BXProject

[Scarecrow]

I thought the planning laws were relaxed recently? You'd possibly have more luck if you could demonstrate that you'd be saving 'x' amount of carbon.

The problem is that a lot of urban sites are useless because there's not enough wind. Ground source heat pumps might be a better option, along with solar for hot water and, if you have the space and Sun, pv solar. In all honesty, the greatest savings to be made are through insulation and making use of passive gains (conservatories and windows).

[Father Ted]

We are lucky in that we back onto fields with prevailing northerly winds - most of the time.
The house is well insulated (1970's box) with cavity wall, 100mm jablite unber the new floors, and loft insulation so thick that I wound up getting condensation on the underside of my tiles. Sadly I cant have a wood burner - or I would have installed one. I have though toyed with some sort of dual fuel stove for the kitchen, but the wife doesnt like the idea.

[mickey taker]

weve got a dual fuel stove , its gas and electric

[Scarecrow]

We are lucky in that we back onto fields with prevailing northerly winds - most of the time.
The house is well insulated (1970's box) with cavity wall, 100mm jablite unber the new floors, and loft insulation so thick that I wound up getting condensation on the underside of my tiles. Sadly I cant have a wood burner - or I would have installed one. I have though toyed with some sort of dual fuel stove for the kitchen, but the wife doesnt like the idea.

The Clean Air Act is a little bit misunderstood - you can burn whatever you like but if, and only if, there is a chimney, and you have smoke coming out of it, then the council can fine you (usually after a couple of warnings). If you are in a smokeless zone you can burn smokeless coal (expensive) or you can have an approved burner installed (from a very short list) which can burn wood or wood products in such a way as to not produce smoke (the trick is to burn the fuel with as much air as possible and to have an effective baffle plate).

My own woodburner is NOT on the approved list, but I switched to smokeless coal for a year which, because it still stinks like coal, made the moany neighbours think again and stop complaining about a little bit of pleasant smelling wood smoke during cold snaps!

My own complaint was that during the summer I have to put up with stinking bbq smoke - but this doesn't count because it doesn't vent through a chimney. Grrrr. Same with bonfires, but watch those chimera things.

[smiffy]

So we are ok to burn oil, tyres, and car interiors at the farm 'cos it doesn't go up a chimney?

[Father Ted]

Thats interesting - I have a chimenea thingy with a huge chimney that actually goes over the top of the fence. Im in a smokless zone, but a few people still have coal fires. So far no one has complained.

[Bx Bandit]

weve got a dual fuel stove , its gas and electric

Mines coal & wood

[Scarecrow]

So we are ok to burn oil, tyres, and car interiors at the farm 'cos it doesn't go up a chimney?

Ahhh no. There's specific legislation controlling what you can burn on a farm/commercially, but I'm sure you know that I think there was a new raft of regulations came in about four years ago and more-or-less everything has to be recycled now.

As a private resident in a private property you can still get done under general environmental legislation - but the Clean Air Act, I believe applies to smoke coming out of a chimney/flue.

Someone's bound to put me right now!

[smiffy]

what we normally do, is wait till it gets dark, then build a big ol' bonfire, pour loads of used engine oil on it, then let it burn.
Last time we did, we nearly burned the fucking barn down!

[docchevron132]

this is true!
Although there is an enormous amount of oil to burn now, so I think a bonfire will be called for tomorrow.
Fuck the planet, it's getting in my way.

[Philhod]

You can't see black smoke in the dark

[mat_the_cat]

I've got about 30 litres to get rid of, until I do I can't do any more oil changes!

[Philhod]

We have a mahoosive container that looks like a can of oil at the tip. So it's easy to get shut of it here.

[mat_the_cat]

Yeah, but that's a waste! Plus it's an 80 mile round trip for me, so it's more environmentally friendly to incinerate it...erm...locally. November 5th will be the date, we have shitloads of wood to burn so we'll have a big fire and lots of fireworks. Maybe another BXP meet?

[docchevron132]

Really? lana hasn't hasn't banned BXP meets in the North Wales area?

[mat_the_cat]

Er, well, I haven't actually mentioned the idea to her yet...

[docchevron132]

ahhhh, I'll await to hear the explosion of a very angry woman from the safe distance of France then!

[Scarecrow]

I reckon you could probably plan to dispose of your oil next time you're passing the tip, rather than making a special journey. There's loads of bad, bad shit created when you burn old engine oil - I wouldn't breath in too much!

A lot of plastic is burnt anyway - but at least the power-from-waste plants have some emission controls and offset power generated from fossil fuels.

I think the planet is the bit of life that I truly love.

[Bx Bandit]

Always good to flood box sections and spray on car pipework!

[Scarecrow]

That's what I was advised to use as underseal by a Citroen specialist.