With winter in the air, the fireplace that had been ignored all summer is now playing a starring role in your home. It is wise to complete a thorough maintenance check of your fireplace, chimney and cowl well before you have to build your first fire.

Check and lubricate the moving parts of the cowl to make sure that it is functioning properly as a poorly functioning cowl causes a down draught. Make an inspection of the chimney and remove any birds’ nests that may be lodged there.

Check and repair all mechanisms within the fireplace itself. If the surrounds are looking a little dull or grey, a coat of paint can put back the sparkle. Use a heat resistant primer as a topcoat for the interior parts.

Finding a fire fuel to suit your needs and your pocket shouldn’t be a hassle. Some units may be specifically manufactured to run on certain fuels, although some do give you freedom of choice. Wood is a common fuel for open fireplaces, while anthracite is traditionally used in closed units. Some specially designed modern units allow you to burn anthracite in an open fireplace.

Is wood good?

When selecting a fire fuel, consumers look for a product that is easy to find, economical, has the desired heat output and efficiency and is easy to maintain. Wood gives all of these with the added benefit of being a renewable fuel. Heat produced from burning firewood is actually energy from the sun stored in trees through the process of photosynthesis. During the winter months we are able to liberate this energy through a ‘reverse photosynthesis’ – burning. Natural firewood and fire ‘logs’ are both energy products from the forest.

Logs or pellets, as they are sometimes called, are a renewable, non-fossil fuel made from sawdust, a way of utilising wood waste from manufacturing.

The wood available for burning is usually from invasive aliens like rooikrans, Australian blackwood or the Port Jackson willow. The sickle bush, an indigenous South African plant, is called an encroacher and also sold as firewood.

Hardwoods burn more efficiently than softwoods. Wood should be dried for at least six months before it is burned as firewood. Seasoned wood burns more efficiently than damp wood.

Unseasoned wood, called green wood, can accelerate the build up of Creosote on chimney walls and may, along with other factors, increase the risk of a chimney fire. Green wood is usually green and heavy while seasoned wood is starting to split, the bark is easy to peel off, the wood is light and the ends are dark.

The only negative effect of burning wood is air pollution and the dangers of wood smoke inhalation. There are a number of ways you can effectively reduce emissions from your fire by selecting a clean-burning unit, learning to build a low-emission fire and using seasoned wood.

Benefits of burning wood:

  • Low cost if you buy in bulk
  • Low maintenance
  • Reliable – even when the power is off
  • Renewable heat source
  • Good ambience

Cost: Prices vary between R20 and R40 per 50kg bag at wood merchants. Smaller bags are available at service stations and supermarkets at R10 to R15 per bag.

Is anthracite right?

Anthracite is the highest rank of all coals. It is a shiny coal that contains over ninety percent carbon and low impurities and ash. This enables it to burn without smell, smoke or flame, making it the only approved fuel that can be burned in smoke-free zones. Because of its purity, anthracite gives off very little sulphur dioxide when burnt.

It was first experimentally burned as a fuel in 1808 by Judge Jeese Fell in Pennsylvania and later became a popular choice as it delivers high energy in relation to its weight.

Anthracite has become more popular in recent years because it is cheaper than electricity. Its heat is intense and slow burning but also slow to ignite. Anthracite is suitable for closed heating units with a draught control. It is unsuitable for burning in an open fire. Some new units on the market are multi-fuel units and are able to burn both wood and anthracite. Anthracite does have a tendency to be messy and care must be taken during the cleaning process.

Benefits of burning anthracite:

  • Approved for smoke-free zones
  • Cheaper than electricity
  • Able to burn for 16 to 24 hours on one loading
  • Burns cleaner, hotter and longer than other coal

Cost: About R40 to R50 per 40kg bag. Is coal on a roll?

Is coal on a roll?

Next to the vibrant flames of a wood fire, there is nothing more alluring than hot coals glowing in a hearth. Coal is a fossil fuel like natural gas and contains enormous amounts of energy. It is a rock that is derived from vegetable matter through the process of metamorphism.

Over long periods of time heat and pressure act to alter both the chemical and physical characteristics. The first stage of coal formation is decomposed organic matter called peat. It is a non-renewable fuel, meaning it isn’t renewable in our lifetime.

Coal was the power horse of the 1800s but it was inconvenient and messy for household burning and lost popularity.

Modern coal stoves are cleaner, easy to use and provide a cost effective way of heating your home. Coal can also be burned in an open fireplace. It burns longer on each load than wood and provides a controllable, even heat. Coal fires aren’t easy to start and like to be left alone but you will have to poke it intermittently to get rid of ash build up underneath. Unlike anthracite, coal may not be burned in smoke-free zones.

Benefits of burning coal:

  • Cost effective
  • Easy to use
  • Forest land isn’t affected although mining does have some negative effects on the environment.

Cost: R40 to R60 per 70kg bag.