We're in a smoke control area and we're thinking of removing our gas 'living flame' type fire in order to light a proper open fire.
Has anyone here tried smokeless fuels in an open fire - do they burn anything like wood and coal? I don;t particularly wan;t to get rid of teh gas fire if the alternative sin't a lot better.
TIA
You need a big dry shed to store the fuel in. If your in a smokeless zone you can't use things that smoke ie wood.
IMO, the Council will not be interested even if you do use normal coal. The 'smokeless' fuels are not smokeless anyway, so few people will know the difference - it is only when there is a complaint against you that the Council will look into it, and then you just show them the bag of smokless fuel you have near to your backdoor. The only downside is that Coal Merchants cannot deliver normal coal to your house, but you can collect it without problem. I started using coal, but have been burning wood on our open fire for the last 2 years - a local dealer sells off-cuts of hardwood window frames - they brun well, and leave little ash. Alan.
Unless you burn them smokelessly in an "Exempted Appliance"
I cannot see it benefiting most people to remove a gas fire and replace with even one of these exempted device and an open fire will yield much less heat.
AJH
I would agree but the OP says the existing gas fire is a "living flame" type. I reckon you'd get more heat from a good heap of smokeless, even counting for the fact most heat (from both) goes up the chimney...
I've used smokeless fuels in my open fire - usually when I run out of ordinary coal. Most of them are of the processed and reformed variety, such as the Homefire ovals. They don't burn like plain coal, rather they tend to smoulder. Plenty of heat, just not very 'cheery'. You can pep it up with the odd log or two...I doubt anyone will notice...or you can use a mix of plain coal and smokeless - which gives you a long-lasting fire and a bit of a display. You should be ok, provided you don't use plain coal to start the fire ( bit of a giveaway ).
You should, in theory, get more heat from an open fire by virtue of having a larger surface area that's putting out radiant heat - but then that supposes more fuel is being used. Then again, I find I use less fuel by virtue of the "Can't be arsed" principle - and at such times I find decent jumper to be a better bet than emptying out the grate, chopping new kinding, building the fire etc.
Regards,
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