Cant figure out the right fuel for fireplace

seannash

We recently got a nice cast iron fireplace with cast iron back plate. (Pictures attached)
The grill is quite open at the front so coal and slack seems out of the question and to be honest we dont have room to store it anyway.
We are currently using firelogs but we are buring through them at an awful rate (2 or 3 a night)
Ive tried lighters with sticks then logs and firelogs with logs but the logs dont seem to catch.
Briquettes on top of the firelog seem to work but again it can be hit and miss.

So has anyone for any recommendations

naughtysmurf

Firelighters & half a dozen or as many as you can fit peat briquettes to start, you'll lose a lot of heat up that chimney I'd say though

seannash

naughtysmurf wrote: »

Firelighters & half a dozen or as many as you can fit peat briquettes to start, you'll lose a lot of heat up that chimney I'd say though

Yeah we certainly do but we only want it for ambience, but would like to have a roaring fire.
Briquettes catch straight off firelighters?

Outkast_IRE

What logs are you using , big difference between forecourt softwood Vs kiln dried oak or similar hardwood.

Coal will give the most heat but kiln dried split logs are good and burn clean

Stihl waters

Aldi have good pressed wood logs, way better than firelogs

Doctors room ghost

Lignite briquettes in Aldi are good

seannash

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

What logs are you using , big difference between forecourt softwood Vs kiln dried oak or similar hardwood.

Coal will give the most heat but kiln dried split logs are good and burn clean

Weve tried aldi/Lidl logs and BordNaMona logs.
Figured we'd try them before committing to sourcinga bigger bathch of what we need.
So Hardwood would be best, would it find it tough to catch?

seannash

Stihl waters wrote: »

Aldi have good pressed wood logs, way better than firelogs

Must take a look, thanks

Duke of Url

Use a propane torch. Cheapest way to start a fire

Also best use kiln dried logs

naughtysmurf

seannash wrote: »

Yeah we certainly do but we only want it for ambience, but would like to have a roaring fire.
Briquettes catch straight off firelighters?

They will yes, don't have an open fire anymore, got a stove a few years ago but of all the different types of fuel we've tried, peat briquettes by far & away give out the best heat

seannash

Duke of Url wrote: »

Use a propane torch. Cheapest way to start a fire

Also best use kiln dried logs

Just on this, so just torch onto the kiln dried logs?

naughtysmurf

Your grate is also very exposed to draught, could be why your going through a lot of fuel, you need something at the front to block the natural draught to the underneath of the grate after you get the fire up & going.

Duke of Url

seannash wrote: »

Just on this, so just torch onto the kiln dried logs?

Turn on the torch and stick the end of it in the grill between the logs and leave it until the fire takes hold.

You can also put kindling at the bottom to build up a base and light from the bottom.


I’ve been doing it for years that way

Outkast_IRE

seannash wrote: »

Weve tried aldi/Lidl logs and BordNaMona logs.
Figured we'd try them before committing to sourcinga bigger bathch of what we need.
So Hardwood would be best, would it find it tough to catch?

If i was starting a fire i would use a small amount of fire lighter under 3-4 small bits of kindling , with one or two smaller kiln dried logs on top , keep the bigger logs until the fire is established.

Virtually every fuel depot and some co-ops in the country supplies kiln dried hardwood these days. I just get about 2 no 20kg bags at a time as i dont have the storage for much more.

The stuff in aldi as far as i know is seasoned softwood. I get my

Mango Joe

It's a beautiful fireplace and I fully understand your goal of creating a pleasant ambience to relax in the evenings etc.

This fireplace however couldn't be better designed to both burn through any fuel at the greatest conceivable possible rate while simultaneously risk scattering burning materials into your room and causing an inferno.

In my opinion it may be worth asking someone to weld in two slim bars (in the same style of the fireplace) to lessen the gaps in the front of this unit - The net effect being a reduced risk of coals dropping out and rolling and also to have a fire that burns for any length of time really you want it to have a more densely packed base to slow the rate of burning.

10-10-20

If I'm not mistaken it's designed to take logs length-ways, but as others have pointed out, it's going to eat fuel in most scenarios. It has no fire-bricks within the grate, so it's not going to be easy to start the wood gasifing quickly. That is the process which occurs when wood is placed into a hot fireplace or stove as the heat from the fire-bricks helps by radiating heat back into the new wood causing it to release wood-gasses.

I'd be approaching this fireplace with two fuels: logs (dried 25cm or longer) and either coal or BNM briquettes.
BNM specifically as they are easy-ish to light and stay smouldering for hours.
So my approach would be to have two layers, one to maintain a constant bed of embers and the second being the wood/log level.
I'd get a fire started on ~4 briquettes first using kindling and a firelighter. Once that has taken and you have a good ember-bed, add in a log and let it burn. Before the ember-bed has reduced to ash, add in another briquette (or two) and then top up with a log once it has died off. That way you get a flame-effect and cut out the hassle of a cold fire (which won't light logs).

Outkast_IRE

I wonder if you could get a fireplace door fitted to help control the airflow , it's a bit of a hard shape with the arch but someone may fabricate them

monseiur

Once you get the fire going using firelighters & kindling add a mix of briquettes and kiln dried ash. Once you have a blazing fire going just keep adding ash on it's own as required. Ash is easy to split with axe gives off great heat and does not 'spit' unlike other firewood.

seannash

seannash wrote: »

We recently got a nice cast iron fireplace with cast iron back plate. (Pictures attached)
The grill is quite open at the front so coal and slack seems out of the question and to be honest we dont have room to store it anyway.
We are currently using firelogs but we are buring through them at an awful rate (2 or 3 a night)
Ive tried lighters with sticks then logs and firelogs with logs but the logs dont seem to catch.
Briquettes on top of the firelog seem to work but again it can be hit and miss.

So has anyone for any recommendations

Gorgeous fireplace.

Hardwood and firelighters.

I make my own firelighters comprising of an egg box soaked in petrol. But regular ones work just as well.

Wearb

Deleted User wrote: »

Gorgeous fireplace.

Hardwood and firelighters.

I make my own firelighters comprising of an egg box soaked in petrol. But regular ones work just as well.

I certainly wouldn't advise using such a volatile mixture. Way too dangerous.

seannash

Thanks for all the suggestions folks.
Completely understand that its not ideal for burning but hopefully with the recommendations listed I can get a fire that does burn through the fuel.
I think the briquette base would be best with the kiln dried wood then after to get me the effect I'm after.
Looking forward to putting the suggestions into practice.

seannash

Just to update.
Tried firelighters and briquettes and they worked a treat. Will source some Kiln dired wood now to place on top.
Appreciate all the help and Suggestions.


Follow up question, does anyone have any tips for ash clean up. Ash vacuums seem to be more hassle than they are worth (Cleaning filter after every cleanup)

Duke of Url

seannash wrote: »

Just to update.
Tried firelighters and briquettes and they worked a treat. Will source some Kiln dired wood now to place on top.
Appreciate all the help and Suggestions.


Follow up question, does anyone have any tips for ash clean up. Ash vacuums seem to be more hassle than they are worth (Cleaning filter after every cleanup)

I always used an Ash Vacuum.

Cleaned the filter every month.:D

10-10-20

Briquette ash is the worst, it's quite light but plentiful and likes to flow, unlike wood-ash which is stodgier.
Just try a metal ash-bucket for the moment as briquette ash can retain embers for 24hrs.

seannash

Duke of Url wrote: »

I always used an Ash Vacuum.

Cleaned the filter every month.:D

Can I ask what make and model

seannash

10-10-20 wrote: »

Briquette ash is the worst, it's quite light but plentiful and likes to flow, unlike wood-ash which is stodgier.
Just try a metal ash-bucket for the moment as briquette ash can retain embers for 24hrs.

Yeah I think we'll do that for now. Until we figure out if its too much hassle

TTTT

seannash wrote: »

Follow up question, does anyone have any tips for ash clean up. Ash vacuums seem to be more hassle than they are worth (Cleaning filter after every cleanup)

https://www.lenehans.ie/housewares/home-heating/fireside/ashpans.html

Duke of Url

seannash wrote: »

Can I ask what make and model

PARKSIDE 1,200W Ash Vacuum Cleaner from Lidl

naughtysmurf

The ash from briquettes is a negative alright but it’s offset by the heat production for me, went through a couple of them from Lidl but they didn’t last long,

as a previous poster said, the embers can remain hot for a long time but you may not have that issue with your set up,

Put a metal removal tray under your grate that the ash can fall or you can gently brush into

Turbohymac

As the previous poster mentioned..open fires look great but causes draughts in the house and most of the heat goes straight up the chimney..a small stove is way more efficient

seannash

Turbohymac wrote: »

As the previous poster mentioned..open fires look great but causes draughts in the house and most of the heat goes straight up the chimney..a small stove is way more efficient

Cheers, Yeah we dont particularly like the look of a stove and as this is just for ambience we are happy to just have it burning away.
Fortunately the house is a shoe box so heating it isn't an issue

chooseusername

With that grate you'll burn a shed load of timber in no time.
See if you can find a plate that covers the grate to reduce the air intake underneath,
and leave a base of ash in the grate.
The ash will slow the burn and also act as thermal mass.

seannash

Just a quick follow up in case anyone in the same predicament as me stumbles across this thread
I tried all of the suggested with a lot of success. Sure it burned through everything at an alarming rate but in the end i got the result i was after so thank you all for that.

However tonight i was in tesco and i picked up a bag of bord na mona pine eco logs just because i hadnt tried them on the fire. Jesus they throw out some heat to the room. Far more noticeable than any of the other combinations.
Probably burning quicker than the kiln dried logs but seems to achieve a great balance of big flame and heat output.

Fingers Mcginty

Lovely fireplace. I'd put in a stove though.