Shop Vac

HEPA filter, or Drywall dust filter

Lesson learned here! Get a Drywall dust filter or designed for ash or else you will be cleaning and dusting after every stove cleanout!! I thought I had my vac cleaned, turned on and plume of dust shot out and into my house. House was a fuzzy haze and after it cleared, I had to do a thorough cleaning / dusting.

I've used the cloth bag, paper filters(cuz they are cheap),small paper bags..etc. Do you mean that you should use a full bag that hooks to the inlet inside the cannister? Seems every store has a whole different selection of shop vac bags.

Raven20,

Please remember that a shop vac should only be used for COLD ashes.

Much has been posted on this site about shop vacs and hot ash vacuums. A site search would be worthwhile.

pete324rocket said:

......Do you mean that you should use a full bag that hooks to the inlet inside the cannister? Seems every store has a whole different selection of shop vac bags.

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Yep, the ones that go inside and fill-up the interior are the easiest to use, and last the longest before having to be changed. I have a Rigid shop-vac (6 yrs old), and unfortunately nobody makes a dust bag for the interior of my model, but I bought a HEPA round filter canister that works fine......it just doesn't last as long before it gets plugged up.

Make sure if you get one of the interior bags, it's designed for drywall dust.

Yep, you can get them at HD or Lowes....about $23.00. A little pricey, but their reusable. I take mine off and go outside and shake and tap it against the foundation......95% of the dust comes out. Their also washable, so I do that every 2-3rd time I clean it. Should last a long time, and will probably be cheaper than the bags in the long run.

The major issue I have between cleanings is ash build up. I shut the stove down and clean it. If I am reading correctly, do some of you clean your stove while on? Obvisouly you would need a hot vac for this, but does anybody clean the ash while hot and running between full shutdown and cleaning. how long do you have b4 the stove shuts off because the door is open or ash tray out. Thx

You can clean the stove while it's still a little hot, but I'd only do that if i had a regular vac made for stoves.

I let my stove cool at least 45 min- hour after it shuts off before I open the door to do anything...all the ashes & stove itself should be cool.

I am a little more conservative. I wait around a couple hours after shut down, but some stoves might cool down quicker then others.

I use a 1 gal. mini shop vac and a fine dust cloth filter w/ring. Buy them in packs and can be cleaned, rewashed, and reused. I also have a 5 gal. shop vac that has a drywall bag type filer in it. Both have worked great the couple times I have done a thorough cleaning on the stove.

[quote author="codebum" date="1231467062"]I am a little more conservative. I wait around a couple hours after shut down, but some stoves might cool down quicker then others.

I use a 1 gal. mini shop vac and a fine dust cloth filter w/ring. Buy them in packs and can be cleaned, rewashed, and reused. I also have a 5 gal. shop vac that has a drywall bag type filer in it. Both have worked great the couple times I have done a thorough cleaning on the stove.[/quo

I shut it down and it is relit in a half hour. Stir the pot a couple of times will cool faster. I got a "14 metal dust pan which fits perfectly under the ash pan and I dump all the ashes in the dpan and out to the baack yard. I use the shop vac for 20 seconds only to get the dust where the brush can't reach.

SouthOfBoston:

Stir the pot a couple of times will cool faster.

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I had not thought about doing that. That is a good idea.

I shut it down and it is relit in a half hour.

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Not quite so quick for me. Usually when I decide to get the vacs involved, I am doing a complete stove cleaning. Until then I just use a paint brush to sweep everything into my ash pan. The Advance has a huge ash pan.

Raven20 said:

I'm just afraid the dust will come out of the other end............The wife would have my head......

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I fixed that problem by installing a 2nd OAK (mentioned in a different post). I uncap a fitting and hook up the shop vac OUTSIDE the house. On the inside is another cap behind the stove, which I remove, and connect another smaller hose to it (that hose and fittings stay inside).

Thus, no more loud vacuums inside that have any chance of blowing dust around. In essence, it's just a portable and remote vacuum.

Devo said:

Raven20 said:

I'm just afraid the dust will come out of the other end............The wife would have my head......

Click to expand...

I fixed that problem by installing a 2nd OAK (mentioned in a different post). I uncap a fitting and hook up the shop vac OUTSIDE the house. On the inside is another cap behind the stove, which I remove, and connect another smaller hose to it (that hose and fittings stay inside).

Thus, no more loud vacuums inside that have any chance of blowing dust around. In essence, it's just a portable and remote vacuum.

Click to expand...

Wow thats pretty cool. Now if you had it plugged into a switched outlet from inside the house you would be all set.


I recently emptied my shop vac, Its an old smaller craftsmen. I could not believe how much I filled it, it was to the bottom of the filter. Also the filter was horribly plugged. I will have to look into that drywall bag. I can't remember the last time I emptied the shop vac maybe last winter, and I use it on my wood stove, pellet stove and any other project around the house so it gets a lot of use. best 5 bucks I ever spent at a yard sale.

I purchased a shop vac on sale and use drywall bags that specifically say cold ash on the package. After much searching I fould that I had to buy a 5-6 gallon unit to get a system that would take a bag. The cost of the vacume was ~$30, bags ~$4ea.

Raven20 said:

....Also bought a few bags of Freedom Fuel...Has anyone tried these?

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Yeah, I bought a few bags when they had them at HD a while back....they were OK. If I had nothing else, I'd burn them. Their softwood.

codebum said:

I am a little more conservative. I wait around a couple hours after shut down, but some stoves might cool down quicker then others.

I use a 1 gal. mini shop vac and a fine dust cloth filter w/ring. Buy them in packs and can be cleaned, rewashed, and reused. I also have a 5 gal. shop vac that has a drywall bag type filer in it. Both have worked great the couple times I have done a thorough cleaning on the stove.

Click to expand...

I'm the same here- I have a 5 gallon Rigid but went to WallyWorld and bought a 1 gallon ShopVac with the reuseable filter cloths -was cheep.It works great and leaves the big one for the garage

I have the Shop Vac 5 gallon. How does the expensive drywall filter fit on there? The cloth filter now, is held on by a ring. I dont see how the round drywall filter stays on. Advice please. Yesterday ended up with a dusty mess after cleaning. Thank you.

Hi, I bought this shop vac below from Walmart

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8477891

and, purchased these drywall bags for it (also from my local walmart) #90671

http://www.shopvac.com/detail.asp?id=341

No dust coming out of my vacuum. Works great.