Are Heat Logs Worth It?

There are many ways to enjoy a fire. You might think that the banning of house coal would mean that there are now fewer, but in fact the environmental crisis just seems to be encouraging manufacturers to come up with ever more effective and ever more eco-friendly alternative ways of heating our homes.

One solution that we’re supplying more and more of to our customers is the heat log, and once you start to look into their many benefits, it’s no surprise they’re proving so popular. In this article, we’re going to look closely at what you can expect when you use heat logs as your home heating fuel and explore whether it’s a better choice than firewood.

But if you’re not sure what heat logs even are, let’s start at the beginning.

What are heat logs?

Heat logs are actually manufactured items rather than being natural firewood. They are made out of recycled wood waste which would otherwise have ended up in landfill. It also means that they don’t require living trees to be cut down in order to make them. Because they are manufactured, they have a consistent shape, which in turn leads to a consistent burn that you can rely on.

The benefits of heat logs

• Environmentally friendly
  Heat logs rate highly on the eco-friendly front in many ways, including – as we’ve already indicated – how they’re made. But they’re also completely free from the chemicals and additives you get in some products, so when you’re burning them, you’re not adding pollutants into the air either.
• High, long-lasting heat
  Heat logs aren’t only a clean heating solution, they’re also a very effective one, because you get impressive levels of heat out of them and they keep going much longer than you might expect them to.
• Very low moisture content
  With a moisture content of less than 20%, heat logs burn cleanly and with much less smoke than you get from many other solid fuels.
• Flexible
  Whether you’re using an open fireplace, a multi-fuel stove or even a chiminea as your source of heat, heat logs are flexible enough enough to work just as well in each and every one of them.

That regular shape we mentioned earlier doesn’t just mean that heat logs burn consistently, it also makes them easier and tidier to store than irregularly-shaped firewood. And when you get them out of your store and onto your fire or stove ready to use, you’ll also find them incredibly easy to light.

Are heat logs better than firewood?

If you’re going to make a reasonable comparison between heat logs and firewood, it’s only fair that you should give firewood every chance – and by that we mean that comparing a heat log with a piece of wood you’ve found in a nearby forest won’t be a fair contest. That found wood could either have a high moisture content if it’s fresh – in which case it would be hard to light and would produce way too much smoke – or go up in a flash if it’s long dead and completely dried out.

Comparing a heat log with kiln-dried wood gives firewood a far better chance of competing and, in some cases, it does indeed at least match, because at least it’s closer in terms of performance. Nevertheless, a heat log will nearly always burn hotter and longer than firewood.

Having said that, there are a few things you need to bear in mind if you want to get the absolute best out of your heat logs. For instance, they can soak up moisture more than firewood, so it’s important that you store them somewhere completely dry. And if the romance of having an open fire is as much a part of the equation for you as the actual heat – well, there’s no doubting that the more clinical heat logs lack romance.

You also need to bear in mind that heat logs cost more than even kiln-dried firewood – nevertheless, those advantages it wields in terms of levels and durability of the heat it produces do mean that they more than make up for that extra cost. In other words, you will get more warmth for your money!

So much in home heating comes down to personal preference, while lots of people like to stick with what they know and trust. If that’s you, maybe it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and start discovering how heat logs could become your new favourite fuel – but whichever type of solid fuel you want to use to heat your home, you can count on us to supply it at a time and price that suits. 

Order online now or get in touch with our experienced team for more advice and information.