If you’re looking into having a stove installed in your home and you’ve come across the term ‘smokeless fuels’, you may wonder what it’s all about, particularly if you thought that having a stove simply meant you had to choose between coal or wood. In this article, we’ll be introducing you to smokeless fuel, as well as its benefits, and a few tips for using it.
What are smokeless fuels?
A smokeless fuel is a solid fuel type that does not emit smoke (or at least only produces a very small amount) during combustion. It’s often used as an alternative to the likes of wood and coal.
Whilst smokeless fuel may sound like something that has only recently been made available, smokeless fuels have in fact grown in popularity since the Clean Air Act of 1956 came into effect, which was a direct response to The Great Smog of London in 1952. This was an air pollution event caused by the excessive use of coal in the city combined with very little wind to blow the resulting smoke away.
Examples of popular smokeless fuels include anthracite, coke, charcoal, and hexamine fuel tablets.
What are the benefits of smokeless fuels?
Better heat
The heat produced by smokeless fuels is higher than traditional fuels, making for a toastier, more consistent heat.
Cost savings
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like to get more for their money? Smokeless fuels provide fantastic value; they can last up to 40% longer than ordinary coal, which means that, in the long run, smokeless fuels will save you money, and see you repurchasing at a slower rate than if you were burning house coal.
Compliance with smoke control rules
Local authorities developed smoke control areas in response to an update to the Clean Air Act in 1968 that still stand today; for example, areas around Guildford are Smoke Controlled, so the burning of traditional fuels is prohibited. Burning smokeless fuels is a way to comply with these rules.
More environmentally friendly
Because smokeless fuels produce less smoke when combusted, the air pollution they produce is reduced too; up to 80% less smoke in some cases, and 40% less CO2 when burned.
How to use smokeless fuels
Usually, you’ll be using smokeless fuels in conjunction with a multi-fuel stove, just as you would with traditional fuels – these multi-fuel stoves provide the ultimate flexibility when it comes to how you heat your home.
When it comes to using smokeless fuels in particular, we’re conscious to advise customers of the following:
Don’t mix smokeless fuel with wood
Burning smokeless fuel at the same time as wood is a big no no. This is for two reasons. The first is that wood draws air from above in order to burn, whereas coal-style fuels draw heat from below the grate – a combination of the two if highly inefficient.
The second reason is that the moisture contained within wood (no matter how dry you think it is) mixes with the sulphur contained in smokeless coal, forming an acid that can damage the stainless-steel liner of your stove.
Keep smokeless fuel dry
The moisture we mentioned in wood, and the problems it would cause if you mixed it with smokeless fuel, leads us onto the need to keep your smokeless fuel dry. Damp fuel burns badly – many of us know this, but that acid that forms by mixing moisture with the sulphur in smokeless coal can also build up and damage the inside of your stove.
What are the UK regulations around smokeless fuels?
When it comes to smokeless fuels, you’ll need to abide by the rules on smoke controlled areas, set out by the UK Government, if you intend on using them within one of these areas. They state that “you can only burn fuel on the list of authorised fuels, or any of the following ‘smokeless’ fuels, unless you’re using a Defra approved appliance:
- anthracite
- semi-anthracite
- gas
- low volatile steam coal”
Choose Wakefords for a multi-fuel stove
If you’re interested in the cost-saving and sustainability benefits of using smokeless fuels, we believe you should consider a multi-fuel stove for your home. These flexible appliances mean that you can choose what you burn in accordance with what’s cheapest or make a stove an option for you if you live in a smoke controlled area.
As always, we’re more than happy to give our Surrey customers the best up to date advice on smokeless fuels, and the stoves you use to burn them.