Society has been burning fuel inside the home for hundreds of years in order to obtain heat, however it hasn’t always been plain sailing as the chimney was considered a luxury when it was invented in the 12th century. In fact, they didn’t become popular until the mid-18th century! Luckily, there are now a variety of different ways to ensure safety inside the home when burning fuels like coal and firewood. Read on as we go over the basics…
Regular Ash Removal
Whether you have an open fireplace or prefer the security of a stove, it is important that you regularly clean the area in order to remove ash build-up. This is because the ash can affect the efficiency of a fire and may cause it to generate more gases than usual. With this said, you should ensure that you leave a 1-inch layer at the bottom, particularly if you are a stove user.
Carbon Monoxide Detector
The combustion of carbon-based fuels like coal and firewood creates gases like carbon dioxide which are typically removed via the flue and chimney. In fact, the incomplete combustion of these fuels can actually create carbon monoxide (CO), a highly toxic and dangerous gas that is odourless, colourless and tasteless. If your chimney has a build-up of creosote due to poor maintenance and chimney sweeping then CO could remain inside the home. It is vital that every fuel-burning home has a functioning CO detector in place in order to ensure that homeowners are aware of it sooner rather than later.
Fireplace Grate
If you have small children or pets then you may be concerned about the safety of a fireplace or stove, and quite rightly so. Luckily, a fireplace grate goes in front of the flames or unit in order to prevent unfortunate accidents taking place, but still allow the heat to pass through so you can reap the full benefits of burning your fuel. With this said, children and animals should never be left unsupervised when a fireplace or stove is in use.
Here at Pearson Fuels, we believe that fireplace safety should be treated with the utmost importance at all times, particularly when novice homeowners are enquiring about the pros and cons of residential burning. After all, infrequent chimney sweeping can increase the risk of a dangerous and spontaneous chimney fire which is why it is considered a compulsory annual requirement. To find out more information about safe residential fuel use, get in contact with the best coal merchants on the market today!