Multi Fuel Log Burner

A multi-fuel log burner fire burner is a stove that can burn wood, coal, and anthracite, which is a smokeless fuel. They are used to provide heat for the home and are often connected to a central heating system.

Multi fuel stoves feature an air vent on the front of the firebox. This allows you to regulate the amount of air circulating under the grate. This allows the combustion of coal as well as mineral fuels, and helps reduce emissions.

Fuels that are smokeless

A smokeless fuel is a solid fossil fuel, such as coke, anthracite or anthracite that doesn't produce smoke when burned. This is due to the absence of volatile substances. When burning, volatile matter produces smoke and sulfur oxide. It is important to choose a fuel with no volatile matter.

Anthracite, a naturally occurring rock that contains high levels of carbon and few impurities, is used to make smokeless fuels. It is a hard slow-burning fuel that is difficult to light, but once it has lit will burn for a long period of time with a blue flame and only a little smoke.

It is usually used to make briquettes, which are more easy to ignite and provide longer lasting heat. Briquettes made of this are referred to as smokeless coal or just called ovals. They are made by drying anthracite, breaking it into a fine dust and then mixing in smokeless binding agents like clay, starch, or molasses to create the briquettes we stock.

Briquettes that are more flexible than anthracite because they can be used in multi fuel stoves as well as open fires and room heaters. When burned, they emit an a cleaner flame, which releases less sulfur and up to 20 percent less carbon dioxide.

A lot of our customers are making the switch from traditional house coal to smokeless fuels, which is not just more beneficial for your chimney and flue, but also the environment. This is especially true for those who live in an area with an area for smoke control.

The reason that smokeless fuels are more sustainable for the environment is because they do not create as much ash as conventional house coal, which could cause obstructions and damage to your stove. They also burn more hot for longer, meaning your fuel lasts longer and releases less emissions, which means it is better for your health and for the environment. Our most popular smokeless fuel is Excel that has been approved to be used in smoke-controlled areas and approved by HETAS which is the official body that is endorsed by the government. It is a rounded briquette that is easy to light and has good air flow so it can be used in both open or closed appliances.

Coal

Many people think they can use coke from their home in a wood burner, but this is not recommended. Homemade coal can cause damage to the stove, and can be harmful to your health as it produces carbon monoxide. It is also more soiled than wood and cannot be used in areas of smoke control. If you do decide to burn coal in your stove, it's best to opt for smokeless fuels such as anthracite, which are HETAS or DEFRA approved and can be used in smoke control zones.

If you are using coal, start a fire using an unclean grate. A multi fuel stove is likely to have a vented grate, which is designed to let air be able to flow under the grate and there will be an ash pan underneath. You can build small towers with a firewood piled on top of the fire as it grows. This will prevent the coal from burning too fast and help it to produce heat.

Anthracite coal is much denser than normal house hold coal and thus requires an elevated temperature to light, but it will give off plenty of heat once it is caught on the flame. It also has high energy content and will last longer than other kinds of coal. It is recommended to only use kiln dried coal that has been pretreated to remove moisture, as this could cause it to burn too quickly.

When burning coal in your multi fuel stove, it is essential that you keep a layer of tinder and kindling at the base of the fire to stop the coal from burning too fast. Then you can slowly add larger pieces of coal to the tinder and kindling. This will prevent the coal from burning too quickly which could cause dangerous fumes.

It is important to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your stove. This includes making sure that the wood has been dried before use. It is best to have the wood split and seasoned at minimum two years prior to the time you begin using it. If this isn't possible, kiln-drying can be an alternative.

Briquettes made from peat or turf

Multi fuel log burners let you to burn a variety of solid fuels, such as peat and turf, in addition to wood or anthracite. These are usually cheaper than traditional firewood and can save you a lot on heating expenses.

Peat briquettes are made of peat that has been shredded and been pressed and dried into an inert fuel suitable for domestic use. In the 1950s, they were created in Ireland and have replaced peat sods made from raw peat as a fuel for domestic use. Peat Briquettes are more efficient sods of raw peat and also generate less carbon dioxide emissions.

The first briquettes were known as culm bombs and made of wet clay as binder. They were difficult to ignite and contained large amounts of ash, which would stop air from flowing through the stove's grates. The latest briquettes are mechanically cut and pressed under pressure to replicate the geological processes that created coal. They are less likely to be blocked and can be lit with just a few pieces dry peat.

As they burn, the briquettes release gases that aid in forming a low-smoke flame. They are lighter than traditional wood fires and can be employed in the fireplace insert or an appliance designed to hold them.

They are readily available from wood merchants and DIY outlets. They can be kept dry in an enclosed garage or shed heated but you should not stack them as this can increase their moisture content and reduce the efficiency of their combustion.

In the past peat was cut by hand with an instrument known as a slean. The peat was dried in the summer and then burned to provide warmth during the winter months of autumn and winter. Peat bogs are abundant in biodiversity, but they are reduced more quickly than they are constructed. As a result they are absorbing carbon dioxide and contributing to global warming.

The image above shows a field near Ballyforan, County Offaly in 2021. Around 20 percent of Ireland's bogs are still intact. The rest are harvested with excavators or other specialized equipment. This is a radical departure from the traditional methods when peat harvesting operations make use of long knives to cut through the turf and moss.

Wood

Multi fuel stoves are designed to burn a wide range of different solid fuels. The solid fuels are inserted through an opening into the firebox and the stove is heated by the hot gases produced during combustion. The gases are dragged through the chimney by a flue system. A glass window lets you to view the flames, and there's usually one or more air vents to control the amount of oxygen that enters the stove.

There are a variety of wood that can be used as a fuel, although the best wood for a log burner is mature, which means that it has been dried and cut for a long period of time to reduce the moisture content that prevents it from burning efficiently. The wood that is seasoned burns more quickly and produces more heat. Unseasoned or kiln dried logs can also be used however they take longer to burn, and produce more smoke.

When lighting a multi fuel log burner, the grate must be lined with small pieces of kindling before the fuel should be placed on the top. Then you can add a few flames followed by coal, logs or briquettes around them. The firelighters can be lit by themselves, and once they are burning consistently the rest of the fuel should be added as needed to keep them burning.

A great way to maintain a fire in a multi fuel stove is to keep the grate in good condition, particularly after each use. This will help the fuel burn more efficiently and prevent the ash from accumulating and blocking the air flow. The ash pan under the grate of most modern multifuel stoves must be emptied regularly to prevent it from overflowing.

Anthracite is an additional great fuel to use in an all-fuel stove. It can be purchased at the same price as wood, however it burns hotter and produces less smoke. It can be purchased in bags or by the tonne depending on the quantity you require. You can also fit a woodburning kit to some multifuel stoves to allow you to burn wood as well as coal.