Morso Squirrel Recommendation

[brum]

Hi

Can anyone suggest or recommend the best coal fuel to use on my Morso Squirrel please.

This is the first time I have had one fitted on a n/b so would appreciate any advice.

 

Regards

Brum

[bigste]

Lots of threads on this subject but it's a case of what's available really.

[Dave_P]

Depends what important to you. Low ash? High Temp? Long Burn? Smokeless? Try a few and see what works for you.

[Taslim]

Once you get the knack of the stove a Squirel will burn anything that has been alive.

 

As per Dave-P. + If I'm parked neaar others I would favour Phurnacite type fuel so as not to upset the neighbours with smoke but on home ground I use the cheapest coal I can get.

 

How it performs is up to how well you regulate & maintain the machine.

[bottle]

tried a few now using Excel, fairly low ash and works for us.

 

As with all fuels it comes down to a balance of what you want to pay and what you get, it is not always the most expensive that are the best.

[Kae]

I'm working through a variety of coals to see which I prefer. Last winter I ran my Squirrel entirely on Excel, and it was great. My only complaint is the smell is horrible when you have to open the door to add fuel.

 

Taybrite smells better, but the ash is horrendous.

[dor]

My vote is for Excel. Used it on my Squirrel and now use it on my Brunel.

Be aware that it can burn very hot, and if you run the stove very hard it will burn the grate. But then most coals will to a greater or lesser degree, but Excel will burn slightly hotter than Taybright when pushed. But then most of us are usually trying to keep the stove as low as possible rather than running flat out.

[Grace and Favour]

OP - We are extremely happy with burning Anthracite during the day - smokeless and good heat

Overnight we use Excel or Supertherm, or Superglow (all smokeless briquettes) because they all stay in well over the night without attention.

 

We light our fire only once per winter, (late October this year) and it will run 24/7 until we let it out when the weather warms up in 2014

[debbifiggy]

Hi

Can anyone suggest or recommend the best coal fuel to use on my Morso Squirrel please.

This is the first time I have had one fitted on a n/b so would appreciate any advice.

 

Regards

Brum

We recently replaced our old Squirrel with a new one. The new Squirrel seems to be a much lower spec that the old one (which was 27 years old!) and we were suprised to read in the offical Morso bumpf that Squirrel's are intended only for use with wood and that in the UK only wood should be used. Also if using a short flue (as on most boats) the baffle plate must be removed. We've got a back boiler so the baffle plate had to be removed anyhow. We also bought some "cheeks" as this means the bottom grate is more protected from burning out and the air flow is improved as we generally only burn Taybright. Over the years this has become our preferred fuel as it is easy to control and on our old stove we could keep the fire in for up to 36 hrs without too much trouble. Still getting used to the new stove but hopefully we'll have it sussed soon. We are also considering getting some logs for early evening and weekend burning.

Debbi

[Kae]

Hi Debbi,

 

Are you sure they recommend removing the baffle plate and not the flue hood? I've just checked the manual for my Squirrel 1410 and the only recommendation is not to use the inverted hood inside the stove on the start of the flue in that instance?

 

Further, the last chapter of the manual goes on to say how to use smokeless fuels instead of wood in their stoves. Recommended at the side grate inserts that reduce the internal volume (or you can put a brick either side which is what I've done).

 

Not trying to contradict, just very different than what's recommended in my manual for the 1410 and the one I can find online

[debbifiggy]

Hi Debbi,

 

Are you sure they recommend removing the baffle plate and not the flue hood? I've just checked the manual for my Squirrel 1410 and the only recommendation is not to use the inverted hood inside the stove on the start of the flue in that instance?

 

Further, the last chapter of the manual goes on to say how to use smokeless fuels instead of wood in their stoves. Recommended at the side grate inserts that reduce the internal volume (or you can put a brick either side which is what I've done).

 

Not trying to contradict, just very different than what's recommended in my manual for the 1410 and the one I can find online

Yep, fitted the side grate inserts like you (cheeks) and they work fine. Can't remember now if it was the baffle plate or flue hood, will have to have another read. It does say in the manual you can burn smokeless fuels but it then goes on to say somewhere that it's not recommended and something to do with English regs (possibly to do with air pollution or smokeless zones? I'll have to have read of the green insert to the manual again). Also the guarantee is not valid if burn anything other than wood and also not valid unless fitted by a Morso approved installer! We've got the 4130 model with the airwash that only seems to work to keep the glass door clear if you burn wood. :-)

Edited November 8, 2013 by debbifiggy

[Boaty Jo]

Beware of Petrocoke.

Ok, ours is a Becton Bunny but the manual specifically states not to use it as it's too hot.

Friend of mine, with another make of fire I can't remember, tried it and his baffle-plate distorted and grate collapsed.

 

Squirrel may be ok of course - better check.

[FidoDido]

Morso don't have Excel as a recommended fuel, so if there is any sort of guarantee, it might void it? Check their website for details.

 

If you aren't worried about that, try a range and see what suits best. Its a great stove, and very easy to control the burn.

 

My favourites are phurnacite and ecoal50.

[Shropshirecoal]

Morso don't have Excel as a recommended fuel, so if there is any sort of guarantee, it might void it? Check their website for details.

 

If you aren't worried about that, try a range and see what suits best. Its a great stove, and very easy to control the burn.

 

My favourites are phurnacite and ecoal50.

I dont think a single stove manufacturer out there will recommend excel due to its high level of petroleum coke (up to 75%)

[MtB]

The best smokeless fuel is always whatever the coal boat has on board...

 

 

MtB

[alan_fincher]

I've not seen this Coal Merchants Federation listing before, I think.....

 

May be useful in as much as it says what fuels should not be used in certain types of stoves.

 

Interesting that it says Excel is only suitable for open fires, as I have seen it sold for boat use, and open fires in them are quite rare!

 

Also says that Taybrite and Surefire are the same product - if I ever knew that I had forgotten!

[matty40s]

I have been using Excel for the majority of the last 5 years, close run thing with taybrite as the best for keeping in for long periods and available from most sources.

[alan_fincher]

I have been using Excel for the majority of the last 5 years.

 

I'm sure many people do!

 

Curiously a bit of use of Google some suppliers are selling it as suitable only for open fires, others as "suitable for multi-fuel stoves and open fires".

 

I'm only repeating what it says, like!........

 

 

[matty40s]

 

I'm only repeating what it says, like!........

 

 

I'm only telling it as it is , like!...

Edited December 10, 2013 by matty40s

[alan_fincher]

I'm only telling it as it is , like!...

"Telling it as it is"?

 

Are you on the wrong site possibly - there may be a "journalistic" opportunity here!

[matty40s]

"Telling it as it is"?

 

Are you on the wrong site possibly - there may be a "journalistic" opportunity here!

knew you'd pick up the catchphrase...

[bottle]

Just checked my bags of Excel and it states approved for open and closed.

 

[sassan]

I've been using homefire "ecoal" a bit lately (due to it being one of the few available at the time), it burns nice and hot and lasts AGES (still some embers 24 hours later in once case), so great value for money in terms of heat output per kg/£. However, it's an absolute bugger to light compared to housecoal, I'm rapidly burning through my "mid sized kindling" collection, whereas the housecoal lights with only some old fruit boxes as kindling.

 

It's also slow to get hot. Takes 90 minutes to get up to full heat, compared to less than 30 for housecoal.

 

I'm considering using a different smokeless coal to get going and for fast heat and then the ecoal or similar for sustained heat or overnight. Any suggestions of easy to light and quick heating smokeless fuels? My approach lately has become "wind blowing out across the harbour: light it with housecoal and add ecoal later; wind blowing towards land: just curl up in bed with a hot water bottle and forget the fire".

[brum]

Hi All

Totally confused now as I have just contacted National Coal who and I quote state..................

 

'EXCEL - a clean burning, approved smokeless fuel ideal for open fires and also multi-fuel stoves.