Briquette advice

hardyduncan

I've just had a load of wood delivered that turns out not to be properly seasoned. I'm going to keep it for next year and need some briquettes to tide me over.

Can anyone recommend the best briquettes and the best supplier please? I need a few months worth for a 7kw stove.

Thanks

matelodave

I'd be interested in the answer to this. We've just got a 6kw Mendip Churchill and have so far used wood, Verdo briquettes and some cheaper ones from "the Range", Hotlogs I think they were called. I've now got some Hotties to try out.
The cheaper ones were about 42p each, burn out in about 30mins and are very hot and the embers stay hot for quite a long time. The Verdo ones are longer cost about 66p each and last about 45 mins and don't seem to be quite as hot - I don't think they are as tightly compressed as the cheaper ones.
The Hotties cost me 60p each and are a bit bigger than the cheap ones but do look similar (got a hole down the centre) but they aren't as long as the Verdos - I haven't tried them yet.
I still haven't come to a conclusion on which is best/most cost effective - perhaps I need to weight them and do a more scientific trial.

Robwiz

+1 for Verdo briquettes. I find I need to have a good fire going with paper and kindling for them to catch and flame. Otherwise they can sit and smoulder until we add more kindling.

I looked at all the local log suppliers and when you take into account the quantities (builder's bags), moisture and prices they all worked out more expensive than the Verdo briquettes.

Lube

Verdo briquettes are on sale in home bargains £2.49 for 6

http://www.homebargains.co.uk/category/280-home-heating-fuel-banner.aspx

B&M sell 3 bags for £10 not verdo http://www.bmstores.co.uk/search?q=homefire
B&Q sell 5 for £20 not verdo

Greenfires

Hotties are less than 40p each if you buy in bulk. Even for small orders locally we sell at £5 per pack (of ten) so I reckon you're paying over the odds at 60p each.

matelodave

You are probably right, but I can't find any local suppliers and I don't have the space to store them in a dry place for bulk delivery. I've only bought a few packs just to try them out as I am hoping to use mainly wood although I have to get that delivered.
I live in the Cambridgeshire fens and we don't have many trees to go scavenging from and there's a lot of competition for that which is available

Greenfires

You might be surprised how little space they take up. Because they're square sided, you can build them up like bricks and there's no wasted space between packs. We sell quite a few to people with little space - one lady locally keeps half a tonne in a cupboard under her stairs - always a delivery I look forward to doing as the door into this cubby hole is only about two feet tall! One narrowboat owner customer kept a few months worth under one of the bench seats on their boat! We keep our own stock in a concrete workshop - they're pretty much unaffected by moisture in the air unlike pressed briquettes - a lot of people will build a wall of them down the side of a garage or outbuilding which takes up pretty much none of their useable space.

matelodave

Lets see how my trial ones go and I'll look to see if my shed floor can take the weight - thanks for the info

Robwiz

Home Bargains are also advertising 10kg of kiln dried birch logs at £3.99.

Greenfires

I wouldn't advise anyone to buy netted logs unless they're desperate or are just having a fire for a special occasion. Birch is a reasonable firewood, but pretty fast burning compared with many - and considering that 10 kilos of briquettes will have probably at least twice the energy of 10 kilos of logs, then the logs don't look like such a good deal.