Category: Blog

Guinea pigs

How to keep Your Pets Fire Safe?

12th April 2019 No Comments Blog

dogOn cold days there is nothing better than sitting in front of a warm fire or enjoying summer evenings sitting outside by the fire-pit. What makes this even better is sharing it with your four-legged friends. As it is national pet month we thought to share some tips an precautions you can take for keeping your home fire safe for your pets.

Prevent Fires
  • Pet-proof your home. Check your home for any items that a pet could accidentally trigger a fire, for instance, items that could be knocked over, candles, loose wires, stoves/ knobs and plant lights.
  • Extinguish open flames. You should never leave open flames unattended especially if you have a pet that can knock items over easily. Perhaps use a flameless candle or other alternatives.
  • No climbing. Discourage pets from climbing on work surfaces, especially in the kitchen. Cats tend to be quite curious and placing a stove knob cover could help prevent fires.
  • Chose ceramic over glass. If you leave food or water outside don’t use a glass bowl as this can create a magnifying effect and start a fire from the suns rays. Ceramics are safer and just as sturdy.
Prepare for the worst

cat Practice escape routes with your pets and make sure collars ID tags, microchips are up to date and their leash is readily available if you have to make an escape.

Use pet alert window stickers. These nifty stickers are placed on your windows at the front and back of your house to let firefighters know how many pets are in your home and their names. Should anything happen this can save firefighters time when looking for your pets.

Keep Puppies and kittens secure, since they are so young they will want to explore the house, especially when you are out. To keep them out of mischief, keep them confined to a safe area.

For your older pets, it is best to make note of where they like to hide. This can help save you time if you need to leave the house in the event of a fire.

Animal specifics

Other than using common sense and having the essentials at hand, for instance, food and water. Here are some extra tips to help your pet in case there is a fire.

mouseBirds – get them accustomed to being in a bird carrier, drape a damp sheet over the carrier to block out soot and dust as their lungs are fragile.

Cats – get them accursed to a carrier as this is crucial to get them out the house fast. Keep their collar and microchip updated.

Dogs – keep their collar and microchip up to date and include your contact information. Keep them on a leash so you don’t get separated. If possible install a doggy door so in anything happens while you are out they can escape safely.

Fish – keep emergency supplies, for instance, spare tank, sponge filters, heaters and portable power supplies. Don’t scoop your fish with leaving the house as the shock could kill them. Let the firefighters know where it is so they can prioritise that room for extinguishing.

Rodents and small mammals – either use a carrier or a cloth bag to transport your pet. Keep your pets in separate carries if possible just in case they need to be in there for a longer period of time.

Snakes – they are quite comfortable in a cloth bag that has a suitable latch so they don’t escape. If it is cold they’ll need a heat source so prepare a heat pad in your bag.

frogFrogs – have quarantine tanks ready for an emergency, if it is cold it will need heating and insulation. Use a heating pad, towels or extra clothes to wrap around the tank. If you can’t access Clean water make sure you have a few bottles or spray bottles.

Did you know that Firebuilder is pet-friendly as well as child-friendly? As it is made only from recycled cardboard and contains no other chemicals it is perfectly safe if your dog decides to have a chew!

coal

Should you burn coal?

5th April 2019 2 Comments Blog, Fire Expert

Currently, there is scrutiny over burning wood and coal in people’s homes. This is to help improve air quality in cities across the UK.
They say the domestic burning of house coal, smokeless solid fuels and wet wood is the single largest primary contributor of harmful sooty particles. Our mission is to refine and improve current conditions as using Firemizer can reduce harmful particulates by 72%.

This leads to the question, should we be burning coal in our homes?

 

These are some of the pros and cons of burning coal!

Pros

  • The most common type of coal is anthracite, the dense composition results in high enter efficiency.
  • The production of coal is on the rise and as a result, the stock of coal is abundant.
  • The cost of coal is low and remains stable compared to other heating sources.

Cons

  • Coal is a finite source, eventually, it will run out and damages the environment in a non-reversible manner.
  • Ash from the coal contains harmful metals, handling the ash with care is important and making sure the disposal of the ash is safe.
  • We all know coal damages the atmosphere, the release of carbon and sulphur dioxide makes coal the number one contributor to Co2 emissions.
  • The way to reach coal is environmentally intrusive, mountains become raised and abandoned mines pose a variety of dangers.

coal Coal and Multi fuel stoves

Multi-fuel stoves can burn coal and wood. But not all multi-fuel stoves burn wood as efficiently as a log burner would. This is due to wood needing to sit on a bed of ash with air coming from above. Coal requires an oxygen source from beneath it in order to produce an effective fire, this is why multi-fuel stoves have raised grates.

Never burn wood and coal at the same time. Coal emits sulphuric acid and combined with the moisture levels from wood creates a corrosive substance that can damage your stove system.

Smokeless fuels

They give out a higher heat and can last 40% longer than coal. More heat makes it into the room rather than being wasted up the chimney. Using Firemizer with your smokeless fuel will burn longer and you will use less fuel to heat your homes and spend significantly less money on fuel.

Smokeless fuels are much better for the environment, these fuels were created to make smoke free areas across the UK and improve air quality. Household Coal can create up to 20% more carbon monoxide than a fire that uses smokeless fuels.
Man-made smokeless fuels can be burned with wood. These can actually assist logs as it burns quicker.

We know that coal isn’t the best for the environment and nowadays there are plenty of alternatives if you are looking to make the switch however many people still rely on burning coal as their heating source.

More information on coal and the environment here! 

 

 

flowers

Happy Mother’s Day

29th March 2019 No Comments Blog

Happy Mother’s day!

I don’t know about you but mums are the bread and butter of the household! As Mothering Sunday is a couple of days away. We figured it’d be great to marvel at the mothers in the animal kingdom.

Elephants

They carry their calves for 22 months and give birth to the largest animal baby on earth weighing 200 pounds and standing almost 3 feet tall.
Other female elephants babysit for the other elephants, they’re called ‘allomothers’

monkey Orangutan

The bond between the mother and her young is the strongest in nature. The first two years of life the young rely entirely on their mother staying together for 6/7 years. Female Orangutans are known to visit their mothers until they reach the age of 15/16.

Meerkats

One dominating couple produces new pups and the whole clan raises them.
They live together in large groups of about 20, that’s a lot of baby sitters!

Koalas

Perhaps the grossest fact but shows a mothers testament of love to her child. Koalas eat eucalyptus which is highly poisonous, but an adult’s bowels are lined with bacteria that assists digestion of the leaves. Her child doesn’t have the lining yet so she will eat her own faeces and feed it to her child. Yeah told you it was gross!

Alligators

Having laid dozens of eggs, once hatched they will carry their babies around in their jaws to the water for protection until they can defend themselves. Instinct stops the mother from closing her jaw so the babies are quite safe.

Polar Bear

The mother raises her cubs alone, she’ll dig a den and hibernate throughout winter and give birth. Once they are old enough they leave the den where the mother will eat for the first time in eight months!

octopus Octopus

The female octopus will lay over 50,000 eggs at a time and the hatching takes around 40 days. She’ll stay close to the eggs and protect them from predators. She would rather starve herself than leave her young and even going as far as eating one of her own limbs.

Whales

Humpback whales stay close to their calves as they grow, they don’t stop nursing their young until they’re a year old. The bond is strong the mothers often will carry their calves even if they have died.

Cheetahs

They are born without survival instincts so the mother has to teach them everything to survive.

Emperor Penguins

After laying the egg the mother will leave it with the father who protects the egg. The mother travels up to 50 miles to catch fish. she then returns to a hatched chick and regurgitates the food for the newly born chick.

 

 

It’s safe to say that all of us wouldn’t be here without our mothers and neither would many animals.

For more animal facts click HERE!

If you need a last minute gift why not get a summer pack, especially if she likes summer evenings in the garden!

fire

How To clean Your Fire!

22nd March 2019 No Comments Blog, Fire Expert

After many cold winter months, spring has finally sprung! Now might be the perfect time to clean your stove you’ve been burning ruthlessly throughout winter. To get you started here are some helpful spring cleaning tips!

shovel poker and brush Tools

  • Make sure you have the right tools for the job.
  • Say NO to plastic, only use metal tools.
  • Use a metal shovel and brush but only sweep when the ash is cold!
  • Take care and wear thick gloves and use a metal bucket for ash.



Top tip; if you burn wood, it burns better with a little bit of ash left in the bottom so you don’t need to throw it all away.  Here are some more useful tips for what to do with leftover ash!

 

keeping the glass clean

  • Use damp newspaper or a paper towel and dip it in wood ash. This will help clean the glass of your stove. Another way is to burn a few high-temperature fires before cleaning, make sure you are burning well dried well-seasoned wood.
  • warm glass is easier to clean but make sure the glass is cool enough to touch!
  • Cleaning the glass regularly will help with build up.
  • Don’t spray water on to hot stove glass, as this could cause the glass to shatter or break.
Make sure you get your chimney and flue swept around once a year! Using Firemizer will help prevent lots of build up of creosote in your chimney or flue.

 

Air pollution

We can’t talk about cleaning without mentioning air pollution. Did you know that if you use Firemizer in your stove it reduces particulates and emissions by 72% and it works with Fire pits so you don’t need to stop enjoying the fire in this spring weather!

Safety

  • This is a good time to check your fire and carbon monoxide alarms.
  • Make sure you have a suitable fire extinguisher
  • Always be careful when dealing with fire!

With all these cleaning tips you’ll have a lovely clean stove in no time!

matches

How do I light a Fire Without Matches?

1st March 2019 No Comments Blog, Fire Expert

These days it’s easy to get fire but how would you light one without matches, you may need to know how one day!

Using flint to start a fire has it’s advantages as it doesn’t matter if it gets wet as it won’t be ruined. 

fire, axe and matches What you’ll need!

Flint

A pocket knife [if your flint doesn’t have a scraping tool]

Kindling [ paper, cardboard, dry grass and small twigs] all work well

Sticks and larger logs once the fire gets going

Prepare the tinder nest

You want a nest of dry tinder the tiniest spark can be used to create flames. Use a knife to scrape thin wood shavings or alternatively gather dried grass, leaves or bark for a loose nest.

If you use dry grass you want to make a little bed for the flint shavings to go on. Put the bed on some smaller twigs and have other pieces ready to put on the fire.

Get in the zone

Take the flint and pocket knife, scrape some of the flints off one side, if you see sparks flip it over as you’re using the wrong side. You want to create some small flint shavings to go onto the bed of dry grass. A pile the size of a 5p is all you’ll need but you can add more if necessary. 

Relight the fire!

This time you’ll need to use the other side of the flint to create a spark. Hold it down next the bed at an angle so sparks will fall onto it. Take the scraper or pocket knife and scrape down the flint towards the bed. You should start to see sparks and if they don’t catch just keep scraping. Once you have a small flame going start to add some smaller twigs and continue to feed the fire. Don’t add too much too fast. The fire might go out!

Having problems

Is your kindling dry enough?

Is there’s too much wind getting to the embers?

Do you have enough flint shavings

If the fire starts but doesn’t keep going start blowing gently on the glowing pieces. 

Firebuilder can help your fires get going, a kindling and fire starter in one! No odour,  mess or chemicals!

Best uses for wood ash

The Top Five Uses For Wood Ash

22nd February 2019 No Comments Blog, Fire Expert
What are the best uses for wood ash?

Before using wood ash for anything there is something to bear in mind. Only use ashes from wood that is free of chemicals, no pressure treated wood, painted or stained wood, charcoal briquettes, or commercial products like slow burning wood logs. why no checkout our blog on what wood you should use on your wood stove. 

wood ash However, if you are using Firemizer this makes the ash finer and there are less unburnt log chunks leftover as the fire burns hotter for longer. Accompanied by Firebuilder a firelighter and kindling in one, this has no chemicals or odours as it’s made from 100% recycled cardboard.

If you’re using these then the wood ash is perfectly safe to use once your fire is out!

Make sure the ash is completely cool before touching it, buried embers can remain hot for days. To store ash safely place them into a metal container with a lid and place on a non-combustible surface such as dirt or concrete.

Never combine wood ash with nitrogen fertilisers it will produce ammonia gas.

Compost

Wood ash added to the compost will help boost potassium levels, a key nutrient for flowering and fruiting. Only add wood ash to compost in moderation, since the ash is alkaline too much can raise the pH that may damage your plants.

Melt ice

Wood ash is an environmentally safe way to melt ice and snow. Since the ash contains potassium carbonate, a type of salt that is more eco-friendly it can help break up ice and melt snow when scatted on roads.

Make soap

When ash from hardwoods, for instance, oak and maple, are boiled in soft water it creates lye and when this is mixed with animal fats or vegetable oils it creates a soft soap. A little salt added creates a firmer bar of soap.

Block garden pests

A sprinkle of wood ash around plants or along the perimeter of the plot will be a major turn off for the slimy creepy crawlies, for instance, slugs and snails.

Shine silver and polish glass

Wood ash can be used to polish tarnished silverware, dull metals and cloud glass since it is mildly abrasive. All you need is to take a cup of ashes and a small amount of water to make a thick paste. Then off you go, you’ll have the silverware shining in no time!

flowers

Firemizers Valentine’s Love Facts

14th February 2019 No Comments Blog

Happy valentine’s day folks!

Roses are red violets are blue I want to sit by the fire with you!

If you’re missing or remising over old flames or celebrating with new flames or even if you’re a fire that can’t be tamed. I hope you’re enjoying this valentine’s day however you are celebrating, even if at all. 

To get you in the mood, here are some interesting facts to relight your fire about love!

hedgehog

We aren’t the only species that finds someone for life! Many animals like wolves, swans and even termites have one partner for life. 

It only takes 4 minutes to decide whether you like someone or not. Your body language, tone and speed of your voice are the deciding factors to a good first impression

Falling in love has similar brain effects to those of cocaine. Both trigger a similar sense of euphoria and studies have shown that falling in love produces several chemicals that stimulate 12 areas of the brain at the same time. Love can be addictive.

Cuddling releases natural painkillers. Oxytocin is produced during an embrace, a dose of oxytocin decreases headaches significantly for some and can make the pain go away completely.    

valentines

Broken heart syndrome is caused by an intense and traumatizing event such as a break-up, the loss of a loved one, physical separation or betrayal. These can cause real physical pain in the heart. Emotional stress triggers the brain to distribute certain chemicals that weaken the heart leading to strong chest pains and shortness of breath.

Butterflies in your stomach are real, its caused by adrenaline which floods your body during a fight or flight response situations.

A 75-year long study, conducted by a group of Harvard researchers, showed that love is all you need. The participants’ life experiences revealed that happiness and life fulfilment revolved around love or simply searching for love.

To see more love facts click here!

This might sound cheesy, but being by the fire with you would be grate. With Firemizer, you can enjoy the fire and cuddle for longer! ( Psst! it’s only £14.99 for valentines day!)

Roses are red violets are blue I hope that you come back soon!

What is Your Carbon Footprint?

25th January 2019 No Comments Blog
Carbon Footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organization, or community.

 

‘We only have 12 years to save the planet!’ 

 

With headlines like this, it is time to start thinking about our own carbon footprint and what we can do to help! Since its big energy saving week, why not look at changing to a cleaner energy provider. The big clean switch runs clean energy switches where you can find the best deal. This might be cheaper for you so what’s to lose?

 

what is Clean energy?
Clean energy comes from the earth’s natural resources (sunlight, wind, waves and tides). There are two advantages for clean energy, it will never run out and it doesn’t pollute the environment or cause us harm, unlike oil, coal and gas. It’s versatile,  abundant and perfect for the UK. We have the best access to the cleanest energy, wind and tidal resources meet our energy needs.

 

Clean energy meets around a quarter of electricity demands in the UK.

 

How to change your carbon footprint

 

Reduce Waste! 
Did you know that wasted food in the UK represents 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions! Everything you can do to avoid sending unwanted waste to landfill will benefit the environment. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
carbon footprint
Support Clean Energy!
Make sure water and energy ratings are as efficient as possible on products. The world can have renewable energy by 2050. Buy showing that you want clean you can help increase demand.carbon footprint
Travel Smart!
You don’t need to walk everywhere, maybe cycle or car share. if you do need a car look for low emissions or invest in a hybrid or electric car
carbon footprint

 

Realistically the changes that need to be made won’t happen overnight. But more people that are aware the better chances we have of reducing our carbon footprint and the effect of climate change and air pollution.
We aim at Firemizer to do all we can help the environment. Our research team are currently in the process of calculating and publishing our carbon footprint and to improve it for the future.
We are proud to say that Firemizer can help reduce harmful emissions by 72%. There’s no downside to that!
To find out your carbon footprint use the calculator at WWF

 

happy new year

New’s Year Resolutions

4th January 2019 No Comments Blog

Happy New Year!

Hopefully, the January blues haven’t gotten to you just yet and you’re almost fully recovered from the holidays!
2019 is the year of the pig and upon doing some research the pig represents;
  • sleeping and eating
  • no plan to harm others
  • can bring affluence to people
  • has been regarded as wealthy
If 2019 brings lots of sleeping and eating, this will be a very good year!

 

sparkler

Historically (around 4000 years ago to be precise) resolutions were made as promises to the gods. While today majority make resolutions to focus on self-improvement. Sometimes they usually are unobtainable goals that make resolutions seem so hard to follow through on. Additionally, this may explain why many of us dislike making them.
However, the first blog of the year has to feature some mention of new year’s resolutions. You’re probably sick and tired of hearing ‘new year new me’ and the barrels of people who are going to start the gym. If you’re firmly against resolutions, generally speaking, they can be useful. The firemizer team would like to share some of ours. Maybe it’ll spark something in you to make a change!

new years Bring more attention and awareness to air pollution

Since the public have become more aware of plastic pollution and are making small changes to lessen plastic consumption. The next step is air pollution. The government released a clean air act initiative. We believe that firemizer can be the solution and this year we want to spread more awareness. If pollution carries on, in a few years’ time we could be all wearing designer gas masks!

Continue to be 100% recyclable

As a business, is it highly important for us to continue to be 100% recyclable and to highlight areas we need to work the coming year. Currently, firemizer is 100% recyclable, the packaging, the product and now the postal envelopes.

Be a mindful, transparent and an environmental business as possible

In anything we do we aim to do our best, be honest and be as human as possible. Any questions or queries we will answer in the best honest way we can, without using complicated jargon.

Always keeping the environment in mind when developing new things.

when creating new products or ideas we aim to think of the best way that will benefit the environment rather than harm. So you can trust you’re shopping ethically.

 

That’s our resolutions, what are yours? You’ve got the whole year save for that holiday, run a 5k, be more environmental or just make your bed every day!
We keep making resolutions every year so why stop now!

Chiminea Safety Tips!

7th July 2018 No Comments Blog

Chiminea Safety Tips!

The fourth and final outside fire-appliance is the beautiful chiminea! Chimineas have been found in gardens for nearly half a century. Mainly used for central heating, their early designs can be traced back to Spain or Mexico. Traditionally placed near a window, the long neck of the design prevented smoke from collecting inside. Here are a few more safety tips to make sure you have safe and soothing summer evenings.

Stability

First of all, make sure the chiminea is sturdy and not likely to tip over. Three/four legged stands are available, and a foundation of brick will decrease the possibility of fire spreading.

Location

Watch out for any low-hanging ornaments or branches. The chiminea should be in its own area, and a safe distance away from your home.

Preparation

When starting your fire, do not use chemicals like kerosene or lighter fluid to start the fire. In addition to the harmful gases they produce, but the fires are far more unpredictable and difficult to contain. Instead, use a firestarter and kindling, with newspaper balls to allow the fire to burn slowly downwards. Firebuilder is a firelighter and kindling-in-one, and does not use any chemicals. Made out of recycled cardboard, the unique airflow technology allows the fire to start at a quick but manageable speed.

Top-down Method

The Top-Down Method is the safest and most effective way to start a fire in a chiminea. For a step-by-step guide, refer to the Firemizer FAQs here.

Distance

Keep a safe distance between you and the chiminea as the outside surface is likely to get very hot. Also keep a watchful eye on any pets or young children that could accidentally come into contact with the structure.

Watch

Finally, don’t leave any fire unattended. Most of all, make sure the chiminea is always in view, and that you have a bucket or water or hose handy.

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