another ash question

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
gogreenburnwood

gogreenburnwood

Member
Apr 6, 2011
36
Sodus NY
My expedience with the ash removal system with the Dutchwest may have spoiled me. The only complaint I have with my PE T5 is the ash removal It's not that big a deal to shovel the ashes out into the tray. The problem I'm having is that when I'm burning kind of hard due to cold weather the ashes build up very quickly and when I go to shovel them out there are a lot of coals buried in all that ash. I don't have a problem disposing of them safely, that's not my issue. Am I losing valuable heat by shoveling the ashes out? I've tried the "push the coals to the side", but there are good coals all the way to the bottom. I am used to taking out powdery ash, now I am taking out chunky ash, with a lot of red glowing charcoal size "coals". I am reluctant to use the little door thing, for fear of having it get caught open with one of these coals, and not having a way to un-stick it, leaving an uncontrolled air hole in my stove. I'm hoping for some ash advice here.
 
Sounds like a perfect place for an ash rake. Use the search function for many example and many home built ones.
 
I don't bother using the ash door in my T4, never used it since day one. I just rake the unused coals to the front (or wherever, depending on what kind of burn I'm going to do) and burn them in the next load. Actually, in hindsight, I probably would have special ordered a T4 with no ash door (according to the manual, it is an available option). About once a week I use a colander (also used with my charcoal grill) and sift out the clinkers and big stuff and leave about 1/2 to 1 inch of ash in the bottom. If it's worth the time, I might pull out larger unburnt coals, but there usually aren't enough to bother with.
 
I have the same problem with my Napoleon 1900 ....it has an ash door/pan and I do not use of because it is a PITA. I get excessive coaling sometimes (esp. When the wife is running it on a cold day) I come home to a heap of coals and ash. I plan on building a rake as soon as I get some stainless steel mesh......
 
gogreenburnwood said:
My expedience with the ash removal system with the Dutchwest may have spoiled me. The only complaint I have with my PE T5 is the ash removal It's not that big a deal to shovel the ashes out into the tray. The problem I'm having is that when I'm burning kind of hard due to cold weather the ashes build up very quickly and when I go to shovel them out there are a lot of coals buried in all that ash. I don't have a problem disposing of them safely, that's not my issue. Am I losing valuable heat by shoveling the ashes out? I've tried the "push the coals to the side", but there are good coals all the way to the bottom. I am used to taking out powdery ash, now I am taking out chunky ash, with a lot of red glowing charcoal size "coals". I am reluctant to use the little door thing, for fear of having it get caught open with one of these coals, and not having a way to un-stick it, leaving an uncontrolled air hole in my stove. I'm hoping for some ash advice here.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you have the typical problem with not so dry wood. That will cause many more coals than normal. There are a couple things you might try.

1. Just before the fire reaches the all coaling stage, open the draft full. If this does not take care of all the problem, then...

2. Add a couple pieces of kindling on top of the coals and again, open the draft full. This should help burn those coals down. If not kindling, then a very small split will work.
 
Thanks Backwoods. I tried the small piece thing yesterday, and it worked. I cleaned out the stove pretty well. Problem is this doesn't supply a lot of heat so I'll have to remember to clean out before a cold snap. Creature thanks for the idea that may just be what I need.
 
A KoalKeeper works, if you don't like that, 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Cut a piece to the size you like, shovel the ashes into it, and give it a gentle shake. the embers will remain. The U-shape helps.
 
gogreenburnwood said:
Thanks Backwoods. I tried the small piece thing yesterday, and it worked. I cleaned out the stove pretty well. Problem is this doesn't supply a lot of heat so I'll have to remember to clean out before a cold snap. Creature thanks for the idea that may just be what I need.
Click to expand...
I made my own combination ash hoe/coal rake. I use the hoe to move everything to the back and then rake the coals forward. The small stick on top of the coals does work and you can still put a bigger split behind the coals to get needed heat.

I time the removal of the ashes with the temperatures, leaving more ash when I need less heat and emptying the ashes when I need more heat.
 
I think one of the keys to keeping the coals down is to keep the boost air clear in the front of the stove. I have noticed that if I keep the boost open it burns the coals from front to back much better which helps keep the coaling problem at bay when running it hard.
 
certified106 said:
I think one of the keys to keeping the coals down is to keep the boost air clear in the front of the stove. I have noticed that if I keep the boost open it burns the coals from front to back much better which helps keep the coaling problem at bay when running it hard.
Click to expand...


Good advice! Even if I don't clean out the ashes, I always use the ash vac on those vents.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
Small Load Placement
Replies
6
Views
620
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
Northern NH Mike
Northern NH Mike
Y
sifting out embers
Replies
12
Views
978
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
Dieselhead
Dieselhead
S&S_BRH
Ash Pan Door Vents & Feeding Air
Replies
5
Views
701
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
begreen
begreen
C
Heritage Ash Removal
Replies
2
Views
1K
HearthStone
webby3650
webby3650
R
Any tips to cleanly raise coals above the ashes?
Replies
41
Views
2K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
EbS-P
EbS-P
Top Bottom
Back