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IN HANDY 25kg
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TRADITIONAL 4Okg BAGS

1. Lighting a fire
2. Safety
3. Chimney problems [ View with Acrobat Reader]
4. Heating your home efficiently

1. Lighting a Fire

1. Use fire lighters and kindling.

2. Place kindling over a length of lit firelighter.

3. Pile ovoids around and on top of kindling.

4. Keep draught regulator open until fuel is well lit.

5. Adjust air control as required.

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If installed and serviced correctly, all the appliances you have in the home operate more reliably, efficiently and, most importantly, safely. Solid fuel appliances are no exception to this, and following these few simple guidelines will ensure safe and efficient operation.

Ventilation Air is Vital - Heating appliances, whatever fuel they burn, need to be able to 'breathe' in order to function efficiently and safely. To 'breath', they need a constant and sufficient flow of air so the room must not be completely airtight. If your home has draught-proofing or double-glazing fitted, you may need vents or airbricks in an exterior wall of the room. If vents or airbricks are already fitted, always ensure they are not blocked or covered.

Flue Cleaning - To enable your appliance to 'breathe' efficiently, it is absolutely essential that you do not allow soot or ash to build up where it can hinder or prevent the free flow of smoke and other products of combustion. Flue ways at the back of the boiler should be cleaned once a week, but always let the fire go out and allow ashes to cool before cleaning. The throat plates at the top of the room heater should be removed and cleaned monthly. Have your chimney swept at least once every year, preferably before each winter.

Ash Can - Empty the ash can every day. This helps to protect your grate, and allows the free flow of air to help start your next fire.

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4. Heating your home efficiently

The following list indicates some of the major areas of heat loss in a typical home.

Draught excluders: Badly fitted windows and external doors can account for more than one-sixth of heat loss.

Double glazing: For a given area of wall or window, a window will allow up to eight times more heat to escape.

Attic insulation: Up to 20% of heat lost from is lost through the roof. Effective attic insulation can pay for itself within two to three years.

Lagging jacket: A lagging jacket on the hot water cylinder will keep water hotter for longer and pay for itself within a few months.

Wall insulation: As much as one quarter of the heat lost from a house can be lost through the walls. Properly insulating walls can reduce this by two thirds.

Ground floor insulation: Heat loss to the ground depends on several factors, including floor type, whether house is one or two storey, nature of soil and terraced or detached construction.

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