Best brand of coal to use in a Morso Squirrel?

[Piran]

Have been using whatever I can get my hands on so far but I know some are definitely better than others. Do people tend to prefer certain kinds due to their heat output or other factors? 

[Nightwatch]

We have used Excel for two years now, having tried lots of brands. We are happy with excel.

 

I suspect there will be assorts of different opinions.

[dor]

I'm happy with Excel. 

[rgreg]

Another vote for Excel 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Ash generation seems to be the limiting factor. Too much ash and the fire won't keep in over night, but chokes itself as the air can't get through without the grate being riddled. Different brands generate different amounts. I've only found one brand that was very bad for this, but can't now remember what it was! Other than that, most any will work, but each behaves slightly differently, so find one you like and can get easily and stick with it as much as you can.

Jen

[Rose Narrowboats]

Ask 30 people, you'll probably get 40 different answers.

 

Excel is very corrosive in my experience, but does burn well.

 

Stoveglow is okay, Winterblaze is the best I've ever used: I get very little ash from it (but I've heard others say the opposite) and a very even heat.

 

If you are rich and need smokeless, then try Homefire Ovals; anything smokeless I've ever tried needs the ashpan emptying twice a day compared to every other day with Winterblaze.

[Higgs]

 

Newheat. I set one fire load up at 8.30am, it's still going at 10.15pm. Boat temperature never dropped below 21c. It's 24c now, could turn it down. Will top it up in an hour or so, and stop it down to a quarter turn of the lower vent, with the top completely closed. 

 

 

 

[bagginz]

Another vote for Winterblaze  

 

Pro's:   1. The least ash of any type I've tried.  2.  Economical price  3. Burns long time/recovers well.

Cons:   1. Not approved for smokeless zones - probably because the little smoke it does produce is quite sulphurous.

 

"NewHeat" is a pretty good burn also.  NewHeat is priced higher than Winterblaze but cheaper than Excel (good, but less economical again )

 

Also when it's proper cold, Anthracite.

 

Pro's:   1. Smokeless  2. produces lots of heat when burned properly (hot) 3. Economical  4. Low ash.

Cons:   1. Needs to be burned HOT (lots of air) so best for deep winter.  

 

 

Edited November 6, 2020 by bagginz

[mrsmelly]

We use newheat again this year its my fave by far. Ive tried excel but it stinks. Newheat can slumber for 24 hours plus or give great heat. If its very very cold and plenty of air is allowed to it Anthracite is King, best heat and least ash but hopeless to slumber over long periods it goes out.

[peterboat]

32 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

We use newheat again this year its my fave by far. Ive tried excel but it stinks. Newheat can slumber for 24 hours plus or give great heat. If its very very cold and plenty of air is allowed to it Anthracite is King, best heat and least ash but hopeless to slumber over long periods it goes out.

Ah you see Tim my Rayburn will slumber on anthracite its in the design, Morso are more a wood burner than a coal burner

[mrsmelly]

21 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Ah you see Tim my Rayburn will slumber on anthracite its in the design, Morso are more a wood burner than a coal burner

Yeah anthracite is realy for forced boilers and such as aga and rayburn rather than multi fuel stoves. However I live on a narrowboat at present rather than a comfy boat so a rayburn is out of the question 

[Machpoint005]

Supertherm -- which is also the fuel we use on the open fire and the multifuel stove at home (besides wood).

 

[Slim]

In one marina I used moor in the fellows in the shop told me that the most popular fuel varied year to year. Their turnover  was high and they stocked about 4 brands of smokeless as well as coal.

 

[Athy]

Looks appropriate for a Squirrel.

[bizzard]

The grate area has a lot to do with it too. The bigger the grate the bigger the nuts can be used and the smaller grates smaller nuts. I don't really care which brand of smokeless fuel I use. I pick up bags from anywhere. I have a few 25kg bags of Newheat and Excel and many 10kg bags of Flame from Aldi and Brazier from The Range. Flame and Brazier which is really Multiheat are small nuts ideal for my stove which has a small grate area well bricked out. If I use the the Newheat which are big nuts I have to chop em in half with my chopper on a solid block, one sharp whack does it, ''lockdown winter therapy''. But I do dry all first well before use, especially Excel.  Ash wise I don't notice much difference. Taybrite was was the one that I did notice produced more ash though.

[Sanddancer]

I'm still a great can of RED burns nice and hot little ash and good price.

[bizzard]

I also thoroughly dry Excel before use morso than other makes, dry it so it's not jet black anymore but a dark grey. It seems to be that any moisture in it makes it stink and mixes with it's binding agent that causes the solid concrete in the fluepipe when shut down ticking over, like overnight.

Edited November 6, 2020 by bizzard

[rgreg]

I use these coal inserts in the Squirrel; they act as a kind of funnel for the ash and work really well. 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/squirrel-coal-inserts-hs-150

22 minutes ago, bizzard said:

The grate area has a lot to do with it too. The bigger the grate the bigger the nuts can be used and the smaller grates smaller nuts. I don't really care which brand of smokeless fuel I use. I pick up bags from anywhere. I have a few 25kg bags of Newheat and Excel and many 10kg bags of Flame from Aldi and Brazier from The Range. Flame and Brazier which is really Multiheat are small nuts ideal for my stove which has a small grate area well bricked out. If I use the the Newheat which are big nuts I have to chop em in half with my chopper on a solid block, one sharp whack does it, ''lockdown winter therapy''. But I do dry all first well before use, especially Excel.  Ash wise I don't notice much difference. Taybrite was was the one that I did notice produced more ash though.

I found a significant difference in ash between Aldi Winter Flame and Excel, the Excel being approximately half that of Flame.

[Onewheeler]

Of the restricted range of stuff that I can get readily, phurnacite is my favourite. Low-ish ash, hot, not too expensive.

[Slim]

20 minutes ago, rgreg said:

I use these coal inserts in the Squirrel; they act as a kind of funnel for the ash and work really well. 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/squirrel-coal-inserts-hs-150

I found a significant difference in ash between Aldi Winter Flame and Excel, the Excel being approximately half that of Flame.

Exactly my experience. Heaving the 10kg bags is much easier but against that the frequent topping up and emptying tray / tippy was a bind. 

All a bit academic for me at the moment. 

[bagginz]

36 minutes ago, rgreg said:

I found a significant difference in ash between Aldi Winter Flame and Excel

Yeah, the ash yield can vary enormously.

 

The worst I've had was some B&Q branded stuff which I bought when I was in a pinch.  The volume of ash was almost equal to the volume of unburned fuel.

 

It looks as though they manufacture it by taking some kind of fine sandy stuff as a substrate, mixing it with black petrochemical gunge and pressing it into nuggets.    Leaves mountains of ash/substrate.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2020 by bagginz

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, rgreg said:

I use these coal inserts in the Squirrel; they act as a kind of funnel for the ash and work really well. 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/squirrel-coal-inserts-hs-150

I found a significant difference in ash between Aldi Winter Flame and Excel, the Excel being approximately half that of Flame.

I have those inserts, good kit I find it funnels the coals down in towards the centre without leaving mountains of ash at the sides of the stove inside.

[Tony Brooks]

2 hours ago, Sanddancer said:

I'm still a great can of RED burns nice and hot little ash and good price.

Agreed and doesn't stink as much as Excel but Red is no approved for smokeless zones. However when lighting up i seems to produce less smoke than Excel but that is in a house.

[Higgs]

56 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I have those inserts, good kit I find it funnels the coals down in towards the centre without leaving mountains of ash at the sides of the stove inside.

 

Do they sit firmly, either side and against the fire bricks? They might be what I'm looking for. Was thinking of bricks, or similar. 

 

 

[Glynn]

Newheat, all day long