How much (kg) and what type of fuel do you use in your multifuel stove?

A._Badger

FreeBear said:

James_Woolford said: I have heard it's best practice to use smokeless coal mainly anthracite primarily, but use wood on top of the coals or below to mix it up.

I've tried anthracite in my stove (Arada i500), and the darned stuff just wouldn't stay alight - Ended up sending all the unopened bags back to my supplier for a full refund. Wouldn't recommend using the stuff unless you have something like a Rayburn.

Phurnacite on the other hand burned quite well, as does Stoveheat - A 25Kg bag will last me about a week. The usual advice is that you shouldn't really be mixing wood a& coal - The moisture in the wood combines with the sulphur from the coal to produce sulphuric acid. This could cause damage to your flue liner.

If you burn pure wood, the resulting ash can go on the garden or compost heap. Any coal ash should go into your waste bin (once cold) for land fill and not on the garden.

I have often read this advice about not mixing wood and coal together and I no longer believe it, having discussed it with my sweep (who knows his stuff, I must say) and read CPLs website where they actually suggest it. As the UK's largest manufacturer of smokeless fuel I suspect they may know what they are talking about. I've added it to my 'myths and legends about stoves' file, which seems to grow larger every year. 

ariarnia

i don't mix it because its easiest for us to be able to put the ash on the garden which you can't do with coal ash. our council limits our bin collections so on the odd time we do burn coal or smokeless we have to find space in the bin or take it to the dump (and once it made a mess in the car boot which was a pain to clean)

Longwalker

A._Badger said:

FreeBear said:

James_Woolford said: I have heard it's best practice to use smokeless coal mainly anthracite primarily, but use wood on top of the coals or below to mix it up.

I've tried anthracite in my stove (Arada i500), and the darned stuff just wouldn't stay alight - Ended up sending all the unopened bags back to my supplier for a full refund. Wouldn't recommend using the stuff unless you have something like a Rayburn.

Phurnacite on the other hand burned quite well, as does Stoveheat - A 25Kg bag will last me about a week. The usual advice is that you shouldn't really be mixing wood a& coal - The moisture in the wood combines with the sulphur from the coal to produce sulphuric acid. This could cause damage to your flue liner.

If you burn pure wood, the resulting ash can go on the garden or compost heap. Any coal ash should go into your waste bin (once cold) for land fill and not on the garden.

I have often read this advice about not mixing wood and coal together and I no longer believe it, having discussed it with my sweep (who knows his stuff, I must say) and read CPLs website where they actually suggest it. As the UK's largest manufacturer of smokeless fuel I suspect they may know what they are talking about. I've added it to my 'myths and legends about stoves' file, which seems to grow larger every year. 

We have always mixed, ovids and wood, and this year more then ever as ovids are so expensive and we have lots of seasoned free wood. We always start the fire with ovids and then use logs

Anthracite is a !!!!!! to get going but does it throw out the heat for very little product. When we used to get it I tended to use it like slack, get a good burn going on the smokeless then cover with the anthracite and that was it for the day 

SteveSi

I use the 'pyramid' starter method except I put 4-6 pieces of smokeless coal (ecoal 50) on bottom first.
Then I add 2 large kiln dried logs on top of those (if big stove add another layer of smaller logs on top of those - leave gaps between logs for air).
Then add half a small firelighter on top and light it
Then add few bits of tinder and 1"-2" sliver off a log on top of tinder.
Leave door ajar for 5-10 mins so really gets going (never leave unattended during this period!), then close up stove door and all vents.
This will last for at least 4 hours. If the wood burns right down, the coals will be glowing still (and still provide some heat) and you can throw on another log + small amount of tinder if needed for another 2 hrs of heat. The idea is to get the logs hot and then close down all drafts so it burns like charcoal. If you see a 'roaring log fire' and loads of flames then you are burning five pound notes!
This is modified pyramid top-down method plus the coal which is optional. Works every time and its the method they use in the USA (except for the coal in bottom).
Some tips I have found over the years:
1. Always choose black external flu not stainless steel as it will get covered in soot/tar over the years.
2. At bottom of external 6" flu, remove the soot cap and insert a 6" ceramic flower pot (with no hole in bottom) and replace cap. Any corrosive acid/tar will go into the pot instead of attacking the cap which DOES get destroyed over time, esp where the cap handle is welded on.
3. Put reflective foam-backed radiator foil sheet(s) against the wall which is behind and around the stove. This will protect the wall/paint and throw all radiated heat into the room - it really makes a big difference. Can be removed in summer, I just prop it up against the wall with logs in front.
4. Logs MUST be kiln dried (or <20% moisture content) and do not keep them outside if at all possible. Keep them in dry shed or garage. Dry logs burn much better than wet ones which also produce acid and can destroy the flu as well as making it messy/sooty. Bring inside and open bag at least 2 weeks before use if it was stored outside,
5. Get a CO detector if you don't already have one - especially if you use coal. Mine went off at 2am one windless night when the fire was full of coal but would not draw and it probably saved my life!
6. At end of night, plug in and snuggle up in an electric rug blanket rather than throw more fuel on the stove just to then go to bed 30 mins later.
7. The stove door rope can get flattened over the years and so it lets in air. This means you dont get a 'charcoal' burn when all vents are closed and you lose maximum heat/efficiency. So renew the rope if it does not give a tight seal.
8. Reduce all door/window drafts in the room but leave one window air vent open. Keep curtains closed. French doors should have heavy curtains.

For one 25'x20' room I use 3 large logs (3pm to 9pm) + 4 pieces of coal a day + elec. blanket at end of night.  A Homefire Large Handy bag (approx £23 - 50% up on last years price!) lasts about 15-20 days and 10kg ecoal bag (£8) about 1 month.
Shop around for kiln dried wood (it's illegal to sell 'wet' wood > 20% humidity). I use smaller bags as easier to carry indoors. Beware if buying logs in bulk, it's a lot of work carrying and stacking the wood after delivery (and messy). If using your own wood, it should be stored under cover and stacked with air gaps all around each log for at least 2 years. Large logs must be split before stacking. Pallette wood is treated with toxic insecticides and preservatives and so is not recommended for burning in indoor stoves. HTH
P.S. I have given up trying to keep the stove glass clean and transparent!

skycatcher

I'm going to give this a go at the weekend SteveSi. One question when you say or the firelighter on top how do you do this with 2 logs beneith?

SteveSi

it burns from the top down - you just place the firelighter on top. The layers end up like this:

1" thick small log or large piece of kindling
small kindling
small piece of firelighter
medium size logs (optional - large stoves only)
large logs
pieces of coal
fire grate

skycatcher

So do you just balance the firelighter between the 2 large logs or straddle it across them both.... Sorry for being a bit dim!

Qyburn

SteveSi said:

4. Logs MUST be kiln dried and do not keep them outside if at all possible. Keep them in dry shed or garage.
P.S. I have given up trying to keep the stove glass clean and transparent!

I guess you've had a bad experience with air dried firewood.

However as a general assertion I don't agree with that at all. Firewood must be dry, normally 20% or less, but it doesn't matter in the slightest how it became dry. It's perfectly possible in the UK to air dry firewood down to below that M/C.

Kiln drying benefits the suppliers as they can dry wood quicker, they need less storage space and have less money tied up in stock. It really took off with RHI though, kiln dried producers using wood to fire their kilns were actually paid to run them.

Of course they have their sales pitch for how much better K/D is compared to air dried, but look at the small print and most if not all are only promising 20% M/C in any case, the same as any reputable supplier.

SteveSi

Sure - if you read ALL my post I do say you can use well air-dried  wood. I meant if you are buying retail wood (not logs from a bloke with a lorry that you met in the pub) it should be <20%.

SteveSi

skycatcher said:

So do you just balance the firelighter between the 2 large logs or straddle it across them both.... Sorry for being a bit dim!

My stove is a small 5kWh and the two logs just butt together so there is no gap - I just put it in the 'well' in the middle where the two logs meet with logs 'bark uppermost' as the bark also acts as a 'firelighter'. If you have a gap then just put the firelighter on one of the logs with the kindling across both logs.