Cut Out the Logs and Use Briquettes – But Why?
You’ll find a lot of people who will tell you that there’s nothing like a real log fire, and we can fully understand and appreciate that sentiment. A real fire is undoubtedly a more satisfying experience than a gas or electric fire, and as long as you’re not cutting down healthy trees to create the logs, there’s nothing not to like about them, is there?
However, if you’re so committed to using real logs that you’ve not yet tried using wood briquettes, we’re here to tell you that you could be missing out. That’s because compared to real wood logs they:
- are more environmentally-friendly
- are more cost-effective
- burn hotter and longer
- produce less ash
- are kinder to your chimney and flue
- are easier to light, stack and store
- produce just as attractive a flame
To make sure you get briquettes that will give you all those benefits, you need to make sure that they are 100% wood and contain no other chemicals. You also need to make sure they stay completely dry – if they get wet, they quickly expand and won’t be fit for burning.
Now let’s take a look at some of those benefits in more detail!
Wood briquettes are more environmentally-friendly
Wood briquettes are made using sawdust and waste wood from the manufacturing industry that would otherwise have no further use and most likely need to be taken to landfill. They’re also much cleaner to burn than natural wood and produce less smoke, so there are fewer contaminants released into the environment.
Wood briquettes produce more heat for your money
For every pound you spend on wood briquettes, it has been estimated that you’ll get 50% more heat than you would for the equivalent spend on real logs. If you’re using a wood-burning stove as the main source of heat at home, that’s a difference that could quickly add up to a substantial saving over the course of a single winter.
Wood briquettes are kinder to your chimney and flue
When you burn wood with high moisture content, it releases creosote into your chimney and flue that lines the surface and builds up over time. Creosote is highly flammable, which is why having your chimney and flue regularly inspected and cleaned is so important. Wood briquettes typically have less than 10% moisture, compared to 20% for seasoned logs and even 50% for other logs. That means that your chimney will be safer and won’t need cleaning as often.
Wood briquettes leave less ash
When you burn a wood briquette, it leaves only about 1% of its original volume in ash. That means that you won’t have to clean out your stove as often as you would if you were burning logs.
Here at KG Smith & Son, we sell some of the leading wood briquettes on the market, including Hotmax briquettes in 20kg and 10kg bags, as well as other top brands in 10kg bags. We’re bound to have the perfect fuel for all your wood-burning appliances, to ensure that you get efficient and cost-effective heating at all times.
Get in touch with us now to find out more.