Wood or Coal

edrob_2

Hi
I have a mutlifuel stove that can burn wood or coal. It's quite big and dual aspect - heats two rooms. So uses a LOT of fuel.
In general which would I find most efficient cost wise. Our boiler is up the spout and won't be repaired for some time so we'll be relying on the stove in the coming months. (yes i know it's almost summer but it's cold detached old house.)

greyteam1959

Depends on what your coal or wood is going to cost......
But I would think that you would get more heat from 1 tonne of good quailty coal than 1 tonne of good quailty wood.
Probably less hassle to burn coal as you might be constantly feeding the wood onto the stove.

Williwoodburner

Hi edrob,
We burn only wood which is felled, ringed, split, stacked and seasoned on our own property.
This is a lot of work to produce about 10m3 of logs burnt per year, and takes alot of space to store 3 years ahead to ensure the wood is properly seasoned.
In my opinion if I had to buy wood, it would be cheaper and easier to burn the black stuff.

Willie.

edrob_2

Mmm - I thought maybe so - we do get through a lot of wood. Maybe I'll get some coal in!
Thanks

Gloomendoom

It might be cheaper to get your boiler fixed.

wrightk

The answer is, it really does depend. There are so many factors. Your stove, your house, do you know anyone who could supply you with seasoned/kiln dried hardwood, do you have a local coal merchant.
I think its a case of experimentation really. If you have to run the stove buy a different bag of coal each time (not house coal) and experiment, find out which fuel gives you the longest burn/most economical for your money. Get some good quality hardwood which has been seasoned or kiln dried, try that (make sure you follow your manufacturers guidance for any stove settings particular for wood).

Personally i always burn smokeless but that is neither here nor there because you will always find someone else burning something else and finding it the most economical for them. I live in a row of about ten houses all with the same stove installed, we all use different fuels to suit us.

If you can bear it, it might be worth sucking it up, sealing up the house and saving anything you can to get that boiler fixed!