Multi-Fuel Coal Stove from Europe/UK?

 
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Post by gardener » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 1:16 pm

I understood 'multi-fuel' to mean pellet burning stoves/inserts, as that phrase is used in the USA for advertisements of pellet burners that often have the ability to also burn corn and other biomass pelletized fuels.

I noticed that in the UK, they advertise 'multi-fuel' to refer to stoves that instead of a solid firebox floor, they have a grate so the stove can also burn peat or coal. The UK multi-fuel stoves appear to be smaller than the coal and wood burning stoves here in the USA. I have even seen one rated as low as 4.5 kw ( ~15,500 BTU ), but I think that rating is for wood fuel.

Does anyone on this forum have/use a smaller coal burning stove from Europe/UK ?
Last edited by Richard S. on Wed. Nov. 15, 2017 4:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.


 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 1:39 pm

The phrase is sometimes also used in the US for wood/coal stoves. Which, very often are originally designed for wood and then adapted for coal, or a "coal grate" kit is offered as an option. As a result, the majority seem to be better at wood, and the rocker grates are so-so at easily clearing anthracite coal ash as stoves originally designed for coal. While they work it's not the best compromise when it comes time to shake and clear ashes.

I believe the UK multi-fuel stoves are also designed to burn their soft coal. Not sure if their grates can handle such small sized fuel as American wood pellets ????

The size of the UK stoves may be a result of size of our average homes verses the average UK home ?

Paul

 
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Post by gardener » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:02 pm

Sunny Boy wrote:
Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 1:39 pm
I believe the UK multi-fuel stoves are also designed to burn their soft coal.
On a number of UK 'multi-fuel' stove product pages, they specifically list "smokeless coal" when they refer to burning coal.
Is smokeless somehow related to the soft coal you mention?

What difference is there between their soft coal and our anthracite?

 
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Post by franco b » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:25 pm

I think soft coal is banned in the UK for home heating. The smokeless coal is anthracite

In the US many stoves that were advertised as multi-fuel have become coal only because they do not pass EPA standards for wood.

I use a French made Franco Belge stove. The middle size of the three sizes made. There was a fire pot avail;able with drilled openings in the front, which were probably intended for the various European soft coal briquets.

 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:27 pm

gardener wrote:
Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:02 pm
On a number of UK 'multi-fuel' stove product pages, they specifically list "smokeless coal" when they refer to burning coal.
Is smokeless somehow related to the soft coal you mention?

What difference is there between their soft coal and our anthracite?

Not sure what they mean by "smokeless". If it means anthracite, or if the stoves are set up with heated secondary air to burn off the smoky volatiles of soft coal, like the "hot blast" stoves that were built here in the US. I've been told that anthracite is not easy to get in the UK. They have a lot of what we call soft coal.

A few years ago, my daughter and I looked into some imported UK ranges when she was making plans to build her house. But we couldn't get much clarity on what type of coal the ranges could use satisfactorily. The US dealers just say yes whenever we asked about type of coal. But then, many dealers say the same about US made wood stoves supposedly able to burn anthracite, even though some are not originally designed for it.

Paul

 
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Post by gardener » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:39 pm

franco b wrote:
Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:25 pm
I use a French made Franco Belge stove. The middle size of the three sizes made. There was a fire pot avail;able with drilled openings in the front, which were probably intended for the various European soft coal briquets.
Do you burn coal with your Franco Belge?
Where did you buy the stove? (local dealer, ordered overseas and arranged international shipment)

 
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Post by franco b » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:57 pm

gardener wrote:
Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:39 pm
Do you burn coal with your Franco Belge?
Where did you buy the stove? (local dealer, ordered overseas and arranged international shipment)
The Franco Belge is coal only, originally bought from dealer and subsequent ones , used. They are no longer made to that design. I have used all three sizes, but even the largest is not big. They were very popular and many were sold in this country when they were imported.


 
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Post by gardener » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 3:37 pm

franco b wrote:
Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 2:57 pm
The Franco Belge is coal only, originally bought from dealer and subsequent ones , used.
Does your Franco Belge have a fixed grate or a shaker grate?

 
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Post by franco b » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 4:11 pm

gardener wrote:
Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 3:37 pm
Does your Franco Belge have a fixed grate or a shaker grate?
It has shaker grate, but more effective is the provision for slicing the coal bed. So it has two systems plus hopper feed and bi-metal thermostat for air control.

 
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Post by gardener » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 4:28 pm

Anyone know what difference is there between soft coal in the UK and anthracite in the USA?
Perhaps, is 'soft coal' the same thing as "sub-bituminous coal" ???

 
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Post by freetown fred » Mon. Nov. 13, 2017 4:34 pm

Where are you located G?

 
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Post by gardener » Tue. Nov. 14, 2017 8:01 am

southern Ohio

 
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Post by coalfan » Wed. Nov. 15, 2017 9:35 am

you are located in southern ohio then what is the concern of what the UK has your in good bit country !!! ??? and close to ant . !! ?? where are you going with this ???

 
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Post by freetown fred » Wed. Nov. 15, 2017 9:54 am

Interesting question C.

 
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Nov. 15, 2017 10:02 am

At fast glance I think he's trying to figure out what comparable fuel they used for this stove in the UK because that's where they were designed, right?


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