Not so supertherm

[Jim Riley]

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 add kinbling anb away it'll go.

 

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

So the 4 pees in the last couple of minutes are just a weak bladder?

 

Edit to say I'm a week or so out of date, that was last weeks crumb! Or last weeks has berambulateb.

Edited March 16, 2013 by Jim Riley

[bizzard]

So the 4 pees in the last couple of minutes are just a weak bladder?

No, blabber.

[Starcoaster]

We had some Supertherm on Aldebaran at xmas and it was shite.

 

I'm confused about Stoveglow. I love it and it's what I buy as standard now. I started buying it as it is the cheapest, and kept going back to it after trying other stuff that cost more and wasn't so good.

However, I was given to understand that Stoveglow is a mixture of the loose shovellings, and so what is it in should change with each batch. Yet for using it two winters now and buying it from various different suppliers, it always looks and behaves the same way and appears to be all one type of uniform nuggets in it, so am I wrong in thinking it is a generic blend?

 

The idea of using a coal called 'wildfire' on a boat scares me.

Edited March 16, 2013 by Starcoaster

[Up-Side-Down]

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

What a sheltered upbringing I've had ........ it was always the gonads that fitted that ditty .......

[alan_fincher]

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

 

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.

 

I'm confused about Stoveglow. I love it and it's what I buy as standard now. I started buying it as it is the cheapest, and kept going back to it after trying other stuff that cost more and wasn't so good.

However, I was given to understand that Stoveglow is a mixture of the loose shovellings, and so what is it in should change with each batch. Yet for using it two winters now and buying it from various different suppliers, it always looks and behaves the same way and appears to be all one type of uniform nuggets in it, so am I wrong in thinking it is a generic blend?

No the whole point about Stoveglow is that it can be any of the manufactured smokeless fuels, in any kind of mix, although often any bag, or even collection of bags from the same delivery, is fairly consistent.

 

So one time you may get (say) mostly Taybrite, but another (say) mainly Excel. Obviously most will consider it a better deal if it turns out to be mostly a premium fuel, rather than an economy one, but it is luck of the draw.

 

Its advantage is that it is generally priced less than any of them - if it isn't you are better buying one you actually know you are comfortable with!

 

Perhaps we have just been lucky, but we sucessfully use Stoveglow in the Villager Heron in "Chalice" or in the Epping in "Sickle" without many issues. But we are aware we have to change our firing techniques depending on what comes out of the bag, with the occasional period of being far to hot an obvious consequence of getting it wrong.

 

I've not knowingly encountered Supertherm, (unless it is masquerading as Stoveglow :lol). so can't comment on that one.

Edited March 16, 2013 by alan_fincher

[Starcoaster]

Alan, this was my point exactly... For something that's supposed to be random, I find it always the same, acts the same looks the same and is not variable. This does not make sense. I also have a Heron that it works very well in.

Edited March 16, 2013 by Starcoaster

[alan_fincher]

Alan, this was my point exactly... For something that's supposed to be random, I find it always the same, acts the same looks the same and is not variable. This does not make sense. I also have a Heron that it works very well in.

I can assure you that we have had bags of Stoveglow that are vitually 100% Taybrite, and others that seem to contain no Taybrite at all.

 

I've never bought much else besides Taybrite and Stoveglow, so can't say I can positively ID what's in some bags, but some yield ovoids that are considerably bigger than Taybrite, whereas other have them that are visibly smaller. I've never found more than two different types in a single bag, though.

 

Also the fuels often seem to have rings moulded into each piece, anywhere from zero to three rings. I'm sure a real solid fuel anorak could probably say what's in any particular bag of Stoveglow on opening, but I reserve my "anaorakdom" for other things!

 

Oh, I don't know though.... (:LOL).

 

Here we go for some advice on at least spotting Homefire Ovals or Phurnicite!

 

Linky

 

EDITED TO ADD:

 

Look at sample fuel shown here - it is clearly a mix.

 

Mark on Callisto (Star Class Carrying) advertises it on here as Random mixed ovals with medium heat.

Edited March 16, 2013 by alan_fincher

[PiRSqwared]

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!

 

Yes she is very friendly, but saying she comes up the Stort is a bit of a stretch - Brick Lock/Roydon Marina is about as far as she ever gets. Phil on Hyperion will rip you off even less!

[Dominic M]

I find this interesting. I now sell coal from the wharf at Stowe Hill and I took advice from Iain and Alison on Gosty Hill when that coal boat was running a service from Shackerstone to Claydon top. He stated that the two big sellers by a country mile were Stoveglow and Supertherm, and that Stoveglow had eclipsed Taybrite almost entirely on their round. It is NOT the sweepings from the yard; it is a product made by KG Smith, the Northampton wholesaler coal merchants, and it is also not a combination of other smokeless fuels bunged together. I can say that it is the most popular coal we sell, both to boats and households, followed by the slightly more expensive Supertherm. I burn the latter at home as well on a multi fuel stove. I don't know what problem the OP suffered, but I find it excellent and consistently so.

[josiejo]

how do you mean phil on hyperion will rip you off even less .Are the other coal boats riping people off.jj

[PiRSqwared]

how do you mean phil on hyperion will rip you off even less .Are the other coal boats riping people off.jj

 

No, just that in my experience his prices are very competitive.

[alan_fincher]

It is NOT the sweepings from the yard;

I don't think anybody has claimed it is, are they?

 

and it is also not a combination of other smokeless fuels bunged together

 

Really?

 

 

I can say that it is the most popular coal we sell, both to boats and households,

Yes, again nobody denies that, I think.

 

A local retailer I have bought from says that sales of many other things nearly stopped when he started supplying it.

 

But the clear reason why is that it is the cheapest, and visibly contains other fuel that sells at far higher prices.

 

If all your stuff comes in looking consistent, I can say with absolute certainty that that is far from the case amongst some of the bags I've bought.

 

I'm not knocking it at all - it is the best value, but a different batch regularly has a quite different mix of ovoids from the last.

 

How come for just about every other brand you can go and find a calorific value, but so far as I'm aware this is not available for Stoveglow? (Now awaits being given a link to somewhere quoting it!....)

[Dominic M]

I don't think anybody has claimed it is, are they?

Didn't Starry say something along those lines? Maybe that was on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or LinkedIn. Or Bebo, Friendster, Hi5, NING, MyLife, My Yearbook, or Tagged. I can't keep track

Really?

Keith Smith will tell you they make Stoveglow. I think you'll find the photo you have pinched from the CoalsRus website shows the StoveGlow ovals. Many of which have broken, because they do quite easily. I mean, Alan, you trying being humped around in a sack and then slammed onto the back of a flat bed lorry with several tons stacked on top of you, and see if you don't look like a collection of several human beings just chucked into the same bit of skin as a result.

[Chris Pink]

KG Smith don't make coal. They are coal merchants.

Edited March 17, 2013 by Chris Pink

[Dominic M]

KG Smith don't make coal. They are coal merchants.

Stoveglow is their product, Chris. I know them, and it is also on every bag of SG you buy. If it isn't, it's not the genuine article.

[Chris Pink]

I don't say they don't bag it and name it. They don't make it. They are not a solid fuel manufacturer.

[nb Innisfree]

I can confirm that some Stoveglow consists of different fuels, for a while we used it and it did used to vary, one lot consisted mostly of what looked exactly like Excel and burned the same.

[Starcoaster]

It's the KG Smith stoveglow that I have, and I may be wrong but I do find it very uniform and would say if I had to guess based on what I have had that it was the same thing each time.

I also thought/think, as Chris says, that KG Smith are the merchants, ie that they buy coal loose in bulk and bag it in their liveried sacks that say 'merchant' on them, rather than that they produce it.

[trackman]

Interesting thread, we've also noticed more ash in some smokeless fuels the last couple of winters. Where we've been Taybrite has gone right off, loads of fine grey ash like cement dust in the ash pan

Newheat has been a popular and cheaper alternative, but a couple of recent batches of that has been noticeably more ashy too. The price is creeping up as well, sadly.

[alan_fincher]

Keith Smith will tell you they make Stoveglow. I think you'll find the photo you have pinched from the CoalsRus website shows the StoveGlow ovals. Many of which have broken, because they do quite easily. I mean, Alan, you trying being humped around in a sack and then slammed onto the back of a flat bed lorry with several tons stacked on top of you, and see if you don't look like a collection of several human beings just chucked into the same bit of skin as a result.

We could go round in circles here Dominic, and it seems I'll not convince you.

 

I think all the Stoveglow I have bought is probably branded K G Smith, but I may be wrong.

 

That's because nearly everything, I buy from anyone seems to have been sourced from them, including the Taybrite, I think.

 

I know with absolute certainty that I have bags of StoveGlow that contain the "marked" fuels such a Taybrite that usually has a deep single ring around its smallest circumference, and others that are unmarked, and the ovoids are a quite different size. (When you are putting them in something as small as an Epping you do notice that it takes more pieces of one type than another!).

 

I'll try to note what is coming out of the currently open bag on both boats when I'm next there. Both came from Jules Fuels I think, but supplied in different years.

 

Can you provide a link to anywhere that says K G Smith manufacture, rather than just resell smokeless fuels? I couldn't find anything last time I looked.

[tug-major]

One of the best coals out there right now for your money is Puregolw 25kg bags for £9

 

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'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.

 

 

Sorry don't think they be putting supertherm on the bag lose lots of money by doing that !

 

I use Pureglow all there time best fuel out there now !

[alan_fincher]

I find this interesting. I now sell coal from the wharf at Stowe Hill and I took advice from Iain and Alison on Gosty Hill when that coal boat was running a service from Shackerstone to Claydon top. He stated that the two big sellers by a country mile were Stoveglow and Supertherm, and that Stoveglow had eclipsed Taybrite almost entirely on their round. It is NOT the sweepings from the yard; it is a product made by KG Smith, the Northampton wholesaler coal merchants, and it is also not a combination of other smokeless fuels bunged together. I can say that it is the most popular coal we sell, both to boats and households, followed by the slightly more expensive Supertherm.

OK, for those who are interested in the exact Stoveglow explanation from K.G.Smith's themselves, I have posted the answer here.....

 

What Exactly Is Stoveglow.

[pearley]

Cruising around, we have to take what fuel is available in the area we are in when we need it. For most of the winter it has been Taybrite, at very different prices, but here at Diglis in Worcester it is Supertherm.

 

Jeannette and I think it's great, although the pieces are rather large for our Boatman.

 

Best Regards

Pete

[Shropshirecoal]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here,

 

Just to help explain why people may be finding problems with certain fuels.

 

There are two versions of supertherm

Version 1 contains mostly anthracite with a small amount of Medium volatile coal mixed in, this will be more difficult to light but burnt correctly will provide a longer fire and is the better quality fuel.

 

Version 2 contains approximately equal parts petcoke and anthracite, this will light easier and give a better flame picture but wont be as long lasting as version 1.

 

For those using excel, this contain as much as 75% petcoke and this explains why it burns so well. Petcoke is a by product of oil refining and is only approved for use in smokeless fuels when it has a low sulphur content. Its not very friendly to stoves as it burns very hot without leaving much ash, so in excel Its mixed with volatile coal and coke which produces ash to help prevent too much damage to grates. High level petcoke fuels can also produce corrosive flue gas that can perforate stainless steel flues.

 

Regards

 

Jeff

[matty40s]

Thank-you for that and welcome to the forum.

For the first time this year I experienced large amounts of "clinker", basically rocks formed when burning excel - which were sometimes bigger than any nuggets used, and at one point, caused damage to my rotating grate.

What causes this and why hasn't excel formed this previously. (I have lived aboard for 5years and the stove is lit October to March as a rule)