Alternatives to coal fire

[Tatbabe]

Does anyone know what the alternatives are as far as replacing a closed fire which provides heat to the radiators?

Don't want to spend £36 on coal a week (two bags) if it gets as cold as it was last winter ...

Thanks.

[Beat Bug]

Our stove doesn't heat radiators, but we mainly use peat briquettes. We also use logs, as there were several fallen trees when we built our bungalow. Both fuels are cleaner than coal.

[Tatbabe]

the one I have only allows for coal, no other fuel which is why I'd like to switch if possible

[gleeber]

There's various types of multi -fuel burners on the market some of which may fit into your existing system.
Means your fireplace coming out and various plumbing tweaks but a couple of grand would probably cover it.

[JSutherland]

you can burn wood in those fires, thats what keeps our coal costs down in the winter!

[starfish]

you can burn briguettes and logs available from paul quinfall forest 07742102164 good prices and service

[George Brims]

If you have access to gas service there are gas fires with back boiler system for the radiators hidden behind them that will fit into the space of one of those fires. When we lived in the Edinburgh area in the early 80s we were offered a deal when they put in gas pipes in the estate where we lived. The winter before wasn't a bad one but we were pretty cold and spending a fortune on coal. The next winter was worse but we were fine and warm and spending a fraction of the money.

[Tatbabe]

there are only gas bottles up here so that would most likely be just as or even more expensive ...

[sandyr1]

I don't want to sound critical of any system, but one of the main problems with keeping a house warm, is not about heating, it is about the insulation.
Where I now live out temperature goes down sometimes to minus 30, but we still do not use a lot of fuel.
The older homes were all insulated very badly but we updated same and it seems to solve some of the probs...

[oldmarine]

Sandy has hit the nail on the head. Good insulation is the key to good heating or cooling. I now live in Tucson, Arizona where it gets very hot. I used to live in Fort Wayne, Indiana where it got very cold. Heating and cooling largely depends on good insulation.

[sandyr1]

[QUOTE=oldmarine;862169]Sandy has hit the nail on the head. Good insulation is the key to good heating or cooling. I now live in Tucson, Arizona where it gets very hot. I used to live in Fort Wayne, Indiana where it got very cold. Heating and cooling largely depends on good insulation.[/QUOT

Aye, it's a wee bitty hot in Tuscon........

[Tatbabe]

The house is well insulated; the closed fire just needs a certain amount of coal, now matter how cold it is outside, to keep the house warm and I can use the radiator valves to regulate the temperature. I just want to save on fuel in winter considering that two bags of coal a week add up to £140 a month!

[NickInTheNorth]

we unfortunately are all electric heating - managed to keep it down to no more than £55 per week during the winter and that was not keeping it "hot" average room temperature was 17 degrees celsius!

House is very well insulated too!

So I'd love coal fired heating at £36 per week!

[Tatbabe]

That's why I don't want electricity but rather multi fuel stove ... am currently researching and enquiring various companies ...

[Kevin Milkins]

We have a closed in fire that sounds like the same type as yours and also used two bags a week.:eek:

It took us a while to get the best out of it by controlling the air flow for the most efficiant burn and also mixing other fuel to eek it out, IE, peats and wood.

With a little trial and effort we got it down to just over one bag a week at the worst of the winter and we can get rid of anything that will burn in our bin to produce less rubbish.

It is not as clean as other fuel such as oil etc, but if the worst came to the worse as far as oil shortage etc, at least you can saw the leg off the table to keep warm.:Razz

[Corrie 3]

but if the worst came to the worse as far as oil shortage etc, at least you can saw the leg off the table to keep warm.
Thats how I lost my wooden leg Kevin.......Keeping the bairns warm!!!

C3.....:eek::roll:;)

[NickInTheNorth]

You could do far worse than take a look at something like http://www.morsoe.co.uk/Mors%C3%B8-1430-1808.aspx

They have quite a range of multi-fuel stoves

[John Little]

I have a Morso and it is wonderful. It is on all winter. The only improvement I would make is to have it with a boiler adding to the central heating. A Highlander stove would do that.

[Kevin Milkins]

Thats how I lost my wooden leg Kevin.......Keeping the bairns warm!!!

C3.....:eek::roll:;)

LOL, I hope your bains shouted "TIMBER" when you fell over in the line of duty.

[r.rackstraw]

Ues wood fuel!
It must be the cheapest way. I cook, heat my house and hot water using Dunnet Forest logs - they have a firewood sale every month.
Not as easy as switching on the electric but modern wood stoves are efficient and produce hardly any ash.
Worth looking into, Tatbabe.

[orkneycadian]

Get out and cut some peats - Caithness is floating on the stuff!

[Tatbabe]

guess you haven't read my posting properly - I tried peat and it resulted in dangerous fumes up the chimney (which runs through my bedroom) which can cause me to die in my sleep!!!

[orkneycadian]

Thought I had had a good read of it, and never saw anything about "dangerous fumes" - Are these dangerous fumes simply the smell of peats burning? To most, thats half the attraction! Nice smell of a peat fire! Interested to find out more, but have never heard of a fire that can burn coal satisfactorily without any problems, yet put peat in it and it generates dangerous fumes!

[Tatbabe]

it's a closed fire so I wouldn't smell the peat in the living room. was burning peat during the day and coal at night.
but had a very strong smell of peat in the bedroom above and I was told

a) the stove is not made for use of anything else but coal
b) the peat smell can have serious health effects

so I didn't use it anymore.

guess I'll have to contact the stove company to find out if I can use wooden logs.

[gleeber]

Without going into the technicalities if peat smoke is escaping from the flue then the same will be happening with the smokeless fuel. Its odourless and it kills. Whatever else you decide you will need to get your flue seen to.

[bekisman]

Ours is an old croft house with stone chimney, first started burning Peats, but got the smell upstairs, so got chimney lined with Copex(?) and end of smell/carbon monoxide, went through Peats, coal, Anthracite, then ripped it all out and to Oil..