Cutting your fuel bill

[rov1200]

I notice that they widely advertise those Paper Log Makers in magazines. Do they work as advertised, ie burn for 2 hours per log? We have copious amounts of newspapers. I have heard one problem may be the drying out of the logs before use. Is this a problem and how do you solve it? Do they just smoulder? Does it harm the chimney? Any other problems?

[Buenchico]

Please see my answer and (more importantly) the link I've provided, here:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden /Question562028.html

Chris

[mrs.chappie]

Do click on it rov, it's very interesting.

Hi Chris!

[LoftyLottie]

We tried it years ago. They took ages to make and we would have needed loads of newspapers. We gave it up as a lost cause!

[corylus]

we've tried these for our log burner, it takes AGES to make the slush from the old newspapers, then WEEKS for the bricks to dry out, (even in sun in summer) after all this the 'logs' burn slowly, tend to glow rather than flame and produce a lot of ash. But, they do work well along with a fire burning wood if the temperature is hot enough.

[rov1200]

I've just bought one of those log makers for under �15 which you see in the free catalogues that come with your newspaper. The briquettes are easy enough to make after the paper is screwed up and put into a bucket of water. With the device it squashes it to about half the size and most of the water extracted can be thrown away leaving just damp brickettes. That was 2 days ago. They are still wet so gawd knows how long they take to dry out. I just hope they will be ready in time for the Winter.

[rov1200]

p.s. You dont need many newspapers to make one briquette. Between 1 and 2 newpapers will do the trick.

[corylus]

further to my previous answer it'll be WEEKS before they dry out, hope you have somewhere dry to store them! Then again once dry they do burn.