Morning guys,

Chimney should be opened up and old gas fire removed come mid Jan, i’d settled on a Defra approved Tiger Cleanburn II woodburner, as i’m in a smoke control area. Over xmas brother got talking about how much easier coal was to light, maintain the fire, and cheaper to boot.

Looking at the blurb … “Exempt Wood-burning and Multi-Fuel Stoves are appliances which have been exempted by Statutory Instruments (Orders) under the Clean Air Act 1993 or Clean Air (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. These Stoves / Woodburners have passed tests to confirm that they are capable of burning an unauthorised or inherently smoky solid fuel without emitting smoke, providing that you burn the Authorised Fuels. These Stoves are called DEFRA Approved Stoves.”

Then the list… http://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/appliances.php?country=e

It seems majority of multifuel stoves can only burn wood anyway to maintain the Defra compliance, the coal options are few and far between? So should I go back to the original idea of more efficient wood only burner, or go multifuel and burn coal regardless? 😆

Sounds like he has experianced expensive wet wood to me.

The only advantage i find from coal is – needs less filling.

Woudlnt be too quick to mix fuels too often for the sake of my liner.

It’s probably going to come down to where you are going to source your fuel and how much storage you will have.
Lots of space and cheap/free wood and go for wood only.
Limited space / buying kiln dried premium logs in moleskin bags, then coal may be a cheaper/convenient option.

I source all my own wood and never burn coal.

Edit: and some wood only stoves can be converted to multifuel by adding a grate kit – so you may be able to hedge your bets.

There is is list of approved smokeless “coal” type fuels as well which you can use. As they are smokeless (not inherently smoky like wood) you don’t need an exempt appliance to burn them in (I imagine).

we have a smokeless approved multi-burner, Stovax Stockton 5.

Thanks guys, don’t have a dedicated storage area as of yet, so may consider multifuel purely for the extra options it gives. Stockton 5 was one on my list too 🙂

The point really is that you don’t need an approved appliance to burn smokeless fuel (despite what the stove manufacturer might say). In the case of fuel that’s not inherently smokey it’s the fuel that’s approved rather than the appliance.
I doubt if there is any stove that can burn house coal in a smoke control area.

Wood is carbon neutral but coal is the fastest way to greenhouse the planet after brown coal.

Rockhopper you can’t burn house coal in a multifuel stove at all,
http://www.pearsonsofduns.co.uk/should-you-use-household-coal-in-your-wood-burning-or-multi-fuel-stove/

If you like Stockton stoves have a look at Kendal stoves same mother company Stovax but cheaper well ours was, worth a look that’s for sure

Mikeypies – Member

Rockhopper you can’t burn house coal in a multifuel stove at all,

No, you absolutely can. It’s not recommended but I know lots of people who do and have done regulalry for years without incident. Smaller lighter stoves will be more susceptible to warping and cracking than larger ones. The heat off it is absolutely ferocious.

I burn smokeless fuel and wood in my multi fuel stove. It is quite a big stove at 10kw (morso 08) and a bag of 25kg of smokeless coal will last me saturday and sunday for around 15 hrs use per day, the bag is £9. I prefer coal on weekends when Im out and about as I can leave it for longer, I tend to use wood on school nights.

Been doing some more googling, and it seems I need the Defra approved stove regardless due to smoke control area, but i’m stuggling to find any real cases of fines being given out. Majority of the wood burning forums talk about burning smoky fuels at at night, and keeping bag of “smokeless” fuels should they ever get a visit. 😯

“Been doing some more googling, and it seems I need the Defra approved stove regardless due to smoke control area, but i’m stuggling to find any real cases of fines being given out. Majority of the wood burning forums talk about burning smoky fuels at at night, and keeping bag of “smokeless” fuels should they ever get a visit. “

nice for your neighbours and your neighbours children in a built up area.

best your kids dont have asthma ?

Been doing some more googling, and it seems I need the Defra approved stove regardless due to smoke control area, but i’m stuggling to find any real cases of fines being given out. Majority of the wood burning forums talk about burning smoky fuels at at night, and keeping bag of “smokeless” fuels should they ever get a visit.

Would the HETAS installer not have to sign it off as approved? Assuming you are in England of course.

In the case of the Stovax zone-approved woodburner, there was just an additional component that stopped you shutting the vents down completely. Which is a nuisance on the few occasions you want to go out and the fire needs shutting down, smoke or no smoke.

But you just get it signed off and then remove the component if you want.

Mmmmmm tar and creasote eating away at you lovely expensive liner.

A hot chimney is a happy chimney and a shut in fire is an unhappy fire.

Not every day, obviously. Don’t like leaving the fire at full chat when I have to go out unexpectedly, though.

@trailrat i’d be going defra stove so hopefully no smoke from wood.

Hows this for £300 2m³ KILN DRIED BIRCH OR ASH

@geoffj i’m guessing a signed off Defra stove still has people putting coal on etc