Log or coal fires ?

Bathory

I grew up with coal fires, it was layered as paper at the bottom, then sticks and then coal at the top. Sometimes it needed help with firelighters though. The coal was big pieces of stuff, although lately when we bought it it was in very tiny bits and not that good. Another thing we use to do was scatter cold cinders onto paths in very icy weather plus the taste of bread toasted by the fire was real nice.

suki1964

For heat on an open fire it's got to be coal.

Speak to a coal man they should advise as they are usually looking loyal customers

Butterfly_Brain

We have a multi fuel stove and burn both wood and coal.
It is lovely when it is lit, I prefer wood but coal burns hotter and lasts longer, with a wood fire you are forever feeding it

chickens11

I always buy my coal in summer time and get summer prices from the coal merchant , I paid £14.50 per hundred weight for large lump house coal.......I light the fire with paper and kindling then about 3 lumps of coal , then I burn free wood all night , large lumps last for hours , so 3 hundred weight will keep my fire going from November to March lighting it at tea time and going to bed at 10 ish, II use GCH during the day .......

Pooky

We have an open fire - like yours it's tiny but it really chucks out some heat. We always have a bed of coal and then wood on top - the coal chucks out the heat and the wood keep it burning well.

We have coal delivered I buy a solid fuel that's a mix and in fairly large chunks but it's a really good one for throwing out heat. I buy it when there's offers on mid summer - normally 1/4 ton at a time (it's in sacks) and I stack it in the garage.

We haven't brought any logs for a few years, we have a seemingly endless supply of old pallets, joists, beams etc from the builder over the road who regularly leaves a pile on our drive for us. Several other neighbours will bring round bits of trees when they're chopping them down, we'll happily take anything and leave it to dry out. My garage is over 1/4 stacked with wood at the moment, the majority of it's chopped but I do need to get out there and process the latest lot.

We're at home all day as DH is disabled and I work from home, we rarely use the heating as the fire is in the middle of the house with the chimney going up through the landing and bedrooms - makes it lovely and toasty.

indsty

Nothing like a good peat fire. It keeps you warm when it burns, it kept you warm when you cut it, it kept you warm when you lifted it to dry, it kept you warm when you piled it on the tractor to take home, it kept you warm when you stacked it at the house. What a bargain !! (and it smells lovely too)

meritaten

you do have to keep coal dry too - otherwise wet coal stinks and smokes something awful. that's why coal scuttles were filled then kept by the fire, to help dry the coal out- not just out of laziness!
also, some coal 'burns' better than others in closed rather than open fires. so make sure you are buying the right 'type' of coal.

Butterfly_Brain

Always check if you are in a smokeless zone and buy smokeless coal or you could be fined up to £1,000