Peter T Posted October 27, 2011 Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 A couple of years ago, it became too much for my Mother to light the fire, so they bunged the chimney up with loft insulation and bought an electric fire Today we removed that insulation, had the chimney swept and now have a fire burning merrily away. It's fantastic. I had forgotten just how much heat a proper coal fire could throw out. Dizzy, Picked the first sprouts today. Sprouts, carrots, potatoes all home grown plus cauli and rump steak. Delicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 27, 2011 Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 Smokeless coal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted October 27, 2011 Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 Sounds wonderful - when we lived in Banbury I can remember the coal fires in the kitchen and front room being always toasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted October 27, 2011 Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 Ahhh to have a real fire. I remember having one in my bedroom when I was a kiddie although I'm sure my parents put it out before I went to bed My neighbours and quite a few others have open fires around here and many have log burners too .... the smell is lovely and really cosy. We'd have to have an indoor hosepipe and a fire extinguisher though as I don't think I tcould trust my two with one and the dog would probably throw balls in it anyway We haven't even got a gas fire as our chimneys are bricked up and the gas pipes don;t reach there anyway so we certainly lack that 'snuggle up winter ' feeling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted October 27, 2011 Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 I love having an open fire. We don't use it that much, and it's one of the most inefficient ways of heating a home, but it's lovely to have one now and again. Of course, we only burn smokeless fuel, unless the toast counts when it gets caught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wireboy Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 I have a log burner. It makes the living room a lot warmer than the central heating ever could. I was the same where it used to be an open fire but had been filled in. I ripped it all out and put the burner in 2 years ago now. The smell is nice and it gives you something else to watch instead of the T.V. It can be a lot cheaper than central heating depending on how you source your wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 One thing about coal fires in the old days, you could burn a lot of your rubbish instead of binning it to go to the tip. Paper, wood, plastic even glass bottles filled with coal dust, cinders from the the previous days fire, old worn out shoes, vegetable peelings etc., etc.,. All went to backing up the fire and keeping the room cosily warm. When the bins were emptied each week it was mainly ash that went to the landfill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 You burnt glass bottles filled with coal dust ??? How did that work then ? As for burning plastic and old shoes (which I gusess had rubber on) how on earth did you breath with the fumes they must have given off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 If the fumes don't go up the chimney you've got a blockage Dizzy :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 There were no fumes, they all went up the chimney with the smoke. Easy Dizzy, you just filled a bottle with coal dust and put it on the fire. As long as you didn't put a cork in the bottle, which would cause it to explode from the expanded hot air inside, you could burn glass bottles. The air escaped from the opening and the glass melted as it got hot (giving off heat). Filling it with coal dust the melted glass bonded the dust into a block which burned for some time. Understand now Dizzy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Smokeless coal? No the proper stuff. And logs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wireboy Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 No the proper stuff. And logs. Hi Peter. If the open fire you talk about is in Warrington just be a little careful as Warrington is a smokeless zone. I am in no way trying to antagonise you just giving you a heads up. In open fires you are only meant to burn smokeless fuels. You can get smokeless wood burners so you can then put logs and coal into those. Councils are fining people £1000 for breaches of smoke controlled regulations. I don't know any one in Warrington who has been fined but I know off people in other towns in the North West. My partner had a knock on my door by someone who said he represented the council in January. They said they received a tip off about my chimney smoking. (I know who tipped them off but that is a separate issue) My partner invited them in and shown them my stove which was lit at the time. It was on there list of approved appliances so there was no further action. The way the councils are trying to save money at the minute I have no doubt they will see home owners with smoking chimneys as easy prey for an easy £1000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grappenhall Guy Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 I have to agree with wireboy on this one,I had a large wood burning stove fitted in my pub a few years ago,merrily burning logs which I had stored for a couple of years and spent hours splitting the damn things only to have a visit from the council prohibiting the use of non smokeless fuel,apparently logs do not comply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Stay cool guys and thanks for the info. I knew that anyway as I was around when smokeless came in. NOT in a smoke zone and some miles away from WA4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 We can still see your smoke signals though Peter. Last one read "Help my pickled veg are stuck in some jam near the swingers bridge because of the Vikings and I can't find the pub becasue of the smoke from people burning carrier bags and Oiks and St Paul is not very happy " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 We can still see your smoke signals though Peter. Last one read "Help my pickled veg are stuck in some jam near the swingers bridge because of the Vikings and I can't find the pub becasue of the smoke from people burning carrier bags and Oiks and St Paul is not very happy " :grin: :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 Sure Algy can find some old photos of the Town, when it wasn't a smokeless zone - mind you, you wouldn't be able to see much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 I rather think that all of algy's old photos are of the town pre-smokles zone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 Errm, that's why they're "old photos". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 Yes but we can still see the images on Algy's photo's so it can't have been that bad I'm joking of course as I've heard about Warrington's smog from my dad and others but they survived it though, as I guess we must have too as it wasn't smokeless when I was a kid. When did those rules come in by the way? He also remembers the smells fo the tanneries and bone works etc. Yeuch, but then again maybe it was just a bad smell and a little better than breathing in the car fumes and fumes from man made products etc that we have now such as deodorants and cleaning agents. Maybe smells and a few germs were more healthy after all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 Errm, that's why they're "old photos". Erm....and you can see them clearly, without a trace of smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 Not the Winter ones, we used to have something called SMOG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 FHS go drink the Nile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 Sure Algy can find some old photos of the Town, when it wasn't a smokeless zone - mind you, you wouldn't be able to see much! Found three with evidence of smoke, I wouldn't imagine photographers of the day would take scenes with excessive smoke in them! If you look at the skyline (well you would if you were looking for smoke, wouldn't you) there's plenty of smoke drifting across Latchford. Factory chimney smoking over Howley. Another at the back of Bishop's Wharf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 The number of chimneys are a give away Alg; that of course, was when we had factories making things - folk had a job for life, the downside being, it was a short life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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