Use of a grate to get better ash control

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Apr 6, 2011
36
Sodus NY
Is there a reason we can't put a grate into these stoves to allow a better ash control, allowing only smaller particles to fall through for scooping out. I'm still struggling with the coal/ash mixture I am removing from my stove every time I scoop ashes. I've found 2 grates at Tractor Supply that will fit on the floor of my firebox that are only 2" tall. I see this as a way to keep the "doghouse" holes clear as well. My plan would be to allow the ashes to build up on top, scrapping to allow the small stuff to fall through and when it's full underneath to lift up the grate and scoop out.
 
I just bought a grate at Home Depot and have been trying it out. It does help with the coals building up too much. The only thing I am going to change with the grate is cut the legs down so the grate is off the bottom an inch instead if the 3-4 inches it is now. People here will say its not necessary, and probably isnt if your wood is 3 years seasoned.
 
i've not heard of anyone doing that.... there's a difference between recommended and something that you can do. you probably get more wood in without the rack. i understand your frustration as i have a pe summit with and ash bin but have to rake and move the coals to get a good burn so i can scrape more ash than coal into the bin. you might consider buying or making a shovel that you can shake the ash through retaining the coals palcing them out of the way while you clean the box. not sure i'd use a fireplace grate....i don't think they are recommended by the manufacturer.

jmho

cass
 
That's correct tc, I don't know of a new EPA stove that permits adding a grate. Most explicitly say 'don't do this'. When in doubt, ask the stove company or look in the manual for a direct answer.

Alderlea:
WARNING:
Do not use grates or andirons to elevate the fuel. Burn directly on the fire bricks.

30-NC:
5. DO NOT
use a grate to elevate the fire.
 
When I unload the ash from my stove I scoop out everything - ash and coals together. Then I put it in the ash bucket. Later when it is cool I take it somewhere on the property and dump it into a seive I made. I shake the seive to separate the ash from the coals and the ash stays where it fell (a new place each time so I spread the ash around) and the coals go into the garden because they are supposed to be good for the soil. However, I could just dump the coals back into the stove and burn them. Maybe a seive is what you need. It really isn't a big problem to seive the ash and it is a lot easier than sorting through the ash and coals while they're in the stove.
 
I've considered making an ash shovel out of expanded metal to seperate the coals from the ash.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Who'd of thunk the manual would have all my answers! Up until i saw the grates in Tractor Supply I was conceiving in my head a shovel that could sift out the coals. the firebox is big enough to allow 2 piles, just seemed tedious. Back to the drawing board.
 
I have an ash rake which is just an old shovel w/ the head removed, and a flat piece of steel perpendicular to the handle put in its place.

When I go to reload, I push everything in the stove 1/3 of the way towards the back (away from the door since my air comes in the front) and then just pull the coals which are generally on top of the ashes forward to fill the void I made in the front of the firebox.

When it is time to remove ashes, I do the same thing, and just scoop out the back 1/2 to 2/3 of the stove.

pen
 
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Hearthstone also specifically prohibits the use of a grate (overfiring voids the warranty). I have a small rake (stiff teeth like a small garden rake) which rakes the coals forward but leaves the ash. Works fine...I've never used the grate in the floor of the stove and the drawer beneath it. I just shovel the ashes into a bucket with a tight lid and put it on a non-combustible surface outside until it cools. If there are hot coals, I dump water in to kill them.
 
I just ordered a hot oil fryer skimmer (that has a mesh bucket scoop) that I plan to use - its in the mail and will report back how well it works soon :)
 
krysssyann said:
I just ordered a hot oil fryer skimmer (that has a mesh bucket scoop) that I plan to use - its in the mail and will report back how well it works soon :)

I used one for the past couple of years. It works great, but is a bit of a chore. Did it save me any fuel? I don't think very much. It does makes the ashes you take out a lot safer to dispose of outside, though. There are virtually no live coals left to start a fire. After almost setting the neighborhood on fire a few years ago (it wasn't my fault, really :roll:), I came up with this as an aid to cleaner ash collection.

I push all the coals to the side and then use the skimmer to sift out the ash and then transfer the coals to the other side in front of the intake air holes. It's not too bad unless you have a big (hot) coal bed, but at those times I don't bother with it, I just pull the big chunks to the top and then use a rake to pile them in front of the intake. It is useful at times, but just another gimmick in the arsenal.
 
krysssyann said:
I just ordered a hot oil fryer skimmer (that has a mesh bucket scoop) that I plan to use - its in the mail and will report back how well it works soon :)

can you post a link to the site you bought that from?
that exactly what ive been looking for
 
I'm really only interested in keeping coals that are larger than grapes, so my combination ash hoe/coal rake works well for me. I couldn't see me sifting through them with a Koal Keeper or French Frier.

You'd think there would be a market for a decent coal rake so guys wouldn't have to DIY. I use mine more than I use my poker.
 
Burn drier wood and be more patient between loads, and you won't have all those coals to worry about.
 
Also some stove companies recommend keeping no less than a 1/2" of ash on the base for extra insulation.
 
Coal rake:great idea. I have one with a 90 degree angle iron on a handle. But you got me to thinking and look what I found!
http://common1.csnimages.com/lf/42/hash/8980/3491016/1/Classic Long Reach Hand Rake.jpg
I just ordered one and can't wait to get it. I can see how this will make separating coal/ash much easier. Only 9 left. Serendipity!
http://www.wayfair.com/Flexrake-Classic-Long-Reach-Hand-Rake-CLA336-AVJ1044.html
Looks pretty slick. On the Buck, I just run a poker through the ash/coals and the coals float up to the top. I skim those over the opposite side from where the ash dump is. Then I run a shovel along the floor of the stove, which gets mostly ash with maybe a couple coals on top, which I shake off to the side where the other coals are, then dump the ash down the hole. I can save most of the bigger coals this way. I tried one of the sifters but didn't like it.
 
WOW, after reading some of these posts, I really appreciate the ash pan design on my stove. It makes life so much easier.
 
WOW, after reading some of these posts, I really appreciate the ash pan design on my stove. It makes life so much easier.
Yes, me too, I just take it out every morning when I make up the fire from cold and put the ash round the olive trees. Of course, if the weather is so cold that I need the stove lit all night, then I leave the ash pan unemptied for a couple of days. Incidentally, I have been experimenting with ways of lighting the stove to find what for me is the least labour intensive. I find that a good layer of small logs on the base of the fire before I put the kindling and a firelighter with three sheets of rolled newspaper, then logs on the top of this arrangement, like a sandwich, works best. This means that once the fire has caught properly I can close down the air and leave it for quite a while before I reload, thus negating the need to open the door soon after lighting.
 
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Lots of things you can do to try and make less work of the process but in the end ash eventually has to come out and there is some work involved. Because I make my own tools I can try all methods of ash/coal removal/preservation and in the end I find my rake and shovel work fine. rake to one side - scoop. Rake to other side - scoop. Shake the large coals off the top of the shovel scoop and what remains goes to the fire pit. My coal sifter is just a decoration around the stove and never gets used. Make or buy a rake - for me it is my go-to tool 99% of the time. Because the goal is to lesson the load but never clean the entire stove out during the 24/7 season just develop a routine and it becomes simple.

Beyond the manufacturers safety warnings you have also just created a massive obstacle to deal with and negotiate around when scooping ash - Total PIA IMO. So much so that I took the ash pan plug out and replaced it with a fire brick before ever lighting my stove. I just find the ash pan cumbersome and added risk for air leaks. That said: some stoves have a much better or different ash pan system than mine and probably work better but I do not have any first hand experience.
 

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