Is it better to burn wood or coal in an open grate (fireplace)?

Answer 1

Coal has a longer lasting constant heat but the smell of wood is lovely. depends on whether you have a supply of wood which is surplus I guess!

Answer 2

The answers have been given above. A fireplace is meant to burn wood although some have been built especially for coal.
Unless you have a draft opening to the outside, any fireplace is pulling in cold outside air and is not efficient at heating. Sealing up the building is dangerous because any fire will give off dangerous gasses without proper draft.

The best and safest heat is when outside air is fan-forced into the combustion chamber of a sealed stove with a tall chimney. Then only the heat remains inside.

As for fuel, wood is a bio-fuel, renewable and lower in pollution although it takes more wood to provide enough heat. Coal is more polluting, but requires less for the same amount of heat. Remember that the CO2 of both will eventually be taken in by plants.

If all you have is a fireplace, do not use anything but wood.

Answer 3

Coal should only be used in a sealed stove and never in the open due to the smell that seems to stick to everything and carbon monoxide, burn it in a residential area and you'll make no friends.
Wood can be used in an open fireplace with good draft but ultimately a good woodstove will make the whole process work a lot better for you.

Answer 4

Coal will burn longer and you'll need less of it to get the same amouint of heat. But, coal puts off a lot of soot, sulfur and carbon monoxide. It's not a good idea to burn this in a fire place because it is bad for your health and you may get blackened ceilings. If you want to burn coal you really should be using a closed stove. Wood is much better for a fire place. It it better for your health and won't stink up your house. Its actually better for the environment too.

Answer 5

Do you life near woods where there are dead trees around?
If so I would go for the wood.
If you live in a residential area I would choose the coal as it is probably cheaper then buying fire wood. Coal also doesn't produce a smell when burned if you are running a fire places for the purpose of heating and not just for show.

Answer 6

Coal burns hotter and many fire places cannot take the heat. If you burn coal in a fireplace that cannot take the heat, you could burn your house down.

Environmentally, wood is renewable and coal isn't, so wood is better.

Answer 7

When you say open grate fireplace.. are you talking an airtight stove... If not and this is an open fireplace I would suggest wood...Coal produces huge amounts of CO which if leaked into the home will kill you.

Answer 8

coal burns much slower but the smoke is worse
open grid fire places are also very inefficient you are heating the air ,and everytime someone opens the door the heat escapes .

Radiant heaters are far better ,they only burn twigs ,and the trees stay intact ,it is a big construction but the shape becomes part of the room ,

the Russian czar heated the palace this way ,and yo will find them still in northern Europe

A brick spiral structure is build ,that is closed like a box ,and it can be used as a big table,twigs are inserted in a burn hole in the side and the heat radiates outwards heating up objects like people bodies ,chairs or walls
,when a door is opened it makes little difference,
to the heat.

Answer 9

I have no option but to have an open fire as there are no gas mains in my village. I live very near to a big wood, and collect logs, but the heat isn't sufficient during really cold spells, so we burn smokeless coal.there is hardly any smell, less polution, and we have a glass fronted burner, which runs 3 radiators, and provides me with hot water, all this costs me less than a tenner a week, and it looks nicer.Lets all go back to the olden days.

Answer 10

If it is an ordinary open fireplace then you could burn either safely without affecting your chimney. Ecologically, wood is a renewable fuel and it burns hotter though it doesn't last as long. Coal is not renewable and it does produce carbon dioxide emissions though it burnes for longer.