controlling open fire

Best fire for heat is coal, in a basket. Best fire for effect is log, in a tray, on a bed of old ash - and logs are a lot cleaner than coal. Logs don't go that well in a basket (if you have to use one put a sheet of metal in the bottom first) or coal in a tray. Guess peat is good for long lasting gentle warmth. Start with a small coal fire and add more. Putting too much on to start with may involve buckets of water (I found myself in that position once!).

This link may be some help and they have a help line

My Parents have 3 open fires and a solid fuel range

They use anthracite briquettes which provide high heat output little ash no clinker and low flame height. For effect on the fires they will add the occasional log. As the briquettes are smokeless there is little sooting either

Tony

My open fire goes like a blast furnace if I use Coalite and almost as bad with ordinary house coal. We now use phurnacite ovals which are designed to be used in stoves but seem to work just fine on my open fire. Roy

With ours we usually just burn logs, although that does not get the greatest heat from it. (Logs on a bed of coalite gets more heat (too much in fact)).

Using three or four logs (saY one large, plus a few halves / quarters) will not usually burn with that much flame, but at the same time be enough to susstain the fire and not have it go out. The best heat output comes once you have some embers sat in the grate from the remains of the first logs.