Advice re coal to use

V.Lucky

We have recently had a multi fuel burner installed (Charnwood Cove2) and have been using wood with good success.

We bought some coal over the Xmas period, Thermaheat (small pebble type fuel). We are not in a smokeless zone.

It doesn't seem to throw any heat out at all, and we are freezing to death. The Ecofan is hardly going around at all.

I have just sent dh out to chop some more wood as the coal is crap.

What are we doing wrong? What is the best type of coal/fuel to use?

Thanks.

welda

I haven't used "thermaheat" type I use are called Surefire Ovoids, it is a smokeless fuel too.

I'll explain how I get my stove going prior to loading up with ovoids.

Open all air vents.

Plenty dry kindling, get it well going, once you have lots of glowing embers.

Close top air vent.

Load with ovoids, bottom air vent fully open, leave this way till coals are glowing, you may even have a small flame.

Then fully close/leave open a wee tad, bottom vent.

This is my way, perhaps coal you use is not liked by MF burner, it can happen?

HTH?

V.Lucky

Thanks for the speedy reply and advice.

We only have a bottom air vent, no top ones. From reading a little more now, we didn't have the rack that the coal goes on open, it was closed, so don't know if any air gets through that way.

Very confusing, but at least the wood is keeping us warm at the moment.

welda

I don't know this stove, but you do require air to vent in via your bottom only vent, I assume this will be your problem? Let us know how you get on tomorrow with the coal and all vents open, remember to close bottom outside vent once well alight, you fine tune burn rate using bottom air vent.

Regards............

A._Badger

Coal and smokeless fuels need air from beneath. If you have a rocking grate, open it so that air can get through (the handbook will tell you). Open the bottom vents wide until it is burning and regulate the burn rate using them.

You will get quite a bit more heat out of solid fuel than you will from wood.

I can't believe your Charnwood didn't have a handbook but if it came without one, I'm sure you'll be able to download one from their website. It will tell you all you need to know, I'm sure.

It's very unlikely that the fuel you've bought (though I've never heard of it either) will be so bad that it under-performs in the way you've described but for the record I find Newflame or Taybrite offer the best value for money on my stove.

V.Lucky

Thanks for that, just put it into action and the ecofan is going round like a helicopter!!

Dh just tells me we do have a manual, but goodness knows where it is. We've just moved into our new home, and it's still a bit of a mess, no doubt I will come across it soon.

Thanks again for all your help.