Heard the dumbest thing at Walmart, guy wanting to use charcoal in his fireplace.
Posted by Yanrogue@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 7 comments
Central texas and a lot of people don't have power so a lot of people were at walmart buying a few bags of extra charcoal to use in their grills outside. The town doesn't have gas lines so almost every house uses electrical stoves.
Then I see a guy buying 2 shopping carts full of charcoal saying he is going to use it in his fireplace to the person he was on the phone with. Sounded like the person on the phone told him this was a bad idea because he said "na it will be fine, I won't use a whole lot"
I know this is basically a SHTF scenario for a lot of people in Texas, but please don't use charcoal in your fireplace.
1: The coals burn way too hot and will burn out your fireplace
2: Coals burn dirty and release a lot of CO, so you could easily end up dying if you sleep to stay warm near your fireplace.
Please stay warm and stay safe.
Ericbc7@reddit
This is nonsense, if you can burn wood in your fireplace or wood stove, you can burn lump charcoal or briquettes. Don’t use lighter fluid and keep the pile of charcoal within a reasonable size. I’m not talking about anthracite coal.
alter3d@reddit
This should be the top comment.
Charcoal is made from... wait for it... wood... so obviously it's OK to use in a wood stove.
It's not particularly cost-effective (some kiln-dried 2x4 lumber is probably more cost-effective, depending on prices in your local market, if you can get proper firewood) but there's nothing wrong with it at all.
Intelligent_Ad2728@reddit
Charcoal is industrial heated wood that was heated without oxygen. It works very different from normal wood in your freelance. Dont use it inside.
furluge@reddit
Something I wanted to add that had not been addressed here. Charcoal and coal burn cleaner than wood, not less. They're just carbon. Wood has more impurities in it that cause lots of smoke. That is the whole point of burning wood to make charcoal, you burn off the impurities in the wood but keep the carbon for fuel. Charcoal briquettes have a starch added so they can compress the charcoal into dense briquettes rather than them being light airy charcoal but that is it. (Natural charcoal looks just like wood. You've probably seen in after burning wood.)
monkeywelder@reddit
We came up with this plan to repel intruders ANDDDD keep warm.
Get some charcoal grills and put them in the middle of a room.
Then give every one a personal oxygen bottle and mask.
Light off the charcoal and let it warm up the place. 3 or 4 bags at once.
Then go to sleep with your O2 mask on.
If some one breaks in they get over run with the CO and die.
Just make sure your bottle doesnt go empty before the morning.
BIG * AND BIG /S
Jazzlike_Trick_4444@reddit
I wonder if this would work in a zombie outbreak
TrippieTragedy@reddit
Necro'ing this thread cause I feel attacked. XD
I got my wife to pick up some matchlight grill charcoal just today for my fireplace.
No, Im not burning the entire bag at once.
No, Im not a lot per burn.
Just a single briquet or two to get a fire going easily.
I burn a lot of stuff that I drag from the woods or cut myself and split... So If I can get a few small peices going well without having to rely on tinder or accelerants... Im down. Doubt that 2 briquets will kill anyone.