Why burn briquettes on your stove?


 
stack of briquettes in front of a woodburner. Heat logs woodfuel co-operative

Why burn briquettes? On 10th October 2015 there was an excellent article, written by Miles Brignall, in The Guardian. It featured the Wood Fuel Coop quite prominently and contained highly relevant information about the advantages of burning briquettes over logs.

There are many different types: some are used to get up the heat initially while others will simmer away for hours, putting out a steady stream of heat.

Because the moisture content is so low (10% or less) compared with most logs, stove manufacturers recommend briquettes for keeping your stove in good working order. They can also help to avoid chimney fires caused by tar build up.

Anyone who has visited our depot in Dumfries knows that it is packed with different types of briquettes. We pride ourselves in constantly striving to find the best performing, best value fuels that don’t, literally, cost the earth. We try to match your heating needs with the best fuel for the purpose.

The effect of the Guardian article has been instant, astonishing and very encouraging. The team has been working flat out to fulfil all the extra orders that have come in.

Rowland Parke, director of the Dumfries-based Wood Fuel Co-operative, says people in the UK are finally starting to wake up to the benefits of briquettes. “We are selling more and more of them, particularly in the past year or so. Once people try them they soon stop buying logs locally. They are cleaner and easier to store, and take up around half the space of a log pile. Until you have tried one you won’t believe how much heat they can deliver,” he says.

The Guardian article can be found here: http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/oct/10/briquettes-clean-fuel-fireplace-wood-burning-stove#comment-61285015

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Quick guide to choosing the best Wood Fuel for your stove and lifestyle.

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*Break - We strongly recommend you break these briquettes in half (or less for very small stoves) because they do expand whilst burning and you don't want them to overfill the fire.
*Easy to light - We always use a Firelighter and Kindling Sticks to start our fires. Most briquettes are graded four stars to light because they are quite dense and require kindling.

Notes:

  • All stove and flue combinations tend to have different burning characteristics. Fuel that works well in my stove may not work so well in your stove, and vice-versa.
  • Most modern stoves are more efficient than most older stoves, meaning a modern quality stove will burn fuel more economically and generate more heat over a longer period.
  • Always try to burn fuel with a 'lick of flame'. Smouldering fuel to try to extend burn time is bad for your stove, flue and the environment due to unburned particulate matter in the smoke.
  • Be prepared to break briquettes into smaller sections to fit into your stove comfortably. Many briquettes do expand whilst burning and you don't want them to expand onto the glass.
  • The chart above indicates which briquettes are easy to break. Some are small enough so they don't need breaking. This makes for a cleaner environment around your stove.
  • All briquettes, except Everyday Value and Hotmax, benefit hugely from using kindling to light them. I suggest five kindling sticks will be sufficient, meaning a net should last 30 days.

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