Favorite ash vac for pellet stoves?

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Ash Vac.
Use it for our pellet stove and our wood burning insert.
Works great. Had it for 2 seasons now and no complaints.
You get what you pay for in this case.
Redbarn, what kind do you use?
 
Thanks for all the feedback. The powersmith looks like the clear winner among cheap units meant for ashes but it's not in stock ANYWHERE. :( If I can't find it in the next few days I suppose I'll go the route of a cheap shop vac with a HEPA filter and drywall bag.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. The powersmith looks like the clear winner among cheap units meant for ashes but it's not in stock ANYWHERE. :( If I can't find it in the next few days I suppose I'll go the route of a cheap shop vac with a HEPA filter and drywall bag.

I don't think you'll go wrong going that route. Mine works great for a price no more than the powersmith. Awesome suction and the hepa filter only needs cleaned once a year if you use the drywall bags. And you can take out the bag and filter and put the foam sleeve in to suck up liquids so its dual-purpose. Whatever you get, they do make it nice for stove cleaning. Enjoy your clean stove!
 
I found the powersmith in stock at Blain's Farm and Fleet's web store! The site claims an odd sounding "Limited availability" status so I called their 800 number and confirmed it was actuall there and ready to be shipped before placing my order.
 
I found the powersmith in stock at Blain's Farm and Fleet's web store! The site claims an odd sounding "Limited availability" status so I called their 800 number and confirmed it was actuall there and ready to be shipped before placing my order.
Hope you enjoy it!
 
Shop vac with the 14$ attachment kit. Works great.
 
I bought a Love Less Ash Vac about a year and half or two years ago and it has worked wonders for me. There is some sort of a dual system on the filter process that makes for a clean home afterward, and none of that ashy smell you sometimes get from stoves. Well worth the money!
 
The vac arrived last night, I took it out and played with it. It seems well put together and well thought out, there's storage for the tools, a really cool crevice tool that has an angled folding tip, the hose locks positively to the motor unit, and the suction is amazing. I vacuumed part of my garage floor with my "normal" shop vac (a giant Craftsman) and this Powersmith was picking up dust out of cracks that the big vac left behind.
 
Yeah, I was pretty surprised. It was in stock and cheap. I should thank you as well. Reading your post is why I went to look for it. Hope it works well!
 
As per my recent newbie threads I'm gearing up for my first winter burning pellets. Just placed the order for the stove itself (55-trpah from timber ridge). Will be ordering pellets on Monday and picking up the materials for the install by the weekend.

Last thing I need (that I'm aware of!) is to find an ash vacuum. I'd like to stay under $100 if possible - looks like there are a handful around that price range, so - anyone have feedback?

Used a home dept shop vac for 2 years with a hepa filter. Bought a Love Less ash vac from a local dealer. it's a coin toss which one does a better job.
 
Shop Vac here too. Make sure you use a hepa filter or every time the wifey dusts you're going to hear about it. I wonder when someone will chime in and warn me about a vacuum fire? Should be soon...
Watch out for those vacuum fires!!!! :p Seriously, make darn sure you are just sucking completely dead ash and then put the vacuum outside on the 'ground', not the wooden deck. I remember one fire last winter that started a deck on fire. I invested in the Loveless and don't regret it except for the noise, but I just turn off my hearing aid and all is well.
 
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Thanks for the link, Paul Raz!

Mine shipped today. Amazon shows it in stock but "ships in 2-4 weeks". All set with that. Farm and Fleet was $15 cheaper, including shipping.

No problem. Glad I could help!
 
I use a regular shop vac. Truth is, with the way pellets burn, you aren't getting "embers" - so I feel like an ash vac is overkill - especially since i have to let the stove cool down before I can go in and remove the air exchange panels to clean and scrape. By that time, the ash is the coolest thing in the stove.
 
I have been using this
http://www.amazon.com/Cleva-EAT605SP-Ash-Vacuum/dp/B005Q6BWOG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1350820366&sr=8-6&keywords=fireplace vacuum
for about a year. It is loud and not very powerful, but it gets the job done. It won't
do heavy lifting, but it will pick up an occasional pellet or clinker. As i said, it gets the job done. It is small, but i only emptied it once last heating season and it was far from full.
The hose is lined with spiral cut aluminum for fire resistance and the three filters are fiberglass, perforated metal and hepa.



I have the same one..it's been used a lot...I bought it last year..it does a great job with my Thelin Parlour...It is noisy but I got use to it...I also picked up an extra filter for it..the price was $79.00..
 
20 year old Shop vac with regular filter utilizing another hose on the exhaust (blow outlet) out the back door . No worries about dust as it shoots anything that gets past the filter outside.:) No Mess ;) NO Hepa needed . Business end gets a heater hose reduction with duct tape seal on an OEM nozzle after shut down.
 
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