How to Light a Victorian Coal Fireplace

[@ccjohncc1]

When starting a fire in today's homes that are so air tight with replacement windows and doors that are heavily weather stripped it always helps to crack a nearby window to aid in circulation of air to get the initial flow and more easily and quickly get the initial fire burning hot. I can't tell you how many fireplace experts that I taught this too that still thank me.

[@62636263c]

I have always enjoyed a coal fire. As a kid growing up, I spent a great deal of time at my Great Grandmother's home, and she used her coal fireplaces all Winter long. Just the smell of the burning coal brings back wonderful memories. We also used coal in the barn heater in the late Fall while preparing the tobacco to be sold at the tobacco auction. Thx so much.

[@dreamerguy7265]

True! There are very few things as nostalgic and fascinating as coal fireplaces:-)

[@jncook54]

Always wondered how these things actually worked. Thanks!

[@LilChiefMagistrate]

Hey there! I have 5 coal burning fireplaces in my 1915 farm house. I absolutely love them and when I succeed in lighting them, they do burn HOT for a few hours,. I have found it impossible to find bituminous coal in my area and wasn't too keen on it anyhow, because of the mess. I know anthracite is a very clean burning fuel and it actually cleans any creosote from the chimneys because of the chemical reaction with the gas and heat that the anthracite produces, so this is a much safer solid fuel in terms of fire hazard and much cleaner for the air in and outside of our house, and it also burns apparently for 8-32 hours when periodically poked and maintained and should burn through the night with no flame, so it's ideal for heating the house or room while sleeping. I've also heard you can perpetually burn them without them ever going out if you poke and keep adding coal, while removing ash from underneath every day. My issue is that I cannot keep my coal fire going for more than about 6-8 hours on a really good day (only pulled this off twice), but my coal never burns to ash, it always turns red and/or grey, and reduces in size and loses some density, but it does not ever burn down completely to ash...this makes cleaning the fire basket out very tedious and time-consuming because I have to hand pick and shovel out pounds of half-burnt coals and then I try to re-use most of them instead of throwing them out, because there has to be tons of burn time left in those. I am getting almost no ash content from my anthracite, only the wood used to start it or get it hotter when the coals seem to be having trouble staying hot. It looks like you're using big chunks of anthracite in this video instead of bituminous coal, so I figured maybe you'd be an expert on this! I have made about 30 fires in 3 of my fireplaces since fall began, trying to get these to burn to my satisfaction and there's little to no info online about using anthracite in an open fire basket, only coal stoves (Trust me I have spent weeks and hours trying to research)... So, I was wondering if you could help me out. Thank you so much. I have watched this video at least 27 times haha. You're the best.

[@seanbaskett5506]

Anthracite, especially big lump anthracite, is almost impossible to burn in an open grate. It has to be confined and have a bottom draft coming through it. I ran into the same issue trying to use anthracite on a shallow metal forge with poor airflow. I live in an area where you have to drive 12 hours to get sub-bituminous from the Powder River basin, or you use the obligatory Tractor Supply nut stuff. Worth it, though, sub-bit burns great

[@LilChiefMagistrate]

@@seanbaskett5506 2 years later, I have actually figured it out. Probably had about 100 plus successful anthracite fires in my open coal fireplaces since writing this comment. The key is to build a nice wood fire first, then layer on handfuls of anthracite and let them catch fire on the big hot long flames of the wood fire. I basically play whack-a-mole with every flame, until the basket is filled with about 40 pounds of coal, which will then burn without maintenance for about 36 hours. The only downside is it's about $10 per day for one fireplace to keep feeding it this type of coal, and it takes about an hour to maintain it every 36 hours, so it's not a super quick thing but it's worth the long low-maintenance afterward. I have kept an anthracite fire going in my bedroom and living room for about 6 days straight before letting it die and rebuilding it. I think you can keep one going perpetually, but you have to be really careful about clearing the bottom of the grate without killing or weakening the fire. This is a very difficult skill to develop. I have gotten much better, but still no firekeeper master haha.

[@stoveadvice]

Per the reply I see you figured it out, but I was going to say......... the coal (or any fuel) not burning completely to ash is a draft issue / chimney issue. Some chimneys simply pull a lot harder than others. These coal fires... need a big "pull." Also, an insulated chimney will "keep pulling" while a chimney that is not insulated or on the outside of the house will go cold and "stop pulling." Chimney pull is based on length, how warm they are kept, and size. Larger / wider is often much worse.

[@buildergradetocustommade]

This video is so helpful! 🔥

[@KB4QAA]

The purpose of the shallow, steep back is to allow you to stack the coal vertically and radiate heat into the room. Compare to a wood fireplace which needs depth to accommodate big logs.

[@chadcheras7895]

Great video. It was very informative. I am buying a Queen Anne Victorian in South Carolina and it has 8 of these Victorian coal burning fireplaces.

[@Fernweh4x4andadventure]

Appreciate the video as I’ve been wanting to fix the one at my place

[@JamesSmith-ij3jb]

I watched this with the volume down- it was bliss

[@jaggass]

I'm only 35 but takes me back to the days when my Grandparents house had a coal fire place and didn't take long to heat up the living room.

[@JagerRex]

Thank you so much. My 1890's house has these and i could no figure out how to even get the covers off much less start a fire! Can you just burn wood if you dont have access to coal? I live in Ga and dont think they sell it down here!

[@michellebennett425]

I was told by my chimney cleaner that you can, you just have to make sure the pieces are small enough to fit properly.

[@michellebennett425]

Thank you for this video! My 1884 home has two coal-burning fireplaces, but the cast iron parts were removed to be scrapped for the WWII effort. I’ve been trying to find pieces to replace what is missing, and your video will be very helpful to me in making sure I have all that I need.

[@OneAshHomestead]

Ours where gone also. We had to find them and re-install them. It did take time to relocate them but we did find them for all the fireplaces in our home. Many antique stores have them and just make sure you have good measurements.

[@kevinmartin6036]

I've always wondered if the Coal Victorian Fireplace can radiate more heat into the room because of the lack of depth and because Coal puts out like twice the amount of heat than wood by the pound.

[@eschnitger]

I have burned coal on several occasions, I love the smell of coal.

[@youngmasterzhi]

I like the smell of burning oil!

[@inkey2]

Awesome beautiful home. I would have gone with original style gaudy Victorian wall paper

[@OneAshHomestead]

I know we thought about that also. During the restoration of the house we discovered there was never any wall paper so we decided to stay with all the original paint colors instead. This is a Folk Victorian not a gaudy as Queen Ann!

[@inkey2]

hey....would be cool to get a cheap metal detector and search the entire yard. I guarantee there are some old silver american coins scattered about. Who knows you might find a hidden stash

[@stoveadvice]

Thank you so much. These are so RARE now a-days, I have never seen a coal burning open fireplace in action. (I have seen it in Scrooge / A Christmas Carrol (1984) and on TV, but not like this.)

[@illuminatedgalaxies7777.]

love the music at the beginning what is it please great video thank you.💕

[@michellebennett425]

Look up Porter Music Box. ☺️

[@pavman1000]

Very awesome! I love the old victorian coal burners. It is a shame that more people don't use them. It is really a efficient way to heat the home. It is really more efficient than natural gas.

[@spencerwilton5831]

no, it really isn't. At least two thirds of the heat goes straight up the chimney. That can rise to over ninety percent in a large inglenook style fireplace. Negative efficiencies are even possible! Natural gas heating can be over 90% efficient.

[@hazemsider]

Hello sir, i am renovating a victorian house, as you mentioned we have four of the coal fireplaces, I don’t inspect them yet but what happened if chimney has a problem? Would they be repairable? The other question is: would i add a damper to chimney? Or leave it without? I noticed you added fire back, previous owner added extra Bricks in the back and sides, I never figured why. I toon them off. Three fireplaces don’t have the baskets nor the metal frame. Thank you

[@wilsjane]

Leaving rubber or latex gloves on when lighting the fire is really dangerous. If an ember or flame catches them, thy will melt and cause serious burns. One you get used to lighting a fire, your hands toughen up to the heat and small flames, but if you prefer to wear gloves once you light the fire, leather is the only safe option.

[@meghandoherty1740]

Can you share more about the brackets you used to keep the cast iron surround secure? Thanks !

[@leeannperez4521]

thanks for the question! the surround is held by L brackets that are mounted to the inside brick of the chimney. Hope that helps!

[@vondahenry1689]

Hi is the coal bituminous or anthracite coal?

[@OneAshHomestead]

In this video we are using bituminous coal.

[@theleg0817]

It's bituminous

[@jdode5071]

I recommend that you use anthracite coal for a clean burn and no odor. Also, get a good bed of embers going before adding the coal, to avoid all the smoke.

[@vondahenry1689]

Thanks for this video . I getting one of the coal burning fireplaces in working order. My question is how do you get the fire out if you had to left the house. I reading that coal gets off gases . Do you just let it burn itself out sorry if this a dumb question but I never had a fireplace before

[@OneAshHomestead]

Well we never leave the house with any fireplace going. I do not think you can put out a coal fire once it is burning. It is however wonderful to have your fireplace burning coal again. It really takes you back in time.

[@OneAshHomestead]

In this video we are using bituminous coal.

[@terry987654]

i just put the screen over it before i leave never had a problem but let flames ease up first dont put any more coal on before you leave i'm not saying its the proper way to do it but iv'e done it for years and never had a problem. you can put it out in an emergancy with water but only do that in an emergancy.

[@dodgedabullet670]

LOL...don't expect to have a dwelling standing if you leave ANYTHING burning upon leaving! But you could pick up the coals with tongs and drop them into a bucket of water...that's do it!

[@RenaissanceEarCandy]

They're banning this type of coal here in the UK, which really is a shame

[@Naturelady-rf5zx]

It's partly because of coal that the earth climate is changing. Dirty and polluting.Now we have eco friendly alternatives.

[@ivoreeluv]

Awesome! Thanks for posting this. Once the wood and coal is settled, how long will it burn for?

[@jdode5071]

Coal burns for 12 hours.

[@OneAshHomestead]

Ours burns for about 12 hours

[@dadandlokiinthewoods8806]

@@OneAshHomestead same here in western new York. Around 10 to 12 hrs depends on the damper setting

[@sandilonshelties]

love it u rock

[@danielglover4408]

How do you extinguish one? Or do you generally just wait until the fire burns itself out?

[@thomasrooney6909]

Yeah, I have an open coal fireplace at home and you just let it burn out

[@danielglover4408]

@@chimneygeorge Excellent idea. A bit of entertainment for the guests as well before bed.

[@winstonwright2633]

Where can I get coal that size

[@OneAshHomestead]

It is very difficult to find these days. If you live in some of the midwestern states you maybe able to find a source there.

[@bowdiepapagni1870]

please do more videos xxx

[@tigerraven]

Where do I get coal like that in Australia

[@stoveadvice]

The Western Desert lives and breathes in 45 degrees. Look anywhere else, but there.

[@MuhammadKhan-yl7mt]

Hi, where does the smoke go?

[@lizsplittgerber7503]

The smoke goes up the chimney and outside.

[@MuhammadKhan-yl7mt]

@@lizsplittgerber7503 thanks, I asked as we never used fireplace and soon moving to a Victorian house so prepping up. 🙂

[@lestatangel]

I have one of these in my house. 🖤

[@oldhandyluke]

As we move out of non-renewable fossil fuels could you use charcoal instead of coal

[@jdode5071]

Charcoal is not cost effective and not as efficient. The US is shipping millions of tons of coal overseas and they don't plan on stopping. Factories use coal to fire their boilers, etc. Coal fired factories make charcoal, so you're not really saving fossil fuels. Go ahead and use anthracite coal. It burns cleanly and is odor free.

[@oldhandyluke]

@@jdode5071 i am just wondering if it can be done i dont like coal dust and i dont think it would look good to some guests if i was burning coal so can i burn wood or charcoal instead if i wanted even if it was less efficient

[@youngmasterzhi]

How do you set your fireplace to Overdrive?

[@tigerraven]

I'm going to get a fire place built in my room when I move house

[@jdode5071]

Fireplaces are not efficient at heating a room. The heat goes up the chimney. Install a fireplace insert and all the heat will be projected into the room. Glass panel in the door will allow you to see the flames and embers.

[@pyrusrex2882]

God I wish I could get bituminous lump coal here in Idaho. I love a good coal fire.

[@hubster4477]

Why bituminous? That's like saying I want some pine in my wood stove instead of oak or maple.

[@matthewrussell8590]

So what else would he burn? are you suggesting a hard coal like anthracite? He would struggle to light it in a traditional open fireplace.

[@spencerwilton5831]

Matthew Russell Anthracite has long been the gold standard for open fires though. Queen Victoria insisted nothing but best Welsh anthracite was burned in all of her residences. Yes, it's hard to light but once lit it is excellent.

[@dodgedabullet670]

What a mess to maintain though. Love the look though.

[@robinrobin8148]

I wish that we could find someone in my area who can make it so we can use our coal burning but seems no one will

[@robinrobin8148]

I'm currently having to call places to get estimates on changing to gas or wood burning and even that is a chore

[@stoveadvice]

Al Gore and his minions are banning this everywhere.

[@SlainteFromFlorida]

Look at that draft!

[@quinnfischer9624]

i sure wish i had a victorian home i ware the clothes tho

[@phoenixninjadragon9439]

Thanks but I rather prefer having my fire place burn wood.

[@tigerraven]

Who sweeps the fire place

[@OneAshHomestead]

A chimney sweep!

[@roberttoews2775]

Ours has louvered grates that when done, they tilt sideways and drop the ash into a fire box built into the base of the chimney. Cleaning ours takes about 10 seconds.

[@tigerraven]

So that's where Australia's coal goes when we export it

[@OneAshHomestead]

Oh brother we have plenty of coal here!

[@tigerraven]

One Ash Farm and Dairy oh . Love the fire place she's a beauty

[@tigerraven]

One Ash Farm and Dairy where do you get the coal from

[@illuinc2781]

my man sounds kinda like peter griffen