Do you hate your Ash Pan + Poll

[ohlongarm]

Well today I decided to just ignore my ash pan as it is the only flaw in my stove ! Lol don't get me wrong I love my stove very much and it is a real well built good quality stove but for heaven sake why is the ash pan such a pain ! So instead of having to cool the stove to empty it out and then having to use my ash rake to pull all the ash out of the compartment as well I have decided to completely ignore its existence and go back to scooping out the ash. Does any body else do this ? I am really just curious more than anything.

Pete

Don't hate mine actually love it once a month I empty it works great ,nothing but baby powder ash consistency to empty with the King.

 

[pen]

I try to do that too, but my "bucket" is a 10 gallon galvanized garbage can which is big enough to get in the way. Maybe I need a smaller interim ash bucket?

I keep a 30 gal galvanized garbage can outside, and use an old galvanized ash bucket that was my great grandmother's to get the ashes from the stove to the out of doors.

I'm fairly certain this is the same one.

That snout sticks into the stove nicely.

pen

 

[BrowningBAR]

I keep a 30 gal galvanized garbage can outside, and use an old galvanized ash bucket that was my great grandmother's to get the ashes from the stove to the out of doors.

I'm fairly certain this is the same one.

That snout sticks into the stove nicely.

pen

That's what I use. I usually hook the snout under the stove's ash lip to sweep off any ash that may have accumulated there. Usually that ash can will hold two cleanings from all three stoves before I need to dump it outside and hose down the ash pile.

 

[mikesin]

I absolutely love the design of my PE ash pan. It works really well. Dump the ashes from the stove to the pan through the "trap door". Wait a few days if you wish before removing the pan and dumping the ashes.

 

[fossil]

...and use an old galvanized ash bucket that was my great grandmother's...

That's a coal hod. They were used back in the day to bring a small load of coal from the coal bin to the stove/fireplace (and for any number of other carrying functions). I use one for kindling near my shop stove. Rick

 

[tfdchief]

Rick, I use my coal hod for the same thing. Have an ash bucket with a lid for ashes.

Let's face it. Emptying the ashes comes in all different forms depending on the stove, and what you put the ashes in. and your technique, and etc., etc........ It just isn't one of my favorite parts of wood burning and I usually wait until the fire box doesn't have room for wood before I get rid of them.

 

[fossil]

...Have an ash bucket with a lid for ashes...

Ditto, Chief Steve.

 

[Todd 2]

That's a coal hod. They were used back in the day to bring a small load of coal from the coal bin to the stove/fireplace (and for any number of other carrying functions). I use one for kindling near my shop stove. Rick

So thats what it called, that I use. Works great because you can slide the shovel out from under the ashes you put in and not dump them in it out of your shovel, works great, very few ash fly'rs if you do it slow.

 

[Waulie]

That's a coal hod. They were used back in the day to bring a small load of coal from the coal bin to the stove/fireplace (and for any number of other carrying functions). I use one for kindling near my shop stove. Rick

That's funny. I use the same thing. Mine doesn't seem that old, but I did inherit it. Who knew? Well, Rick did I guess. It really does work great for shoveling ashes. I have a piece of sheet metal that I set on top of the "hod" on the dirt outside for a couple days before dumping.

I don't have an ash pan on purpose. No offense to anyone, but personally I don't see the need. It takes me maybe 72 seconds to shovel ashes.

 

[fossil]

Coal hods go quite a ways back...but they're still made new today. You can buy a brand new one dang near anywhere. Amazon, hardware store, all the online stove/hearth sites, wherever. Google "coal hod", you'll see what I'm talking about. The galvanized one I've got is not more than maybe 10 years old. Rick

 

[Waulie]

Coal hods go quite a ways back...but they're still made new today. You can buy a brand new one dang near anywhere. Amazon, hardware store, all the online stove/hearth sites, wherever. Google "coal hod", you'll see what I'm talking about. The galvanized one I've got is not more than maybe 10 years old. Rick

I wasn't doubting you at all. I just thought it was funny all the folks that use them and didn't know what they were. I always just thought it was an ash bucket. I would give my personal recommendation for using this contraption as an ash bucket. It works great. A lid would be nice though.

 

[fossil]

Yeah, Waulie...Not a direct response to anything you posted...simply tossing out a little more background info as there seemed to be just a bit of interest. Rick

 

[Todd 2]

The cat even likes the Coal Hod, every time I take it out hot an set it on the concrete slab, he'll curl up beside it as long as theres no snow.

 

[rideau]

I use two stainless steel compost buckets from Lee Valley. They have handles that swing down and nice fitting tops. Two buckets easily hold a weeks ashes.

 

[Pallet Pete]

I keep a 30 gal galvanized garbage can outside, and use an old galvanized ash bucket that was my great grandmother's to get the ashes from the stove to the out of doors.

I'm fairly certain this is the same one.

That snout sticks into the stove nicely.

pen

I saw a bucket very similar to that at TSC and am thinking about getting it mine is round with a crappy shovel.

Pete

 

[begreen]

Yup, I used a coal hod for ash cleanout way back when I had a wood cook stove. Fortunately the T6 has a nice deep ash bed so I can usually go 2-3 weeks between ash dumpings. By then it's about 50% fused silica.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Yup, I used a coal hod for ash cleanout way back when I had a wood cook stove. Fortunately the T6 has a nice deep ash bed so I can usually go 2-3 weeks between ash dumpings. By then it's about 50% fused silica.

I wondered about this, but I never asked. I get this a lot with the Defiant and Encore since clean-outs happen only every 2-4 weeks. Never had it with any other stove. It was a mild concern as I wondered if it had to do with my fuel quality.

 

[begreen]

Silica is in most wood. I burn a lot of fir, some with the bark attached. My understanding is the bark has the highest concentrations of silicas. If I switch to pure madrona burning for weeks (quite a luxury out here) then the silica clinker quantity goes down a lot.

 

[SmokeyCity]

I think I may have accidentally clicked "unliked" when I meant to hit reply.
If an "unlike" shows up in some interface or on some social media page - my apologies - its an accident and I don-t know how to un - unlike a post

Anyway - about that rake - is it a homemeade or a product you bought. I need one for my 30 ?

4th season on the NC-30, and the stove as not seen ash, in the ash pan. Instead, I filled the void were the ash plug was with a fire brick and some furnace cement.

If it's shoulder season, and I don't need a full load of wood, I let the ash build up quite a bit. But, if it's time for the black beast to make some heat, I just use the ash rake, and push almost everything to the back 1/2 of the wood stove, then use the rake to pull what coals are in there to the front of the stove, then shovel however much of the ash I want to remove out from the back of the stove, reload, and carry on.

pen

 

[pen]

It's an old poker I found, that had the the poker part broken. I unscrewed it from the end of the rod, took a piece of 1/4 in plate that I had around and drilled a hole in the top of it, inserted the poker handle, and put a nut on the end.

pen

 

[firefighterjake]

Hehheh . . . that's pretty much how I pictured it.

 

[firefighterjake]

I just dropped in at the store where I bought my stove - the usual collection of wood burning stuff on display in the main isle. Including a ShopVac ash vacuum (stainless steel).
http://www.shopvac.com/wet-dry-vacs/vac-details.aspx?vacId=374&vacSKU=404-11-00
I didn't know they made such a thing. Not suggesting this would be the way to clean hot ash from a lit stove box, but what about vacuuming up the occasional hot ember around the live hearth? Anyone have any thoughts on this product?

edit - just now seeing the bold print "for cold ashes only" on their site. Do those of you who use a shop vac to clean up just use your regular vac, or a (stainless) steel model like the one above?

I used to use the shop vac with a dry wall filter on occasion to clean up around the hearth . . . but typically this was only after I was done burning for the year . . . otherwise I would use a brush and dust pan. Then I won an ash vac . . . and that gets used to clean up around the hearth now . . . a lot safer than the ordinary ol' shop vac. I never vacuum out the inside of the woodstove though . . . just the hearth.

 

[rideau]

SmokeyCity - Woodstock sells a nice, functional rake at a reasonable preice.

 

[woodchip]

My ash pan was a pain when I first used the stove as ash often flew everywhere when I took it outside.

I made a top out of the side of a cardboard cereal packet and the problem was solved.

One day I'm planning on a mark2 top made out of something that's not combustible, just in case......

 

[teutonicking]

The fireview is the first stove we've had without an ash pan and although we were a bit concerned at first, we love it. We had a PH on order and ordered it without the ash pan. I am surprised at how many want the ash pan.

As for those poor souls who can't seem to handle ashes without making a mess, I feel for them but it is their own fault. It is extremely easy to handle ashes without making a mess or having dust all over the place.

Not sure why anyone would be surprised that someone would want an ash pan. I have a Progress Hybrid with and ash pan and I like it. I rake the ash over the grate once a day, and empty the large ash pan about once every 4-5 days. It seems to make life easier to me. But I can understand why someone who had a stove with a very small ash pan would find that it might not be worthwhile.