Looking after the fire

Jolaaled

Hi.
Having spent each morning clearing out the fireplace and, then, each night, making sure that it's 'banked' and won't got out overnight, I was wondering what 'routines' people have for looking after their real fires.

Do people keep them in overnight?..what's the best way?

Cleaning the ashes: i put mine into a metal bucket, then it goes on the compost...is this the best thing to do?? (I first take my hot bucket into kitchen for few hours, to make use of the heat tho!..i find it stays hot for ages and i don't want to waste it!).

Any ideas gratefully received. thanks

Skintmama

Sounds like a good routine to me and it obviously works well for you. Good idea to use that bucket like a radiator!

We cover the fire with either rough sawdust or the coal dust and small coal overnight. Because we have a woodburner we prefer to keep a thick and hot bed of ash so only remove some every couple of weeks. It appears to go out sometimes but the wood we put in in the morning ignites again within the hour.

Skintmama

I forgot to say that if we have used coal we bury the ash or put it in the landfill bin. If it is pure wood ash it is great to sprinkle on the garden or add to compost.

Jolaaled

d'ya reckon it's ok to put coal ash on the compost..cos that's what i've been doing. Hope this is ok. I've heard conflicting advice re: where to put coal ash. I know wood ash is good for the garden, but i'm hoping to grow more veggies this year, and don't want to fail, cos of the coal ash. I was hoping that the texture would help my clay soil!

thanks

catkinq

most guides say do not use coal ash on the garden, some claim that it can be toxic (but only in large quantities) most simply say that the small particle size of coal ash, compared to wood ash, mean that it will not do anything to improve your soil. I've always put lots of wood ash straight onto teh garden but we have ony just started to burn coal (after finding a big pile under some logs in the garden, left by the old people) and am not sure whether I'll continue to put teh ash on (it is mainly wod). However you cna use it to make paths by tipping it onto them.

Penelope_Penguin

I'd not use coal ash in the garden. Coal contains small amounts of heavy metals which concentrates in the ash, and may then be taken up by vegetables. Ours goes in the bin.

We've been sprinkling wood ash around our fruit trees for several years now, and have really noticed the difference in inctreased cropping.

Penny. x

HariboJunkie

We mostly only burn logs so that ash goes on the compost. If we have coal it gets binned.

I clean the fire out every morning and light it just before the children come home from school. If I have lots of washing to dry I will bank the fire up with coal and keep it going overnight with the clothes horse in front of it. (and the fireguard on)

Jolaaled

HariboJunkie wrote: »

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. If I have lots of washing to dry I will bank the fire up with coal and keep it going overnight with the clothes horse in front of it. (and the fireguard on)

I do that too...the fire dries even towels overnight..it's brilliant!

Are there any more uses for a fire, i wonder???
Certainly, it's a really good air-freshner, as all cooking smells seem to disappear up the chimney immediately, if the fire is roaring.