Charcoal in multifuel stove?

DannyDingo

Hi
I have a multi fuel stove that I so far only been burning wood in. However now I have some bbq charcoal left over from the summer that I wonder if I can burn in the stove?
I have searched around in the forums but I can only find answers about house coal which is not the same as charcoal.
Also, Aldi is now selling 5kg charcoal bag for £3 so it could be a cheap way for fuel right?
D

Greenfires

Charcoal has "roughly" twice the energy content of wood per kilo. Given that you can buy wood briquettes (which are a fraction of the moisture of traditional logs - less than 5% moisture compared to around 17%, and therefore give more heat weight for weight) for a fair bit less than twice the price of the charcoal you mentioned - then wood briquettes would be a better buy. And better for use in a stove. Lots of deaths from indoor BBQs every year - and second favourite method of suicide in Japan!!

Gloomendoom

Burning charcoal in a properly installed fireplace or a stove shouldn't kill you. The carbon monoxide will go up the flue with all the other exhaust gasses.

I've had indoor BBQ's in our big stove and the CO detector hasn't moved from zero.

alleycat`

DannyDingo wrote: »

Hi
I have a multi fuel stove that I so far only been burning wood in. However now I have some bbq charcoal left over from the summer that I wonder if I can burn in the stove?
I have searched around in the forums but I can only find answers about house coal which is not the same as charcoal.
Also, Aldi is now selling 5kg charcoal bag for £3 so it could be a cheap way for fuel right?
D

You can get 25KG of smokeless fuel cheaper / the same price when compared to the charcoal price you are quoting (weight for weight).

25Kg of a decent smokeless fuel is about £11 to £15 as a single bag.

On that basis alone it isn't a "cheap alternative".

I've never tried charcoal in the stove, mostly becausei've never had much left over that would have made it worthwhile. The price, also, has never made me consider it as an option worth investigating.

My 2 cents.