Smokeless fire

beej71

Hi

Just wondering if anyone has got a definitive process for having a successful smokeless fire in an open fireplace? I'm struggling to be honest. I have smokeless coal and big heat logs from Homebase. I've scrunched up paper and then put a few bits of kindling on top, but not a lot as don't want to get fined, but the coals just won't catch fire. Haven't even put the heat logs on yet as it won't get going. The fire draws perfectly well and has been swept recently. Any ideas where I'm going wrong or is it just hard with smokeless fuel as i've never had problems with normal coal and logs?

Thanks

suki1964

Some smokeless fuels are harder then others - anthracite is hard to get going.

I have a stove ( not open fire) and I burn smokeless

I start with commercial fire-lighters - a couple. Light them and then add the really dry kindler's. Dont skimp - you want enough heat to get the chimney warm and to ignite the smokeless When I have a good burn going I add the briquettes.

A._Badger

Suki's right - some smokeless can be the very devil to light! The easiest way is to buy yourself a Grenadier - it's an electric firelighter. Imagine a high-power hairdrier - that's more or les what it is. They are expensive but will light anything that can burn and are very well made. In the end you probably save money over expensive paraffin-based firelighters.

Failing that, you're down to Zip firelighters, or paper and kindling, combined with the old trick of holding a sheet of newspaper over the opening to boost the draught. It's the sort of thing that gives health and safety Nazis the heebie-jeebies, but it works.

beej71

Thank you very much for the replies, much appreciated. Will give it another go tonight.....

suki1964

beej71 wrote: »

Thank you very much for the replies, much appreciated. Will give it another go tonight.....

Re reading your post it really does sound you are not getting enough heat going before you put on the smokeless. Use the zip firelighters - use a whole strip of them if need be and plenty of kindling - you need that caught and well lit before putting on the smokeless, Think of a small camp fire size

Dont worry about the puffs of smoke going out your chimney at the start - everyone has that, once your fire gets going - thats when you get the clean burn

beej71

Thanks again, I'm sure you are right about more heat needed at the start. Think more kindling is the key but was worried that this would land me in trouble. Will have a crack tonight and will report on my success/failure!

A._Badger

beej71 wrote: »

Thanks again, I'm sure you are right about more heat needed at the start. Think more kindling is the key but was worried that this would land me in trouble. Will have a crack tonight and will report on my success/failure!

Don't worry about the smoke. They're looking for people burning whole sacks of coal, not those trying to get a fire started.

That said, I doubt anyone is looking for anything these days, though there's always the danger that some eco-loon neighbour might choose to turn you in.

Good luck with it!

crphillips

More kindling is required.........don't be tight with it. Your allowed 20 mins or so of smoke and you'll get loads of smoke when the smokeless file starts to catch fire. Don't worry about getting fined. There ain't fire police walking around giving people tickets :-)

Newspaper,kindling, matches, smokeless fuel = fire