Multi-fuel vs log burning stove? Which one to go for?

Looking for some advice please…

We’re looking to get a burner / stove. We were thinking about getting a multi-fuel because we’ve heard that house coal burns low and slow so good for keeping the house warm in winter without having to monitor it as much as you would with wood. Could leave it ticking over overnight, etc.

However, the helpful lady in the burner shop told us that multi-fuel only burns each type of fuel at about 70% efficiency (I think that’s what she meant – I did get a bit confused).

What are your preferences?
Do those of you who chose to go with wood only wish you had gone multi – or the other way round?

I went with multi-fuel for precisely the reason you describe.

The ability to burn wood means being able to acquire free heat (via a kind farmer, or a fallen tree on your own property, or whatever). Meanwhile, the ability to burn coal means being able to throw some in on a cold winter’s evening, and leave it through the night.

Wood or coal only means really limiting yourself.

I understand the woman’s argument, but think that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

its mainly the ability to riddle the grate that matters – though coal can get much hotter depending on what you want

Coal is easier to keep in over night than wood and I think being able to burn both is best. I did not pay the £100 extra for the coal grate for mine and it works just fine.

I dont see the rationale behind its more inefficient for both fuels claim tbh so lets see what the hive mind can prove

Morsø Badger here it has gate you can riddle. Never hear of this 70% malarkey.

Personally, wood only. We’re in a rural location, so logs, whilst not cheap cheap are at least readily available in bulk – typically £55 for a builders’ bag of 1 year barn-dried hardwood, delivered (much better than the logs you’ll get for £5 a bag at the garage, which are typically softwood and hardly seasoned.) Also, burning purely wood means that I can dispose of the ash on the garden or into the hedge with no ill effects – not something you can do with coal, anthracite etc. There’s also less risk of chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning with logs.

But ultimately, the romance of wood smoke and crackling logs is what does it for me, and fortunately for Mrs B too.

I bought a Firefox 5, after the first winter I bought the woodburning kit as I felt no need to use coal.

I sold the ashpan, riddling grate and fret bars on ebay which covered the cost, and there is loads more space in the stove for logs.

If you have central heating my preference is wood burner and rely on the heating for 30 minutes in the morning if it’s cold…most of the time you’ll be off to work anyway.

There is no need to riddle the grate as wood likes to burn on a bed of ash anyway.

We have a multi-burner, although you can swap out the grate for a wood only one as an option. It has a grate riddler thing built in.

It’s a Stovax Stockton 5..

We very rarely use coal on it and on the occasions when we have it’s much harder to keep hot than the open fire was, I’m guessing coal needs a lot more air than wood to burn and the vents aren’t really big enough possibly…

Are Morsos multi-fuel? Their website only mentions wood.

^^^ Morso squirrel is/was but anthracite eats the grate

There’s also less risk of chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning with logs.

WHAT?

the most likely cause of a chimney fire is sap from green wood

Carbon monoxide is caused by a lack of ventilation and a terribly badly installed stove that is venting gas to the room

The fuel is not causal that I am aware of.

We very rarely use coal on it and on the occasions when we have it’s much harder to keep hot than the open fire was, I’m guessing coal needs a lot more air than wood to burn and the vents aren’t really big enough possibly…

If you pile coal on a full wood fire – which should be on a massive bed of ash then it wont get enough air to burn well- obviously an open fire has more air supply than a closed one.

Basically wood needs air from above and coal from below – hence why coal grates “riddle” to make gaps in the fire bed for air

Just empty the ash pan more often is my solution

We generally use logs during the day and throw coal on at night and shut it right down. In the morning give it a stir around and get some logs on and it’s off again. We can’t do that with just logs. For the one in my office I get it going with wood then coal and close it down – does it for the day – toasty!

I learn something new every time a stove thread appears. 😀
Get a Contura i5 and you can burn wood overnight, the most controllable woodstove in the world; probably.

Are Morsos multi-fuel? Their website only mentions wood.

Yes they are[/url]

Get a Contura i5 and you can burn wood overnight,

Just like any burner.

WHAT?
the most likely cause of a chimney fire is sap from green wood

Carbon monoxide is caused by a lack of ventilation and a terribly badly installed stove that is venting gas to the room

Ah, I see what you mean. To clarify:

Greenwood sap is just moisture, so not inherently combustable; up to 40% of your potential heat output will go into just drying the logs as they burn if you choose to burn ’em green. Softwood resin, however, dramatically increases the risks of tar build up, and possible subsequent fire, agreed. But generally wood burns cooler than anthracite or coal when in a stove, so a higher risk of chimney fire with coal, especially in a mixed fuel stove.

Re. carbon monoxide / fumes – more likely incidence with a stove that is staying in overnight as wood will burn out, rather than fill a cooling chimney with fumes.

Personally I’d rather have the house smelling of woodsmoke than anthracite fumes, but that’s just me. 😉

But definite thumbs up for Morso. Clear view also worth a look.

How do you get wood smoke smell from a sealed metal box?

Mine’s got doors, which aren’t always shut.

Greenwood sap is just moisture,

What happens when you burn moisture laden wood? its burns at a lower temperature thereby making it more likely to coat your chimney. Basic stuff this.

so a higher risk of chimney fire with coal, especially in a mixed fuel stove.

No the risk is if the chimney is coated with combustibles and one still has to decide what is most likely to do this. Its still green wood and fires that are not hot enough.

Re. carbon monoxide / fumes – more likely incidence with a stove that is staying in overnight as wood will burn out, rather than fill a cooling chimney with fumes.

WHAT- why does time of day affect the likelyhood of CO? I dont even know what point you are trying to make here.

Personally I’d rather have the house smelling of woodsmoke than anthracite fumes, but that’s just me.

I would rather have a stove that did not leak and I STRONGLY SUGGEST ADVISE GET YOURS CHECKED OUT IMMEDIATELY

This makes no sense please stop “helping”.

EDIT: shut them its leaking as its designed to be run with the doors shut

Please do not leave them with doors open if you use coal it will burn way to hot.

Please dont listen to that poster and please get your instalation checked out

Ooooh. Ok. Point taken. I’ll simultaneously shut up and get my coat, then . . .

(Thanks for the advice – I don’t know how I’ve made it this far without you.)

the difference as I understand it is a woodburner doesn’t have a riddling plate as wood burns best on a bed of ashes. So afaic on a multi fuel you just shut off the bottom air and don’t riddle the riddling plate and you’ve got a wood burner with reasonable bed of ash.
I would have been happy just having a wood burner, but the choice became a fair bit limited within what I was looking at. In the end I decided by looks, convecting heat and steel construction and wasn’t that arsed on multifuel/wood for 2 or 3% claimed improved efficiency. Westfire Uniq 35

If you pile coal on a full wood fire – which should be on a massive bed of ash then it wont get enough air to burn well- obviously an open fire has more air supply than a closed one.
Basically wood needs air from above and coal from below – hence why coal grates “riddle” to make gaps in the fire bed for air

A multi burner doens’t have the fuel sitting on ash like a wood burner, there is a cast iron grate for the wood / coal to sit on, with the ash pan below. A level on the outside rotates the grate, so you can clear it without opening the fire.

A multi burner doens’t have the fuel sitting on ash like a wood burner, there is a cast iron grate for the wood / coal to sit on, with the ash pan below. A level on the outside rotates the grate, so you can clear it without opening the fire.

It’s just a small circle in the middle tho, surely it doesn’t make that much difference if you have the bottom air off and don’t riddle?

You wouldn’t bother riddling the grate with wood, it’s best to let the ash build up on the grate. That’s why a pure woodburner is better than a multifuel, the fuel sits at the bottom of the stove rather than 4 inches higher on an unneeded grate.

all my three have had a grate for wood and for coal the difference being the coal one had a riddling action to allow you to get air gaps to allow it to burn – one pokes a coal fire one does not poke a wood one and the point remains.

Essentially a wood fir, as i has said wants a bed of ash and air from above and coal wants gaps and air from below. JUst try it a wood fire with no ash burns too fast a coal fire with no gaps barely burns.

Or ignore all this and enjoy the smell of smoke in your house as advised by some 😕

I don’t know how I’ve made it this far without you.

You are free to act as you please but dont advise folk when you are this ill informed.

Yes, but you wouldn’t bother riddling the grate with wood,

Yes, everyone knows that, it’s for coal.

You would think but this thread is all kinds of wrong 😉

I use the standard wood one for mine but mainly because the riddling one is about £150 quid so I just empty the ash more often

Apologies to OP, but Junkyard: get over yourself, bud. If I need you to patronise me, I’ll ask. Thanks.

We went for multi fuel for our latest one, fitted in October.

Wood during the day and evenings when we are around, smokeless ovoids for keeping it ticking over all night and while at work.

It has stayed in with coal for over 36 hours when away overnight.

Wood is nicer and gives a different heat to coal, but coal keeps the chill off by slumbering better.

Barely had the heating on over winter.

We also have a big wood only stove in the kitchen which takes a bit of a knack to keep it in overnight. It likes to be running with a decent amount of flame.

I’ll have to find the instructions for mine but I’m fairly sure it’s says not to burn house coal, only smokeless. House coal burns with a long flame apparently which can damage the stove. I use home fire ovals, half a bucket lit at around 6pm doesn’t need touching again till midnight unless it’s really cold. The room will still be warm the following morning.

Standard house coal will burn hotter than “eggs” and there is the very real danger that you will have a real fire if you burn it with the doors wide open. That is generally why it is not approved for use in burners

Junkyard: get over yourself, bud. If I need you to patronise me, I’ll ask. Thanks.

Oh the irony , Bud 🙄 I am not patronising you I am pointing out that what you said was wrong and challenging what you said.

If you say things that are incorrect and ill informed folk will point this out to you even when you get stroppy.

Respectfully you are sitting there telling us your stove leaks fumes and not understanding how chimney fires occur or why green fuels are bad. what advice do you want to have from someone – crack on dont worry about it or the truth?