Tip for those with an open fire to save fuel!

spinningsheep

Hi, I have an open fire, and the other day I went to visit an elderly neighbour who also has an open grate. I noticed that as well as the usual "coal saver" fire bricks you have in the grate to make the fire area smaller, she had broken some housebricks and made the area even smaller. I asked if this meant you couldn't get the fire as hot, and she said not at all, in fact she had noticed no difference in the heat output at all. So, I have tried this out, and I can confirm that there is no loss in heat, but this week I have halved the amount of coal I have used and the ash is more fine ash, and not as much in the way of cinders. So, just get 2 housebricks, break one in half for the sides and stand the intact one on its side at the back. Give it a try!

Olliebeak

Just a word of warning about bricks in fireplaces.

About 30 years ago, I moved into a council-owned house with a coal fire. As with all new tenants, new fire-bricks and grate were installed ready for me to move in. The first time we lit the fire, after a few minutes, one of the bricks exploded scattering shards of brick around the living room and one of them landed on me and my 3 month old baby. It was a very scarey experience. My baby screamed and, thinking that I'd scared him with my own scream, I cuddled him close to me. What I didn't realise was that there was a thin slice of the brick between him and me, touching his bare leg but against clothing on me. He needed hospital treatment for the burn to his leg. The local authority were very apologetic (as well they needed to have been) and it turned out that the brick was a 'rogue' and not actually fully fire-proof.

Please folks, be VERY careful with firebricks - it can happen to anybody!

Topher

I'll have to track down where I've read it, but there's supposed to be a pyramid shaped "brick" (made of the same stuff as the fire proof Cheeks of the fire,) to place in the middle, to reduce space. We find our fire is a lot deeper than it needs to be. Hubby made the whole fireplace, so he's going to adjust it so we have less burning space, we certainly don't need the heat output we get.
T

trying-very-trying

Topher wrote: »

I'll have to track down where I've read it, but there's supposed to be a pyramid shaped "brick" (made of the same stuff as the fire proof Cheeks of the fire,) to place in the middle, to reduce space. We find our fire is a lot deeper than it needs to be. Hubby made the whole fireplace, so he's going to adjust it so we have less burning space, we certainly don't need the heat output we get.
T

Please let us know more about that! I could certainly do with reducing some of our heat output. We've got a log burning stove central heating, and the next door neighbours love it when our fire goes on in November, but we don't have a great deal of control over it, we usually burn it on low, but when the warmer weather comes in it gets too hot to have it on all day, but too cold for me (i'm disabled with poor temperature control) during the day to let it go out.

twink

for an open fire the best thing we found was to buy a bag of dross which lasted ages and leave outside in bag to get wet or put it in a container and wet it
at teatime we put on quite a big fire and when it was burning well put a goodly amount of dross on the back of the fire and it will keep it in a long time, better than throwing lumps of coal on all night and not having a very warm fire

rachelleblondel_2

twink wrote: »

for an open fire the best thing we found was to buy a bag of dross which lasted ages and leave outside in bag to get wet or put it in a container and wet it
at teatime we put on quite a big fire and when it was burning well put a goodly amount of dross on the back of the fire and it will keep it in a long time, better than throwing lumps of coal on all night and not having a very warm fire

what is dross & where do you buy it...Thanks twink

twink

here in scotland we would buy it from the coal merchant, ask whoever takes your coal round

dross is very small bits of coal, i mean really small but not like dust

rachelleblondel_2

twink wrote: »

here in scotland we would buy it from the coal merchant, ask whoever takes your coal round

dross is very small bits of coal, i mean really small but not like dust

aaaah now I see thanks Twink

Topher

I will try & look up that pyramid thingy, in the meantime, with reference to the dross post (IYSWIM), we are finding that by not raking the ash away from the centre part of the fire when we stir it up to aid air circulation, it does slow down the burn in the centre, in much the same way the dross must work. This is good for ensuring a slow overnight burn that can be re started next morning.
As far as heating neighbours is concerned, especially with a closed log fire, is there any way of deflecting heat off the wall behind the fire, so it doesn't get absorbed, but sent back into the room to you?
T

belfastgirl23

Just to add to this my gran used to use veg peelings (esp potatos) wet to 'slack' the fire with....seems like a good MS tip to me

mardatha

Trying, I'm the same, We have a huge coal fired stove , its on all year round forever, and I would like to cut down the coal , but if we let it go out then its cold in here. We are high on open moorland and the back of the house faces north and gets no sun at all in winter.Not sure if you can use firebricks in a stove ?