Keeping the fire lit overnight...

[Guest]

Anybody out there boating at the mo. got advice.

 

We have a Morso Squirrel and burn both coal and logs. Each morning we have remnants of hot coals in the grate but the potential to re-light/keep the fire going is obviously there.

 

I know Morso say it's bad for the environment to keep it going overnight but this is only for for a few days each time we are out in winter, don't think that will kill (m)any whales....

 

So how to do it???

[bizzard]

Anybody out there boating at the mo. got advice.

 

We have a Morso Squirrel and burn both coal and logs. Each morning we have remnants of hot coals in the grate but the potential to re-light/keep the fire going is obviously there.

 

I know Morso say it's bad for the environment to keep it going overnight but this is only for for a few days each time we are out in winter, don't think that will kill (m)any whales....

 

So how to do it???

Empty the ashpan,I presume your using smokeless nuts. If its got a top air vent almost close it.Don't only riddle the grate but use a poker to run up and down the fire bars too,then get the fire bed burning bright then bank it up for the night covering the grate properly then turn bottom air control in to about 1 turn open from closed.In the morning open the bottom ashpan door,do not riddle or touch the fire,fire should recover after a while and when burning brightly riddle ashes away and top up with more coal. If out in the morning and there is just burnt out ash there was either too much bottom air or not enough coal on.If out in the morning with unburnt coal left in it,not enough bottom air or grate wasn't cleaned properly.

After banking it up for the night you can liberally sprinkle ash all over the coals before you close it down,this will cause it to tick over very gently,again in the morning don't touch it just open the bottom door.

[Grace and Favour]

Anybody out there boating at the mo. got advice.

 

We have a Morso Squirrel and burn both coal and logs. Each morning we have remnants of hot coals in the grate but the potential to re-light/keep the fire going is obviously there.

 

I know Morso say it's bad for the environment to keep it going overnight but this is only for for a few days each time we are out in winter, don't think that will kill (m)any whales....

 

So how to do it???

 

Martin,

 

We've kept our Squirrel alight 24/7 since mid October . . . .

 

I guess that the fuel one uses will have some bearing upon the results (we use Supertherm at night)

 

From late afternoon/early evening we avoid riddling the ash, and make sure we are using coal (we may burn wood in the day)

 

Before retiring (for the night) make sure we've a reasonable fire-bed, and then add a dozen coal briquettes.

Close the bottom air vent - and then turn open 1/4 turn.

Close the top air vent - and then turn open 1/4 turn.

 

Then leave until the following morn

 

On rising (this is normally the job of that morning's tea volunteer!) - open the bottom firedoor (ash-can door) a smidgeon, open both air vents

Gently riddle the grate

 

Finish brewing the tea, and enjoy.

 

10/15 minutes later your Squirrel will display an healthy glow

[nicknorman]

Martin,

 

We've kept our Squirrel alight 24/7 since mid October . . . .

 

I guess that the fuel one uses will have some bearing upon the results (we use Supertherm at night)

 

From late afternoon/early evening we avoid riddling the ash, and make sure we are using coal (we may burn wood in the day)

 

Before retiring (for the night) make sure we've a reasonable fire-bed, and then add a dozen coal briquettes.

Close the bottom air vent - and then turn open 1/4 turn.

Close the top air vent - and then turn open 1/4 turn.

 

Then leave until the following morn

 

On rising (this is normally the job of that morning's tea volunteer!) - open the bottom firedoor (ash-can door) a smidgeon, open both air vents

Gently riddle the grate

 

Finish brewing the tea, and enjoy.

 

10/15 minutes later your Squirrel will display an healthy glow

Yup totally agree with that. Smokeless fossil fuel of some sort, 1/4 turn open for each vent. It is hard to do if burning only wood. We can run our squirrel slowly when it is not too cold outside, so that it only needs refuelling once every 24 hrs

[Chertsey]

Both the Squirrel on Bakewell and the Epping on Chertsey have now been in for twelve days solid and counting. I don't think this necessarily uses much more fuel than letting it go out and relighting it, particularly when you take into account the extra energy that goes into heating a space from cold rather than just maintaining a certain level of heat. Anyway, leaving that aside...

 

I have come to the conclusion that the trick is not to do anything drastic. If you want more or less heat, change it gradually. If it's almost gone out, don't try to get it going again with lots of air, that sudden burst might burn out the embers before they have the chance to get going again and ignite new fuel. Open it up a little bit, riddle it a little bit, and be patient. Particularly with the Epping, I have been riddling it very gently, sometimes just one 'gap' each time, and letting a layer of ash build up. This way, and by keeping the damper and drawer open only a crack, I have achieved the holy grail of keeping warm and banishing damp without turning the back cabin into a sauna.

 

Twice we have been away from the boat for a full ten hours and both fires have still been going on our return. This is using Taybrite, although I'm not sure if that's significant.

[sheriff]

I dont normaly keep my fire going all night,unless its getting towards freezing,which it has just started to happen last couple of nights..........I have a morso...I find it gets to hot in my boat anyway so I have relined the morso again and placed a brick in the back to reduce the area. also good for doing jacket spuds...I only use homefire...and turn top vent off and keep bottom vent open slightly...some times I put some ash on top........and the fire stays lite till next morning.

 

which is 4 or 5am for me as I like to go jogging when no else is about........I noticed that bigger boats have problems heating the whole of there boat

[mrsmelly]

Anybody out there boating at the mo. got advice.

 

We have a Morso Squirrel and burn both coal and logs. Each morning we have remnants of hot coals in the grate but the potential to re-light/keep the fire going is obviously there.

 

I know Morso say it's bad for the environment to keep it going overnight but this is only for for a few days each time we are out in winter, don't think that will kill (m)any whales....

 

So how to do it???

 

we never used wood on the squirrells over the years. It is easy to get a squirrell to stay in for more than 24 hours so overnight is a doddle/ We lit our stove on this boat in October it will remain in till april ish. Letting it out uses nearly as much fuel with faffing about re liting and the temp in the boat especialy 2nite would drop too bloody cold. Just riddle it before bed and dump ashes if full stick plenty fuel on, bottom spinner open half to one turn, top spinner half a turn. Never fails. In morning quick riddle and open bottom spinner a bit, job done.

Edited January 14, 2012 by mrsmelly

[Guest wanted]

Ours has been in for a couple of Months now and should be in until mid March. It took a while to learn but a few frozen mornings is a great teacher. I agree with Chertsey, no sudden movements and you should be fine.

[Duchess Omnium]

Hi. I am definitely with Grace and Favour rather than Bizzard (who I hate to disagree with, because I know he is full of interesting wheezes). But I am pretty handy with my fire. Last year, when it was really cold, I kept the stove going continuously for 3 months and only miscalculated twice, letting it go out.

 

For lighting the stove Bizzard is right: you need to have an empty ashpan. But for keeping it in all night I find it helpful to have a full ashpan as well as the stove turned down very low. That way you will harm very few whales because the stove will only barely stay lit. The ash in the pan naturally keeps the stove damped down. In the morning, open the door and riddle the fire gently. The advice not to do too much too suddenly is very good. Put a few new pieces of coal on and riddle some more. Coax it gently back to life. Of course this very low burn technique does sometimes go wrong. But mostly I save a lot of fuel and keep the fire going.

 

If you have an empty pan over night my experience is that the coal burns much faster when you don't need it, and you waste a lot more coal.

 

Btw, I use supertherm. I haven't done any experimenting. Just someone told me it was good for keeping the fire in, and I am mostly successful so I have stuck to it.

[Smelly]

I worry all the time about our squirrel getting too hot. I believe you need some heat through the night but once you're in bed, ie 3 duvets later, you can afford to keep your fire low. If you don't do this, the heat concentrates upwardly in one area and can get too hot if you're not careful. To be on the safe side, I put my electric blanket on full before bed :-), put a small amount of coal on the fire and turn it right down for the night. I feel safer this way. It smoulders all night without any heat output but if you're warm in bed you don't need it. Then, in the morning, you open the valves and add more fuel to warm up the boat. This way you're awake to keep an eye on it.

 

Electric Blanket!!!

 

Blimey...

 

Love whales; stick a kettle on the fire and fill a hot water bottle.

[Pentargon]

Electric Blanket!!!

 

Blimey...

 

Love whales; stick a kettle on the fire and fill a hot water bottle.

 

This is seriously but unresistable: Shackelton and Edmund Hillary would be proud of you softies with your electric blankets and hot water bottles.

It's only -8 at the worst tonight. How about a hot whiskey bottle? LOL

Edited January 15, 2012 by Pentargon

[cheshire~rose]

It will depend a lot on the type of fuel you are using but another good way to damp down the fire before retiring for the night is to sprinkle it with the dust you find in the bottom of the scuttle/bag. If you then spray that with some water it can set into a crust over the top of the fire. In the morning let air in at the base and use a poker to break the crust formed on the top and you have a glowing fire to greet you.

I used to just have a single open fire grate in a house I lived in and used to keep the fire in 24/7. This was essential because I had a tiny baby at the time and was up in the night feeding and changing her.

The main problem with this idea is that you do not tend to get a lot of dust when you get coal delivered in plastic bags. Our's was tipped into a bunker and we used to save all the dust in a bucket just to use over night.

[cotswoldsman]

Sleep less!!!

[dor]

When I had a squirrel, using excel, at night I would riddle, top up with coal, completely close top vent and open bottom vent about half. Would be good for 12 hours. Could just about do 8 hours on wood. Similar with my current Brunel 1A.

[mrsmelly]

To be on the safe side, I put my electric blanket on full before bed :-),

 

:lol: Yor avin a laaaaarf.does one have the butler turn the sheet down for you ?

[Chertsey]

I do wonder also whether it is easier keeping the fire ticking over low for a long time when the weather is milder. If the ambient temperature is higher then less fuel will be needed to provide sufficient heat to keep the fire burning? If so, then I've obviously been having it easy and the true test is yet to come. Although the ambient temperature in the back cabin is nice and mild!

[bottle]

Martin

 

As you can see, if not already bored, there is no definitive answer.

 

Just to give another method, we have a Squirrel (1430 Cleanheat model)

 

Final thing at night.

 

Empty the ash pan.

 

Riddle well with a poker, leave ash in pan

 

Close door and open bottom vent fully, to get embers glowing red hot.

 

When embers glowing well fill grate with Supertherm to just above front grill level.

 

Close door and bottom vent fully.

 

Leave top vent fully open, ours is at the back and controlled by lever at front.

 

In the morning, open bottom vent, maximum one turn. To much will blow the fire out.

 

When a good glow can be seen through the glass, go back to the beginning.

[jelunga]

:lol: Yor avin a laaaaarf.does one have the butler turn the sheet down for you ?

Dont laugh. If you have mains hook up it is pence ti use an electric blanket on low. One of the best winter devices we have bought. But, we do not have a solid fuel stove. I am loath to leave the Bubble on over night because even on the lowest setting it is too hot! Plus if the wind gets up, we have winds that change direction constantly which give us back draughts and I dont breath diesel fumes well

Edited January 15, 2012 by jelunga

[Guest]

Thanks all - we will give things a go tonight.

[blackrose]

I don't keep the fire in all the time unless I'm on board - it's too expensive. I'm mainly burning wood this year as I have a good supply and you can't really keep wood burning all night even with big logs, so on the weekends I just relight the stove in the morning. If it's cold like now then I'll put smokeless coal on and it will stay in all night and then I'll just put some logs on in the morning, but during the week I go to work so I won't bother putting more fuel on to keep the boat warm when I'm out all day.

Edited January 16, 2012 by blackrose

[Guest]

Success guys - banked it up with coal last thing, reduced the top/back vent and the bottom - still glowing this morning - chucked a couple of logs on - opened the vents and she was away..

 

Thanks again.

[bottle]

Just in time for the warm weather.

[Guest]

Just in time for the warm weather.

 

 

Matters not - we are back home now but yes forecast 10 degrees c up here tommorrow - break out the sun cream!!!

[Timleech]

Anybody out there boating at the mo. got advice.

 

We have a Morso Squirrel and burn both coal and logs. Each morning we have remnants of hot coals in the grate but the potential to re-light/keep the fire going is obviously there.

 

I know Morso say it's bad for the environment to keep it going overnight but this is only for for a few days each time we are out in winter, don't think that will kill (m)any whales....

 

So how to do it???

 

What's their reasoning for it being bad for the environment, assuming that you do want the background heat at night?

I can understand it if burning wood, which can give off all sorts of nasties if burned very slowly and especially so if not thoroughly seasoned. Not sure that the same applies to smokeless fuels though?

 

Incidentally we have a squirrel in the spare room in the house, with full height chimney. It doesn't get a lot of use but we did have it going last winter for a few days when the weather was very cold, ticking over slowly with smokeless fuel. As has been said, 24 hours with smokeless is easy. One evening the CO alarm went berserk, the fire had started burning backwards, evidently the result of a temperature inversion outside. A hot fire would no doubt have kept going properly with no problem. I ended up having to shovel out all the burning coals & take them outside, then leave doors & windows open for quite a while on a very cold night until the CO level - plus the fumes from carrying the hot coals - had subsided.

 

Tim

[soldthehouse]

:lol: Yor avin a laaaaarf.does one have the butler turn the sheet down for you ?

Ours does!