Opening the ash pan door

Backwoods said:

My stove has its own ash pan door, with a good sized ash pan inside. Sometimes when I don't like what the fire is doing I'll open it up just a smidge, and that helps the fire going real fast, usually when I'm low on kindlin. The manual suggests not to do this because it could cause over firing, but I only do it for about 10 seconds max or so. Anyone else do this?

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For 10 seconds, you are not in danger - the danger lies with inevitably forgetting the pan door is open (if you do it a lot) and creating a forge-like condition in your stove - likely to damage the stove and create a dangerously hot fire if the door is left open by mistake. The standard answer you will get here is NEVER use the ash pan door to manage the fire, only to remove the ashes. Cheers!

My rule, that I got here, is to only ever have the ash door open when my hand is on the handle.

pyper said:

My rule, that I got here, is to only ever have the ash door open when my hand is on the handle.

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Agreed

I have done it and it really works, but something I try and avoid if at all possible. Of course, if I had truly dry wood and proper small splits and kindling, then I wouldn't do it at all. I haven't had to do it this winter though.

NH_Wood said:

Backwoods said:

My stove has its own ash pan door, with a good sized ash pan inside. Sometimes when I don't like what the fire is doing I'll open it up just a smidge, and that helps the fire going real fast, usually when I'm low on kindlin. The manual suggests not to do this because it could cause over firing, but I only do it for about 10 seconds max or so. Anyone else do this?

Click to expand...

For 10 seconds, you are not in danger - the danger lies with inevitably forgetting the pan door is open (if you do it a lot) and creating a forge-like condition in your stove - likely to damage the stove and create a dangerously hot fire if the door is left open by mistake. The standard answer you will get here is NEVER use the ash pan door to manage the fire, only to remove the ashes. Cheers!

Click to expand...

+1 . . . a better habit to get into is learning to start the fire better (and use your side door) . . . or learning how to reload better . . . the problem with this habit is as mentioned it is far too easy to get lax and get into this habit and there could be a time when you may get distracted and forget to close the door. Use enough kindling and leave the side door ajar and you will never go back to using the ash pan door.

Leave the side door open a crack when starting the fire. I usually leave it open for a couple of minutes for a little extra air then shut it down. You need to watch what you do with that ashpan door- I believe if damage were to be done using this method it would not be covered under your warranty.

I have done it many times....

I dont think its to big of a deal as long as you sit right there and watch it.
I have done it to get some good flames going on some new/stubborn to catch splits.
That being said.....i have never walked away from the stove like that and at most it was only a minute or 2 that i left it open.

Besides.....taking the ash-pan outside to empty is doing pretty much the same thing.

keninmich said:

I have done it many times....

I dont think its to big of a deal as long as you sit right there and watch it.
I have done it to get some good flames going on some new/stubborn to catch splits.
That being said.....i have never walked away from the stove like that and at most it was only a minute or 2 that i left it open.

Besides.....taking the ash-pan outside to empty is doing pretty much the same thing.

Click to expand...

I don't bother with my ash pan, but I was under the impression that you would open the ash pan door to empty the ashes when the fire was past coaling and before loading, making the situations a lot different (no fresh fuel). Cheers!

NH_Wood said:

keninmich said:

I have done it many times....

I dont think its to big of a deal as long as you sit right there and watch it.
I have done it to get some good flames going on some new/stubborn to catch splits.
That being said.....i have never walked away from the stove like that and at most it was only a minute or 2 that i left it open.

Besides.....taking the ash-pan outside to empty is doing pretty much the same thing.

Click to expand...

I don't bother with my ash pan, but I was under the impression that you would open the ash pan door to empty the ashes when the fire was past coaling and before loading, making the situations a lot different (no fresh fuel). Cheers!

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I would respectfully disagree with Keninmich . . . when I take the ash pan out to dump the pan it's in the late coaling stage after an overnight fire when temps are pretty cool . . . and the door is opened, pan is removed and the door shut again . . . it is open for no more than 15 seconds.

I still maintain that using the ash pan door is not all that wise . . . especially when simply using the side door is safer and just as effective . . . and you do not have to worry about ever voiding a warranty.

I still maintain that using the ash pan door is not all that wise . . . especially when simply using the side door is safer and just as effective . . . and you do not have to worry about ever voiding a warranty.[/quote]...OR BURNING YOUR HOUSE DOWN!!

Why is it on these new stoves that the hole for the primary under the stove is so much bigger than the smaller than dime sized hole in the stove.Mine blasts a hole through the front piece of wood.If it were bigger we could still control our fires just as well and start em like you used to be able to.Ash pan door open,no thanks.We all have forgotten many things and this would be no different.My brother has an Encore and you should see the cracked glass and and the 4" and 2" cracks at the top of his stove by the griddle.It's horrible.The inside damage also is horrid.$1000 wouldn't fix this stove.He is a die hard fan of fast and easy.OPEN THE ASH PAN DOOR.

firefighterjake said:

NH_Wood said:

keninmich said:

I have done it many times....

I dont think its to big of a deal as long as you sit right there and watch it.
I have done it to get some good flames going on some new/stubborn to catch splits.
That being said.....i have never walked away from the stove like that and at most it was only a minute or 2 that i left it open.

Besides.....taking the ash-pan outside to empty is doing pretty much the same thing.

Click to expand...

I don't bother with my ash pan, but I was under the impression that you would open the ash pan door to empty the ashes when the fire was past coaling and before loading, making the situations a lot different (no fresh fuel). Cheers!

Click to expand...

I would respectfully disagree with Keninmich . . . when I take the ash pan out to dump the pan it's in the late coaling stage after an overnight fire when temps are pretty cool . . . and the door is opened, pan is removed and the door shut again . . . it is open for no more than 15 seconds.

I still maintain that using the ash pan door is not all that wise . . . especially when simply using the side door is safer and just as effective . . . and you do not have to worry about ever voiding a warranty.

Click to expand...

I agree. I never open the ashpan door without first opening the side or front doors to allow air another way into the stove. You may get away with opening the ashpan door on se eral occasions, but it only takes one forgetful evening (or a good beer night) to ruin a perfectly good stove.

I dont really care if any of you agree with me doing that.

The OP asked if anyone ever did it and i said that i do.
I dont need any lectures from anyone who thinks their way of doing things is the only way of doing things.
I am not some moron that has no idea of the safety concerns involved with doing it. I dare say EVERYONE does things on a semi-daily basis that might raise the ire of the holier-than-thou do-gooders among us.

I've done it a few times to get a new fire established quickly, usually if I get home to a cold house and the wife and kids are on the way expecting a warm house, just got to be careful, as with all things related to wood burning.

I don't have one..but if I did I wouldn't put it past me to try it.

keninmich said:

I dont really care if any of you agree with me doing that.

The OP asked if anyone ever did it and i said that i do.
I dont need any lectures from anyone who thinks their way of doing things is the only way of doing things.
I am not some moron that has no idea of the safety concerns involved with doing it. I dare say EVERYONE does things on a semi-daily basis that might raise the ire of the holier-than-thou do-gooders among us.

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Easy does it bub . . . no disrespect intended and I certainly do not think anyone thinks you are a moron . . . then again most of us also don't think we're Holy Rollers or were giving out the lecture of the day . . . rather many of us are pretty smart and safety conscious and think we're pretty good -- but many of us have also had a lapse of good judgment where we did something or failed to do something that wasn't the smartest thing to do (in my case it was leaving the air open all the way and taking a shower -- figuring that the wood wouldn't ignite that quickly -- but it did and when I came out the temp in the flue was pretty darn hot . . . then again maybe I am a moron . . . I did end up doing this a second time before realizing that sometimes one should not attempt shortcuts or multi-tasking.)

I suspect most of recommend not using the ash pan door simply because it is a) specifically mentioned in many manuals not to do this, b) some folks have had actual experiences when they damaged their stoves (and I'm pretty sure they did not think they were morons) and c) there are safer ways to achieve the same goal.

That said . . . again . . . no disrespect was and is intended . . .

You seem to be missing my point Jake.

The OP asked a question and i answered it truthfully. Then MY judgement was called into question and i resent that.
This site has a lot of that going on. I have been reading on this site a very long time and as you can see i dont often post anything.
Part of the reason is the others on here that are always just waiting to jump on someone for the things they say...do...don't do...whatever.
It just gets old.

I never meant that doing the ash-pan thing was a brilliant idea...but i also dont think its a horribly stupid thing to do either if some common sense is used at the same time.

Even if i never did it...i would not get on here to take the OP to task for doing it himself. To each his own as far as how we run our stoves.
I have read other posters getting all over others for how they run their stoves...how they split their wood...how they stack their wood...and the list goes on and on.

Like i said...it just gets old...