Cleaning out the ashes -- Indoor Air quality?

I clean out daily from a cold stove.
I first open the damper and air intake wide open so there's good draft before I open the stove top. I then use shovel to get ash to drop into built in ashpan below the grate. Most floating dust I create seems to get sucked by draft up into the flue.
I then close top lid, open front doors, and pull out ash pan. Ash on the stove lip gets scraped into the pan with a small piece of cardboard. I've found that creates less dust than a brush or an electric dustbuster.
Pan then gets carried outside and dumped there into ash barrel.

It's burnt wood..no concern here..I'm more worried about the products from China and what they are made from and how.

I use a small roasting pan that can fit into the firebox. I fill it and cover it while still in the firebox. Any ash stays in the firebox. I empty it outside in my larger metal trash/ash can.

I also wear a dust mask when doing this. ( I have sensitive lungs so it is worth the extra bother to keep my airways okay.)

I tilt the bucket into the stove opening as close as possible. Holding the bucket in left hand I also have the hose end of a canister vac at the top of the bucket. The vac sucks up all fly ash as I shovel out the stove. Just make sure hot coals are not sucked into the vac. I use a five gallon metal trash can as soon as I am done the cover goes on to keep ash from flying. Do you know how hard it was to find a METAL trash can?

-- brandy

Handling ashes need not cause any dust. It is all in how you handle that ash shovel.

Never, never, never dump ashes! One sits the shovel into the container and then gently slide the shovel out from under the ashes rather than letting the ashes slide off the shovel. Imagine you are handling rotten tomatoes or very fragile eggs.

Once more: do not dump ashes but slide the shovel (slowly) out from under the ashes.

if you are doping this with a cool/cold stove.
i place a plastic bag over the stove top and drape it around the area i am working.
this creates more of a draft up ward in your immediate work area.
i noticed no ashes in the air while doing this method.
just vaccume up around the hearth after and you should be golden.
i worry about discoloring my carpet over time, so this is the method i will use from now on.

also, as others mentioned do not dump ashes, let them slide off the shovel and not ploom the soot/ash

I asked the same question and have been trying things ever since to try to eliminate the dust... SLOW and steady seems to work well and I am going to try the vac thing. One of the only complaints from the wife, and personally about the stove. It is nice hearing its not just something I am doing though!

par0thead151 said:

if you are doping this with a cool/cold stove.
i place a plastic bag over the stove top and drape it around the area i am working.

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I'll try that trick next time my stove is cold.

Should be some time around the second week in April.

iodonnell said:

I asked the same question and have been trying things ever since to try to eliminate the dust... SLOW and steady seems to work well and I am going to try the vac thing. One of the only complaints from the wife, and personally about the stove. It is nice hearing its not just something I am doing though!

Click to expand...

Thats my answer too. Move very slowly, do not bump the shovel against anything.

Dune said:

iodonnell said:

I asked the same question and have been trying things ever since to try to eliminate the dust... SLOW and steady seems to work well and I am going to try the vac thing. One of the only complaints from the wife, and personally about the stove. It is nice hearing its not just something I am doing though!

Click to expand...

Thats my answer too. Move very slowly, do not bump the shovel against anything.

Click to expand...

It also helps to hold your tongue "just so" %-P