‘Green’ fire suspended in a bucket
‘Green’ minded British householders, determined to burn wood as an alternative to non-renewable fossil fuels, often face difficulties.
‘Green’ fire suspended in a bucket
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Problem: If they have a fireplace at all, it will have been designed for coal. Three quarters of the heat produced will then be directed up the chimney and combustion will be so fierce that it results in an excessive consumption of fuel. They are also far from ideal for cooking.
Solution: Joseph Wildman has developed a wood burning grill in an enamelled bucket, designed to be suspended from the ceiling beneath a twin walled flue.
Surprisingly, to some, the vitreous enamel on the outside of the bucket does not burn away. Because the bucket is made of fairly thin steel, and in contact with air, the outside remains relatively cool. But, nontheless, guard rings prevent accidental contact with the outside of the bucket.
The whole arrangement is held in a stable lateral position by angled chains attached to a collar, from which are suspended the guard rings. The lower guard ring supports a grille on which sits the bucket. The angled chains distribute the loading on ceiling joists. There are no screws in the chimney or the top of the hood. Alternatively, the fire bucket can be placed on insulating blocks beneath the flue.
Application: As a wood burning grill, it is much cheaper than alternative products, much more thermally efficient, and, with the open fire, looks better.
The cantilevered chain suspension arrangement can be applied to all kinds of products, and the use of a thin-walled heat source, evenly cooled so as to allow use of lower temperature materials, is also an idea worth remembering. TS:Central Fire Company, 32 Norsey Road, Billericay, Essex CM11 1AE
