncooked porridge oats are readily taken by a number of bird species.

I make my own fat breads/cake for the birds with all sorts of things listed on their site.

Like this idea even less:eek:

"you could do a bear grylls... wee in a jar, screw the lid on tightly then tuck the jar inside your jumper near your chest to keep your core temp warmer
"

thanks for the link annie and sorry about the bear grylls thing, i couldn't resist! it's not something i would do unless it was dire, i think i'd suffer the cold bum!

my daughter has taken to waiting til just after i've used the loo to use it, she likes the prewarmed seat :rotfl:

Confuzzled

i put out todays offering for the birds and the terns and crows have eaten most of it. oddly enough the small birds don't seem to be eating any. they also aren't eating the seed in the feeder which is hanging up so away from the bigger birds, i'm rather confused as to why this is though i'm happy to feed any birds this time of year, they all need it and i quite like crows and terns so at least some of them are well fed!

lostinrates

The birds are eating the last of our apples. They've cleared the trees and are now clearing up the windfalls. Not a single bird gives a stuff about what I've put out so far! But they do clear any spilled grain in the yard quickly. I guess they aren't used to feeders around here!

lostinrates

oh goodness, I think this might be working! I think one of the logs is glowing (the glass on this stove was filthy and I've got it quite a bit cleaner with its own ash that was left in it but it needs a really good go with elbow grease because I still can't see through.....its not black anymore though, just hazy)

suki1964

lostinrates wrote: »

OK,well I'll try again exactly as he does it and we'll see...the logs I've put on are about the same size as his first lot,but I put them on with the kindling straight away. And I've been using about the same amount of kindling but less newspaper, so I'll try more paper, no small logs at first and see what happens!

Thank you suki..

do you think I should whack the hair dryer on? We have really high ceilings so its a Looooooooooooooooong flue!

You look on you tube and you will see one old boy taking a flame thrower to his chimney before lighting it so a hairdryer might not be enough :rotfl:

I know on some days here I need to keep the kindling going for some while before I get a whoosh

Confuzzled

none of this suprises me...it just makes me glad i'm already stocked up

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/213637-shoppers-stock-up-on-supplies-as-weather-grips-scotland/


THIS however does worry me, we have a trip to edinburgh for dec 14-16th, my ex is flying TO edinburgh Dec 16th, he and my daughter are to go to dunoon on the 18th via train and i'm to follow on the 23rd... i really hope this settles soon!

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/213835-severe-disruption-on-scotlands-railway/

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/east-central/213860-most-trains-from-edinburgh-cancelled-as-plummeting-temperatures-hit-railways/

lostinrates

suki1964 wrote: »

You look on you tube and you will see one old boy taking a flame thrower to his chimney before lighting it so a hairdryer might not be enough :rotfl:

I know on some days here I need to keep the kindling going for some while before I get a whoosh

Urgh, well, progress the first logs are alight but struggling, I'm playing with vents like a mad person.

edit: well...its not the fire I've been proudest of, but its lit, so that it progress..thank you so much Suki.

nicki_2

After 6 hours of trying to get through to the engineers who the boiler is under warranty with I gave up and started ringing the plumber the landlady uses. Can't get hold of him either so I rang the landlady & now its up to her

However I'm kind of prepared for this anyway (except for the fire...thats going to be next on the landlady's todo list ), we have blankets on the beds as well as quilts (ones which used to belong to my grandparents so they're lovely and snug, including a thick wool blanket. Soooo glad I didn't donate them like I was thinking of doing:D), hot water bottles, fingerless gloves so we can still do stuff, woolly hats, soup, porridge, jumpers & boots We may have no heating but we're just about keeping warm anyways. I forsee a night on the sofa under the quilt for me and then an early night

redlady_1

lostinrates...I only have a multi fuel burner and no other heating. They really are an art. I gave up with newspaper ages ago and use firelighters. One small one is enough. Throw loads of kindling at it. Open the vents right up and when the flames get going add some small logs. Hope that helps