Wood burning stove experiences please

[Pale Rider]

This BBC feature shows the Clean Air Act was desperately needed in London, and probably other cities.

I have an open fire and was told I must burn smokeless fuel, although I believe the act allows 30 minutes of lighting up time when any fuel can be used.

A council bod told me there is some enforcement, but realistically you could burn more or less anything in the hours of darkness because no one can see the smoke.

In any case, open fire experience is you don't get a lot of heat from wood, so smokeless coal is the better option.

Ignoring the regulations, a bed of coal with a log or two on top for effect would be my choice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-42357608/death-by-smog-london-s-fatal-four-day-pea-souper

 

[Globalti]

A British city in the 1940s, every house heated by several coal fires:

A British city in 2017, every house heated by gas or electricity:

Yes, things are bad aren't they. Wood burning stoves ought to be banned now.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

A British city in the 1940s, every house heated by several coal fires:

View attachment 387466

Big chimneys on those houses.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Big chimneys on those houses.

Happen it were a symbol of success.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Happen it were a symbol of success.

Eeee lad

 

[Pale Rider]

A British city in the 1940s, every house heated by several coal fires:

View attachment 387466

A British city in 2017, every house heated by gas or electricity:

View attachment 387467

Yes, things are bad aren't they. Wood burning stoves ought to be banned now.

The facts don't bear out the point I'm guessing you are trying to make.

The smog in the BBC link was caused by a particularly cold snap which led to a lot more domestic coal being burned.

Factory pollution, particularly in London, wasn't much of a factor.

The Clean Air Act applied to domestic use of coal, and it worked, which supports the proposition domestic fires were the cause of the problem.

I believe the act also called for higher factory chimneys and the relocation of power stations away from residential areas which i reckon would only have had a limited impact, not least because those measures would have taken years to feed through.

 

[accountantpete]

A British city in the 1940s, every house heated by several coal fires:

View attachment 387466

A British city in 2017, every house heated by gas or electricity:

View attachment 387467

Yes, things are bad aren't they. Wood burning stoves ought to be banned now.

Stoke was Particulate Matter Heaven with the kilns going 24/7 together with the houses.

In the 60's you crested the hill by Keele and looked down on a bank of smog, with only faint outlines of the buildings and chimneys being visible.

 

[Cuchilo]

A British city in the 1940s, every house heated by several coal fires:

View attachment 387466

A British city in 2017, every house heated by gas or electricity:

View attachment 387467

Yes, things are bad aren't they. Wood burning stoves ought to be banned now.

I bet theres more pollution in the second picture , you just cant see it

 

[PaulSB]

@Globalti thank you your suggested burning method is proving successful and, I think, using less fuel - I’m all for preserving as much of my wood stack as possible! Quite a different approach to that I’m used to but seems effective for our new situation.

 

[Globalti]

Another point regarding oxygen control is that some designs of bottom vent rotate on a screw thread so that if you unscrew them they open progressively, no matter whether the gaps are closed or not. Turning fully clockwise is the answer.

 

[raleighnut]

Good to see that the new flue is working so well. By opening and closing the bottom vent and the airwash you should now have perfect control of the oxygen supply and hence the combustion temperature. The best advice we were given when choosing our stove was to err on the smaller size so that we would be burning the stove hotter and hence cleaner - nothing looks worse that a big stove shut down and idling and all smoked up. When you light the stove, leave the door ajar for 10 minutes until it's roaring and the combustion temperature is hot enough that the fuel is not smoking, then gradually close it down. The best fire is a bed of glowing embers, made either from smokeless nuggets or small pieces of wood, with a couple of nice dry chunks of hardwood on top, beginning to glow and with the dancing flames of secondary combustion, which is effectively very hot glowing smoke. That takes an hour or so to build but will last all evening if you feed it occasionally.

If you can't shut the stove down enough have another look at that rope seal; it may be admitting air at a corner.

Spot on advice,

Has the OP changed suppliers for the Coal though, some burns hot whereas others splutter, some will burn really clean and other stuff will leave a bunch of 'clinker' in the grate.

 

[Globalti]

NEVER burn real coal in a stove, it burns too hot and if you get a chimney fire the uncontrolled draft will just make it burn hotter and hotter like a runaway reactor until the insides of the stove begin to melt. My neighbour found this out the expensive way.

Stick to smokeless fuel, hardwood and occasionally peat briquettes.