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Post by henroben on Nov 16, 2022 15:51:50 GMT
Has anyone used those compressed sawdust 'logs' at all? Are they really as long lasting as they claim - have seen 3hr+ burn times being bandied about...
I realise this is very much first world problems, but I'd quite like something long lasting I could chuck on the fire so I don't have to keep getting up from God of War to refuel the fire!! 😂
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Post by Dougs on Nov 16, 2022 17:08:32 GMT
I have in the past. Crap, basically. I imagine if you turned it all the way down you might be lucky but didn't like them.
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Nov 16, 2022 17:11:42 GMT
I have 4 hour and 8 hour compressed blocks. As Dougs says, they work if you keep the fire down lowish and let them burn slowly. They're good for maintaining the thing and giving out a constant but not amazing amount of heat... but if you want flames and open up the airflow, they burn up quicker than the advertised times, unsurprisingly. These are the 8 hour ones: www.lektowoodfuels.co.uk/products/night-briquettes-natural-bark |
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Post by henroben on Nov 16, 2022 17:19:12 GMT
Ah ok, that's not sounding super promising, although presumably good for keeping it going overnight by the sound of it?
From the sounds of it they're being a little economical with the truth - it will do THIS and THAT (in small print: not at the same time)
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Nov 16, 2022 17:23:37 GMT
Yeah, definitely.
I did one of the 4 hour ones (which are white-ish and I think sawdust?) with the top airflow just slight over half closed - which is the point on my stove for burning bigger logs and them actually burning (with some flames, not just smouldering a bit) and keeping the temperature in the ideal zone - and it lasted about 90 - 120 minutes or so. I didn't time it tbh, but it wasn't 4 hours.
However, I have burned them on with that top airflow vent closed and it did last that long. And it did keep the temperature in the ideal zone, just. But no flames, just sort of glow-burned very slowly. Some heat, though.
The 8 hour ones are a bit more robust (wood chip, not sawdust) and definitely will last most of a day - perhaps 6 hours on the slightly higher setting and I've had 8 on the long slow setting (which is what the instructions say to use, in fairness). Although if you want other logs around them, you might need smaller logs.
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Post by technoish on Nov 16, 2022 20:41:29 GMT
I understand they aren't exactly smoke control area compliant. Instructions for my stove say not to use them.
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Post by darkling on Nov 22, 2022 12:28:30 GMT
Do people's stoves normally make a ticking / clicking noise during operation?
My old Stovax Stockton clicked, ticked, and clanged almost the entire time I was using it (I inherited it with the house I bought) but since replacing it with a cheap and cheerful Woodford stove 2 months ago, I've had none of the same ticking sounds... Until last night, where I could hear some quiet but consistent ticking sounds coming from the stove during heating / cooling. I've only used it 5 times.
I understand the physics of expanding / contracting steel, but regardless, when it comes to stoves is it normal / inevitable that they will make these noises?
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Post by Dougs on Nov 22, 2022 12:39:19 GMT
I always assumed so.
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minimatt
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hyper mediocrity
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Post by minimatt on Nov 22, 2022 12:41:32 GMT
yeah, normal
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Nov 22, 2022 12:42:41 GMT
I think it depends on the type of construction. Different metals (steels/irons) react to heating and cooling in different ways. Tougher steel might be less audible. Although, I think most of them do it somewhat.
It might also be that in the older one, some parts had gradually loosened and so the clicking/ticking was more audible, but in the newer one, it's not so obvious.
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Post by darkling on Nov 22, 2022 13:12:45 GMT
Yeah I assumed it was normal, but I was so impressed that my new stove was practically silent until now I thought I may have over-fired it yesterday.
Just to explain my concern... I've been quite precious about doing everything right with my new stove, but last night, after the initial 30 min burn, I put a couple of logs on with the secondary air still fully open (to give the logs chance to catch flame) but when I returned 5 mins later it was roaring away, and making a quiet clicking sound as it was heating up, so I thought I may have let it heat up too quickly.
It wasn't ridiculous though, and only for 5 minutes odd till I shut it down a bit. I can't imagine I've damaged the stove or anything in that time.
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Post by Dougs on Nov 22, 2022 13:22:27 GMT
Stop yer worrying, they're made of strong stuff.  |
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Post by technoish on Nov 22, 2022 13:58:14 GMT
I think the only fragile bits are insulating panels on the inside but that's to being knocked, not damage from temperature.
Just use the skandi method of lighting a fire from the top, and throw one log on at a time after the initial lightig, and I can't imagine there will be any issues.
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Post by darkling on Nov 22, 2022 14:19:27 GMT
Cheers for the advice. Yes I always use the scandi method to light because it causes less smoke and heats up the flue more quickly.
I've also started using wooden firelighters this winter, which cause practically no smoke compared to paper. Much better, I highly recommend.
One day last winter I had a living room full of smoke due to a cold flue and a ton of paper smoke backing up into the room, despite using the scandi Jenga method, so I'm very cautious of that now.
Regarding reloading the stove, I've actually started putting a couple of logs on at a time (either a large and a small, or 2 medium-sized) because I find it burns better when shut down (more lovely flames) and lasts just as long as burning 2 logs individually.
I always used to load individual logs one log at a time, but found that the flames were short-lived and the hot embers underneath weren't sustained particularly well.
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Nov 22, 2022 14:36:25 GMT
Top tip on firelighting - Home Bargains (Again) does wood wool fire lighters. One of those in a little house of kindling and you're good to go
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Nov 22, 2022 14:44:03 GMT
They're like the natural ones, right? Little cylindrical bundles of shavings in a waxy coating.
They're great, light anything anywhere. Would have saved me some headaches getting fires lit over the years. 😁
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Post by henroben on Nov 22, 2022 15:07:30 GMT
Yeah I assumed it was normal, but I was so impressed that my new stove was practically silent until now I thought I may have over-fired it yesterday. Just to explain my concern... I've been quite precious about doing everything right with my new stove, but last night, after the initial 30 min burn, I put a couple of logs on with the secondary air still fully open (to give the logs chance to catch flame) but when I returned 5 mins later it was roaring away, and making a quiet clicking sound as it was heating up, so I thought I may have let it heat up too quickly. It wasn't ridiculous though, and only for 5 minutes odd till I shut it down a bit. I can't imagine I've damaged the stove or anything in that time. I suspect it's just colder than the previous times you've used it. As far as I remember, the ticking noise is basically static friction from different bits of metal rubbing against each other along the seams as they expand / contract at different rates - if the stove is colder than other times you've used it, then the amount of expanding is going to be more, and probably a greater difference between the individual plates that make up your stove. I could be wrong of course - just what I've noticed over the years with things like a car engine cooling down, the ticking tends to be more apparent on cold days etc. as different parts cool faster than normal. |
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Nov 22, 2022 15:18:08 GMT
They're like the natural ones, right? Little cylindrical bundles of shavings in a waxy coating. They're great, light anything anywhere. Would have saved me some headaches getting fires lit over the years. 😁 That's the ones! Haybales my boy calls them. Fucking great. The box says 2 per fire but fuck that 1 is more than enough |
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Post by darkling on Nov 22, 2022 16:44:46 GMT
I got some wood wool firelighters from B&Q and also had to laugh when the packet advised using two! One is more than enough. Even half a firelighter is probably sufficient for a stove.
My local B&M had no firelighters left, but they're cheap as chips when they have stock. £1.99 a bag.
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Post by quadfather on Nov 22, 2022 16:52:27 GMT
I just chuck anything on mine - normally have zero fuss, but occasionally if I've haphazardly lobbed the kindling on wrong, it sometimes struggles and dies a bit, so I have to use the paper/pull thing on the front of the stove till it gets going again.
I don't think I have any ticking though. Though I've probably got used to it by now I imagine.
I might check those wooly fire starters out though. I notice tesco have a few options of similar stuff too
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Nov 22, 2022 16:54:48 GMT
They are very good. You could light a camp stove in a blizzard with them.
Better even than a hexi tablet.
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Post by quadfather on Nov 22, 2022 16:55:40 GMT
Probably worth having a few about then, what with it being fucking bastard freezing all the time.
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Post by darkling on Nov 22, 2022 16:58:50 GMT
Yeah I assumed it was normal, but I was so impressed that my new stove was practically silent until now I thought I may have over-fired it yesterday. Just to explain my concern... I've been quite precious about doing everything right with my new stove, but last night, after the initial 30 min burn, I put a couple of logs on with the secondary air still fully open (to give the logs chance to catch flame) but when I returned 5 mins later it was roaring away, and making a quiet clicking sound as it was heating up, so I thought I may have let it heat up too quickly. It wasn't ridiculous though, and only for 5 minutes odd till I shut it down a bit. I can't imagine I've damaged the stove or anything in that time. I suspect it's just colder than the previous times you've used it. As far as I remember, the ticking noise is basically static friction from different bits of metal rubbing against each other along the seams as they expand / contract at different rates - if the stove is colder than other times you've used it, then the amount of expanding is going to be more, and probably a greater difference between the individual plates that make up your stove. I could be wrong of course - just what I've noticed over the years with things like a car engine cooling down, the ticking tends to be more apparent on cold days etc. as different parts cool faster than normal. Yes that could very well be a contributing factor (was very cold last night) although I only heard the ticking noise when I put the first couple of logs on after the initial 30 min burn, when the stove ran away with itself a bit, which is why I was worried I'd maybe over-fired the stove and/or heated it up too quick. Anyway, as others have said (and Google) ticking sounds are normal and I don't think I did anything majorly wrong. Burning wood in a stove isn't an exact science and I can't keep an eye on the stove 100% of the time, so even if I did something wrong I'll just have to live with it. |
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Nov 22, 2022 16:59:40 GMT
Probably worth having a few about then, what with it being fucking bastard freezing all the time. Definitely. We used to stay at a friend's cottage and his dad, who owned it, kept a blowtorch by the fireplace because it was an absolute bugger to get lit and keep lit. Wouldn't have needed it with these. I bought a box of 200 from Amazon and stupidly clicked on the Subscribe and Save link instead of the Buy Once link, so I have about 600 of them. I've cancelled it now. But if we did decide to go all Guy Fawkes...  |
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Post by quadfather on Nov 22, 2022 17:04:58 GMT
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Nov 22, 2022 17:08:32 GMT
quadfather that sort of thing, definitely. I think the ones I bought are called "ecoblaze", but it's the natural ones you want - wood wool and wax, rather than the cheap ones which are a bit more petroleum-y.
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Post by quadfather on Nov 22, 2022 17:30:55 GMT
Just spotted the EcoBlaze ones and put in an order for 200 of them at 18 quid. Do you still need kindling? I normally use newspaper/kindling/logs/coal, kinda in that order to start them off. Guess I don't need the paper using these?
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Nov 22, 2022 17:51:12 GMT
No, I wouldn't bother with paper tbh. I just use a layer (cone) of small twigs to get it going with a layer (cone) of larger ones outside. Then add medium logs, then gigantic ones. |
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minimatt
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hyper mediocrity
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Post by minimatt on Nov 22, 2022 17:52:04 GMT
when in doubt, c4
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Post by quadfather on Nov 22, 2022 17:59:43 GMT
No, I wouldn't bother with paper tbh. I just use a layer (cone) of small twigs to get it going with a layer (cone) of larger ones outside. Then add medium logs, then gigantic ones. Cones of twigs? Isn't it funny, the different ways people do fires. I was just told by my Dad on his method, so I just do that, but I'm actually quite interested in how other people approach it. My sister's fella puts oval brickettes all over the fireplace grate - completely, so it's all covered. Then he basically fucks about in the middle with some twigs, and with a combo of the twigs and putting up a paper sheet/board to make it pull, he just keeps doing that till the ovals go red and then just leaves it. Odd! Also, regarding the c4 comment - I do have an old 1960's jerry can in the house that has fully leaded 4 star petrol in it from around 1970. You have to be fucking careful with petrol as it'll explode, but if you dip some paper into it and sling the paper on, you get a nice little whumph. Get's anything burnt, that stuff. |
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