Not so supertherm

[CathyC]

What on Earth has happened to this once great cheap alternative to Homefire Ovals? The stuff will hardly burn, and when it does it virtually goes out after an hour or two and creates a mountain of dust.

I've been attributing the general decline in coal performance in recent years to the wet weather, but even accounting for that Supertherm really has gone down the (ash) pan.

[dmr]

Get yourself a bag of budget anthracite...you will never complain about Supertherm after that!!!!

 

...........Dave

[Lady Muck]

I gave up with it this year. Really rubbish compared to last winter. Rumours abound that they changed suppliers. It seems to be mostly cement in it now!

[Grace and Favour]

I think that CPL are chasing higher profits - - -

 

Whilst I use mainly Welsh (Black Diamond) Anthracite - - - - - Excel is still OK

[Donald Gilchrist]

Never liked it, have been using the cheepest going and its been fine. Whatever hapened to coal? Havent seen it for sale in a long time, think the last time I got a bag was from a coal boat.

[luctor et emergo]

The mixed Ovals that I carry are very good. A mixture of my suppliers Excel, Phurnacite, Homefire Ovals, and some others. Burns very well, and long. I had my Boatmanstove going for over 15 hours the other night. The Excel on it's own is also very good, if more expensive.

As a side note, I have had good results with a mix of Anthracite and either Excel or Mixed. The Anthracite on its own is hot, but won't burn very happy without constant working on it. Won't stay in lo g either. Mixed up it stays in, and burns hot. I'm contantly having to open doors now.

 

Agree that the manufactured smokeless seems to have more ash than before.

[CathyC]

I gave up with it this year. Really rubbish compared to last winter. Rumours abound that they changed suppliers. It seems to be mostly cement in it now!

This is what I've heard, and it certainly looks like it. I was blaming my stove for ages. Ended up getting a new one (I needed a larger one anyway).

Yeah, Excell's way better. Liz coalboat is now stocking it, but she says not many are buying it.

 

I think that CPL are chasing higher profits - - -

 

Whilst I use mainly Welsh (Black Diamond) Anthracite - - - - - Excel is still OK

I've not heard of CPL. Which brands are anthracite?

In my experience ALL coals are variable now, but because Excell's better in the first place it does better even when wet.

I'd been putting this down to increasing wet weather, but maybe you're right and it's something that the coal producers are doing.

The coal I get from the marina does seem to burn better than the coalboat stuff, which has been sitting in their hulls, but sometimes that is a bit iffy too.

 

By the way, be careful with Pureglow. They're filling their bags with Supertherm more often than not these days.

[blackrose]

This is what I've heard, and it certainly looks like it. I was blaming my stove for ages. Ended up getting a new one (I needed a larger one anyway).

Yeah, Excell's way better. Liz coalboat is now stocking it, but she says not many are buying it.

 

I thought she'd sold up? Are we thinking of the same Liz?

[ChimneyChain]

We use stoveglow on our fire, £8.80 a bag, very good IMO

 

Darren

[CathyC]

I thought she'd sold up? Are we thinking of the same Liz?

She never did sell in the end and currently runs between up the Lee & Stort and Kensal Green. She's great. Lets you know when she and Steve are coming, is polite and friendly and doesn't rip you off. Praise be to the god of coalboats!

 

We use stoveglow on our fire, £8.80 a bag, very good IMO

 

Darren

I must say I hated Stoveglow when I used it, but when the weather's milder why not, and anything's better than S/therm.

[Athy]

Taybrite for us. It takes a while to get it going but, once alight, burns for hours and exudes plenty of heat. Often it stays in overnight in our (house) stove.

To get a fire going quickly you can't beat "heat logs". I think they're made of compressed shavings. I bought some following a recommendation from a CWF member (can't remember who, but thank you) and now use them regularly.

[CathyC]

Taybrite for us. It takes a while to get it going but, once alight, burns for hours and exudes plenty of heat. Often it stays in overnight in our (house) stove.

To get a fire going quickly you can't beat "heat logs". I think they're made of compressed shavings. I bought some following a recommendation from a CWF member (can't remember who, but thank you) and now use them regularly.

Yes, I gave up Taybrite for Super a few years ago because it burned better but might try it again. A CC friend said he didn't like Taybrite coz you couldn't burn it low without it going out.

[josiejo]

how much is excel

[Athy]

Yes, I gave up Taybrite for Super a few years ago because it burned better but might try it again. A CC friend said he didn't like Taybrite coz you couldn't burn it low without it going out.

That may depend on his stove. Ours at home is a Clearview. We turn the dampers down at night and, as long as it was well established in the first place, the fire is still glowing red in the morning, eight hours later.

[bizzard]

For people having trouble getting their stove going a bag of small house coal ''10kg'' will last all winter for easy lighting, once going switch to whatever smokeless you use.

Muliti-heat is another good smokeless, a mix of two sizes of nuts.

[Athy]

a mix of two sizes of nuts.

Isn't there a rugby song on that subject? Or am I confusing it with the limerick about a girl from Devizes?

[canals are us?]

I use wildfire in my woodwarm stove onboard. I pay £9.25 for 25kg and find it good as you get a nice flame. It stays in no trouble on my stove for 12 hours plus and still burns when the air controls are re opened. Nice to be able to go off for the day and come back to a warm boat and the fire still going

Wildfire is a blend of anthracite, housecoal and unfortunately petroleum coke to give heat. I find it great and it burns to a powdery fluffy ash. It's meant for open fires and isn't smokeless but I get very little smoke.

Taybright I find is also good but takes more lighting, I use kindling to get it going or as said a bit of house coal. Stays in well too and I pay about £10.50 for 25kg locally.

 

James

Edited March 16, 2013 by canals are us?

[Grace and Favour]

 

 

I've not heard of CPL. Which brands are anthracite?

 

Anthracite is a pure mined smokeless coal

 

There are various countries that provide it - but Welsh Anthracite (a quality known as Black Diamond) is amongst the best.

 

It leaves very little ash - burns hot, but won't burn slowly (it won't stay ion overnight on its own - so I mix it with Excel when we turn in for the night)

 

There are various graded sizes of Anthracite (generally 'small' (about 5cm pieces) is the optimum for general burning in a small boat stove.

 

 

CPL (link) are a National manufacturer and distributor of (amongst other things) coal products - Supertherm is one of their brands

[Up-Side-Down]

Isn't there a rugby song on that subject? Or am I confusing it with the limerick about a girl from Devizes?

I don't think girls have them .......... but I might have got it wrong ........

[Grace and Favour]

There was a young girl from Devizes

Who had breasts of different sizes

One was quite small

Almost nothing at all

But the other was big and won prizes

 

 

 

 

One could, of course, alter the gender of the character, and the nature of the glands, and the limerick would still scan

 

[CathyC]

how much is excel

Moving swiftly on, Excell is £10 a bag, but it's the best, better than Homefire, which is £12.

 

That may depend on his stove. Ours at home is a Clearview. We turn the dampers down at night and, as long as it was well established in the first place, the fire is still glowing red in the morning, eight hours later.

That used to be the case with my old fire (Acorn), until things started going pear-shaped with the coal. I've now got a new Heron Villager, but if I closed both vents these days it would always go out within a few hours, whatever coal was on it.

 

Sorry, old fire was an Arrow.

[dmr]

I use wildfire in my woodwarm stove onboard. I pay £9.25 for 25kg and find it good as you get a nice flame. It stays in no trouble on my stove for 12 hours plus and still burns when the air controls are re opened. Nice to be able to go off for the day and come back to a warm boat and the fire still going

Wildfire is a blend of anthracite, housecoal and unfortunately petroleum coke to give heat. I find it great and it burns to a powdery fluffy ash. It's meant for open fires and isn't smokeless but I get very little smoke.

Taybright I find is also good but takes more lighting, I use kindling to get it going or as said a bit of house coal. Stays in well too and I pay about £10.50 for 25kg locally.

 

James

 

Wildfire is very good coal, and very popular on the K&A. However using it will almost certainly invalidate the guarantee on your new expensive stove.

We used it loads on the old stove but have decided not to use it on the new one. I think the problem is that it can burn too hot due to the petroleum products that it contains, though as long as you are aware of this and don't go for a mega-burn you will most likely be ok.

 

.........Dave

[Psycloud]

 

Taybright I find is also good but takes more lighting, I use kindling to get it going or as said a bit of house coal. Stays in well too and I pay about £10.50 for 25kg locally.

 

James

 

After trying many we've stuck on Taybrite over the winter - will stay going for a good 12hrs, had 15hrs out of it at some points. We've found the quickest way to set the fire (from scratch) is a handful of kindling with 3 heatlogs (the compressed sawdust ones that cost £5 for a large bag, not the ones Tesco sell) perched on top ad a couple of bits of firelighter underneath. Light that lot, leave the botom vent door wide open then after 5 mins chuck some Taybrite on and keep the vent door open until fully alight then shut the door and control with the vent slider.

 

Our lounge/diner area is about 30' and the stove (Villager Chelsea Duo) and with Taybrite we can get it anywhere between 20 and 30 degrees in midwinter.

[canals are us?]

Wildfire is very good coal, and very popular on the K&A. However using it will almost certainly invalidate the guarantee on your new expensive stove.

We used it loads on the old stove but have decided not to use it on the new one. I think the problem is that it can burn too hot due to the petroleum products that it contains, though as long as you are aware of this and don't go for a mega-burn you will most likely be ok.

 

.........Dave

 

I don't know the petro coke content of wildfire but if it's less than 20% I'm ok as woodwarm say not to burn any coal with a petro coke content higher than 20%. I don't have it blazing anyway, but have enquired on the Coke content of wildfire.

I had a villager berkley boiler stove in a house and burnt all house coal in it for 2 whole winters, 7 months each continuous use as it was a boiler stove and touch wood the grate and everything else was still as new. It had a hard life, as even though the boiler was rated at 7.6kw it heated a 10.6kw heating system no trouble!! Hot water and 5 rads (4 doubles) Housecoal generally not recommended by most stove manufacturers.

 

James

Edited March 16, 2013 by canals are us?

[bizzard]

Cheap firelighters can be homemabe. Half fill a glass jam jar with old paint thinners, biesel fuel, paraffin ect ''NOT petrol'' fill with bry thin sticks and let em soak. Set light to a stick, place on the grate abb kinbling anb away it'll go.

 

Sorry but I have another biscuit crumb unber a key anb am substituting the letter B insteab.

Edited March 16, 2013 by bizzard