Smokeless anthracite substitute

[reb78]

Need to buy a few tons of anthracite substitute. What are the best prices you are getting and where from?

Stoveheat seemed good last year and I can get it for £16 per 25kg bag if I buy a tonne. Found Newburn at £14.50 per 25kg bag but have never used it.

What else are you using and buying? This is for a Rayburn not an open fire.

 

[Pond frog]

I’ve tried various smokeless fuels over the years and to be honest apart from the shape of the nuts I can’t really tell any difference between them, just go for the cheapest

 

[reb78]

I’ve tried various smokeless fuels over the years and to be honest apart from the shape of the nuts I can’t really tell any difference between them, just go for the cheapest

Was hoping someone would confirm that as I find the same!

Managed to find a few places with anthracite beans in stock but not sure how they compare to the larger lumps we used to buy.

 

[fizzy]

I used to use pallet blocks in my Rayburn - worked better than coal and far less mess but you have to stoke it all day. Best thing was they were free!
I miss the Rayburn but now have an oil fired aga. So much easier!
You can get oil conversion kits for Rayburns - probably cheaper than coal these days.

 

[reb78]

I used to use pallet blocks in my Rayburn - worked better than coal and far less mess but you have to stoke it all day. Best thing was they were free!
I miss the Rayburn but now have an oil fired aga. So much easier!
You can get oil conversion kits for Rayburns - probably cheaper than coal these days.

I have a lot of wood if I manage my hedges correctly. My neighbour generally has a fallen tree each winter which he brings down for me if I cut it and tidy. So last winter cost me £5 a day for the overnight coal to keep the house at 21-23C, heat the hot water and cook. I dont think theres any way oil would be cheaper. Everyone I have spoken to who has an oil Rayburn suggests they drink the stuff like its going out of fashion!

 

[addjunkie]

We used to have an oil rayburn…..thirsty thing. An oil system boiler….no hassle, no mess. And cookon an electric arga which is equally expensive to run!

 

[Pond frog]

Managed to find a few places with anthracite beans in stock but not sure how they compare to the larger lumps we used to buy.

I wouldn’t u beans, bigger sized blocks allow better airflow and should burn better

 

[julianthegypsy]

Was hoping someone would confirm that as I find the same!

Managed to find a few places with anthracite beans in stock but not sure how they compare to the larger lumps we used to buy.

I used them in my forge. Perfect for that but they're sold for pellet boilers, I wouldn't use them in a stove.

 

[reb78]

@Pond frog @julianthegypsy they were my thoughts too. Thanks for confirming.

 

[AVI_8]

I get mine from this company, couldn’t find it any cheaper anywhere else, it’s good quality with low ash compared to stuff I’ve had in the past.

WonderFuel Coal / Smokeless Fuel

Premium Quality WonderFuel Smokeless and House Coal!

www.thewonderfuelcompany.co.uk

 

[Gareth J]

I have a lot of wood if I manage my hedges correctly. My neighbour generally has a fallen tree each winter which he brings down for me if I cut it and tidy. So last winter cost me £5 a day for the overnight coal to keep the house at 21-23C, heat the hot water and cook. I dont think theres any way oil would be cheaper. Everyone I have spoken to who has an oil Rayburn suggests they drink the stuff like its going out of fashion!

If you want to do all that with an oil fired Rayburn, yes, it'll cost a fortune

Wick type OF burners are inefficient when run too cold, or so hot that much of the heat goes up the chimney. They aren't bad as a kitchen heater/plate warmer/slow cooker though. However, if you're trying to run one hot enough to do all you mention, it'll be red hot and throwing heat up the flue.

I run a Rayburn with a smaller 7" aga burner, rather than the standard Rayburn one, and with no back boiler. It sips juice gently but because of the smaller burner, still burns hot enough to ignite properly, without an excessively hot oven/flue. But if course that means a separate condensing boiler and electric oven/hob for roasting/frying though.

 

[fizzy]

I have a lot of wood if I manage my hedges correctly. My neighbour generally has a fallen tree each winter which he brings down for me if I cut it and tidy. So last winter cost me £5 a day for the overnight coal to keep the house at 21-23C, heat the hot water and cook. I dont think theres any way oil would be cheaper. Everyone I have spoken to who has an oil Rayburn suggests they drink the stuff like its going out of fashion!

Of course if you burn mainly free wood then it's cheaper than anything!
I assumed you were running on coal all the time.
My AGA uses about 30L of oil a week but no hot water or radiators.
I love it. Stays on 9 months of the year around here. Woodburner the other end of the house. Saves me using oil central heating- we have 23 radiators here!

 

[reb78]

I get mine from this company, couldn’t find it any cheaper anywhere else, it’s good quality with low ash compared to stuff I’ve had in the past.

WonderFuel Coal / Smokeless Fuel

Premium Quality WonderFuel Smokeless and House Coal!

www.thewonderfuelcompany.co.uk

Which one are you using - I found them when i posted the thread up - their Newflame is the cheapest I have seen and as above, its all much of a muchness. I just need a long overnight burn on the coal and then can wake it up with wood the next morning. I was doing overnight on wood but it was sooting up badly as I had to shut it down too much to make the wood last all night and I found you need to let it burn the wood well which I can do in the day. This is well seasoned stuff so its not wet so no need to take the thread off on a tangent about wet wood.

 

[reb78]

If you want to do all that with an oil fired Rayburn, yes, it'll cost a fortune

Its ok, I have no intention of converting it to oil! I would have too much wood then as there is only so much the furnace (stupidly large log burner that was here when we moved in) in the lounge can burn without making the house too hot. I am considering connecting that to the thermal store to take heat out of the lounge and use it around the rest of the house more efficiently but the Rayburn coped just fine alone this winter to be honest so there may be no need really.

 

[reb78]

Of course if you burn mainly free wood then it's cheaper than anything!
I assumed you were running on coal all the time.
My AGA uses about 30L of oil a week but no hot water or radiators.
I love it. Stays on 9 months of the year around here. Woodburner the other end of the house. Saves me using oil central heating- we have 23 radiators here!

No - as above. Coal goes on for the overnight. I clear it out, de-ash and put a scuttle of coal on at bed time (about 8kg coal). Next morning the coal will still be glowing and depending on the temps I can either get it going with wood (the remaining coal seems sufficient under the wood to keep the bed hot) or let it die down till mid afternoon when I wake it up for cooking later and evening heat.

 

[julianthegypsy]

We had a coal fired aga when I was a kid. I remember it had to be stoked twice a day, but only once a day on anthracite. It ran the immersion heater but no radiators because they were impossible to fit, and did all the cooking as well as heating the huge kitchen. Mum would make a casserole using the cheapest meat and bung it in the bottom oven before she went off to work in the morning and it would cook gently all day and be melt in the mouth tender when we all got home. Made the best toast ever too!

 

[reb78]

We had a coal fired aga when I was a kid. I remember it had to be stoked twice a day, but only once a day on anthracite. It ran the immersion heater but no radiators because they were impossible to fit, and did all the cooking as well as heating the huge kitchen. Mum would make a casserole using the cheapest meat and bung it in the bottom oven before she went off to work in the morning and it would cook gently all day and be melt in the mouth tender when we all got home. Made the best toast ever too!

Oh, the slow cooked stuff is perfect for this. I do it loads in the winter as there is no need to have it racing as the oven sits at a perfect temp for slow cooking meat. Put something in at lunch time and it can sit there slowly getting more tender until whenever you are ready from 6,7,8pm... perfect. I use beef shin a lot - noone wants it but it makes a delicious stew.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Oh, the slow cooked stuff is perfect for this. I do it loads in the winter as there is no need to have it racing as the oven sits at a perfect temp for slow cooking meat. Put something in at lunch time and it can sit there slowly getting more tender until whenever you are ready from 6,7,8pm... perfect. I use beef shin a lot - noone wants it but it makes a delicious stew.

It does indeed!

 

[reb78]

It does indeed!

Lamb boulangere is another of my favourites. But now I am guilty of taking the thread off topic!

 

[julianthegypsy]

Lamb boulangere is another of my favourites. But now I am guilty of taking the thread off topic!

Well, we're still talking about stoves, vaguely. Threads have gone a lot further off course!