Solid Fuel Info

SOLID FUEL INFORMATION

The stuff Great Britain was built on!

Solid fuel comes in the form of either coal, peat or wood. There are different types of coal available from typical "house coal" to "smokeless coal" of various types. Below and on the right is a list of some of the more common types of fuel you can use on your open fire or multifuel stove and some information about each. Please check with the manufacturer of your stove/boiler which type of fuel is recommmended.

Wood & Logs

Wood is a very good fuel for your fire but really comes into it's own when used in a wood burning stove. It is considered a "green" fuel if it is obtained from a sustainable source. Wood to be burnt must be seasoned (ie dried out) for at least a year before being used. Fresh cut wood contains a large amount of water (up to 70%) and this results in poor burning and large amounts of creosote deposots on your chimney/flue creating a chimney fire hazard.

Properly seasoned pine and other "soft" woods are easy to light but burn quickly and tend to produce more creosote than "hard" woods like oak, beech etc. These burn slower, produce less creosote and produce more heat per unit of wood. Because of the creosote/tar produced when burning wood it is recommended that you sweep your chimney/flue every 3 months when in use. Creosote/tar can quickly build up on the inside of metal flue liners and reduces the flue efficiency greatly and increases the chance of a chimney fire which will further damage the liner/chimney. Regular cleaning is vital to avoid these problems sooner or later!

Use properly seasoned logs cut to the right size for your appliance. An outside log store is an ideal way to store and season your wood prior to use.

Peat

Peat is usually available in manufactured log form. It is considered to be an unsustainable natural resource (like coal) and it's extraction damages large areas of bog land and wildlife habitats here in Scotland and elsewhere. Unless your supplier gurentees it's from a sustainable source it's use is not recommended.

Peat "logs" are available but thier source and sustainability is questionable.

House Coal

Typically this bitumous coal is low grade open cast mined coal from abroad eg. Russia, Poland, China etc. It usually comes in large or small "nuts" and most commercial bags contain a mixture of sizes. Bags generally come in 10kg, 20kg or 50kg sizes. Being low grade it is quite a "dirty" fuel conatining substantial amounts of sulphur and other impurities. Because this fuel produces a lot of soot and tar it is recommended that you sweep your chimney twice a year to prevent chimney fires.

Anthracite Coal

Anthracite coal is a high grade, very high carbon, low impurity bitumous coal that comes from deep mines either in the UK or abroad. It may be marketed as "naturally smokeless" as it is unprocessed but it is not smokeless. It is more expensive than lower grade coals but produces less soot and sulphurous byproducts. Anthracite can be destinguished from lower grade coals by the more shiney lustre to it. Anthracite produces more heat per unit of coal and less pollution than lower grade coals. Because this fuel produces a lot of soot and tar it is recommended that you sweep your chimney twice a year to prevent chimney fires.

Smokeless fuels

Smokeless coal is processed to remove impurities and is usually formed into "rounds" of various sizes. It burns cleaner and more evenly producing a consistent heat output. It's heat output is generally greater per unit of coal than non-smokeless fuels and it produces much less soot. Smokeless fuels of various types are sold under the names Coalite, Sunbrite, Homefire, Maxibrite etc.

Because it burns hotter and produces acidic gases it is vital that your chimney or flue is cleaned regularly, at least once a year.

Mamore Chimney Sweeping