Coal fires -

[mlacey-esq]

The property I�ve just bought has a coal fire that my wife wants to rip out and put in a gas one. I�d quite like to keep it as it gives character to the house. Does anyone still use a coal fire and if so do you benefit from using one?

[ChuckFickens]

Please don't rip it out, even if you don't want to use it as a coal fire keep it in place for the character.

If you can get a ready supply of cheap/free wood then they are a very cheap way to heat one room as long as you don't mind the work involved in cleaning it our daily and if it has a back boiler fitted it can heat your water or even run central heating from the fire.

I've loved having open fires in the places I've lived that have had them and have used them for heating and just because having an open fire makes a room feel so cosy.

[mrs.chappie]

I'd like to echo Chuck's sentiments. I loved my coal fire, and now we've moved to a house without one, I find I miss it very much.

[raysparx1]

We have an open fire and would never ever dream, of getting rid of it, it brings the room to life, we burn logs on it, and remember if you have a power cut you can always keep warm, do toast on it, cut down on central heating bills, boil water in a saucepan, warm soup, the list is endless. it also lets fresh air into the house, keeping it ventilated. Please do not get rid, use it,enjoy it, just think of christmas time, doing some roasted chestnuts on it, or putting some big potatoes in foil and cooking them in the embers.

[rabbitygirl]

omg ray - I'm ripping out my leccy one tomorrow now!

[Barmaid]

I've got to agree with everyone else. Although I will say that the one thing I DON'T miss is hauling the logs in from the log store on a cold winter's night and also the extra dusting. All I ever seemed to do was dust that house!!!!!

[wilmay]

Keep your coal fire - the work involved cleaning it out only takes five minutes, and there is nothing like the warmth you get from the real thing!

[wonkon-wonk]

mlacey-esq
5 years ago i ripped out the chimney breast in my house (it was blo0dy huge ) i am now in the process of building a new chimney , although not nearly as big!

don't do it!

[Ethel]

Nothing would persuade me to go back to real fires - apart from the work involved in the actual fire, the amount of dirt and dust they put about the room is really quite shocking. That is why everyone put flush panels over their panelled doors years ago.

The wallpaper gets ruined, the ceiling needs painting more often, even the windows get dirtier.

We all had corned beef shins and freezing cold backs - they are not efficient heaters at all.

Personal taste though.

[curiosity]

We reopened our real coal fire last year and I personally agree with Ethel, although it looks lovely and much better than the gas fire. We also have two gas central heating radiators in the room, which mainly are our source of heat, but the fire is gorgeous in the winter. However the room has become colder generally when the heating or fire isn't on because of the open flue and I know it has been a fairly cold summer, but we've needed the heating on in the room earlier than we would have when the gas fire was blocking the draft. The room has a very high ceiling and a lot of heat needs to absorb into the walls before the room feels stable in temperature, I don't think roaring fires are very efficient in heating every corner of the room, I'm not sure i'd have it as the only source of heat in a room.