Been using the Clydesdale for about 6 weeks. All is well except one thing. My wife who keeps a clean house, hates the lite layer of dust (ash) that keeps appearing on the furniture. How do I minimize? Just sweeping the ash lip seems to get that ash airbourne. Any ideas? Please help.
What to do about ashes?
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Todd
Minister of Fire
If your shoveling ash out try and put the shovel in the bottom of the bucket and gently slide the ash off instead of just dumping. I also found taking an old damp towel over the top will help suck up the flying ash.
Dix
Minister of Fire
I'm not a fan of the dust either.
When it's on the insert in the AM I just "pucker up & blow", then deal with it with the shop vac alittle later.
I keep the ash can cover over the shovel as it goes into the can, seems to help.
I'll have to try the towel idea, makes sense, too.
I usually do a good vacuum around the insert once a day, after the wood rack has been loaded. Doesn't make any sense to me to do it before hand.
When it's on the insert in the AM I just "pucker up & blow", then deal with it with the shop vac alittle later.
I keep the ash can cover over the shovel as it goes into the can, seems to help.
I'll have to try the towel idea, makes sense, too.
I usually do a good vacuum around the insert once a day, after the wood rack has been loaded. Doesn't make any sense to me to do it before hand.
wood spliter
New Member
My wife gave me a dry dust towel. When it gets dirty you wash it and your good to go. Micro fiber maybe?? I will check out who makes it.
The main time I send ash flying is if I am not careful when removing ashes. To prevent this, I remove ash when the stove is still warm (has hot coals in it) and make sure that the front of my bucket is in the mouth of the stove. It's not the most convenient of setups but doing it this way lets the ash float up the warm chimney.
If I thought my ash pan was worth a darn, I'd give that a try. But, I have never even attempted.
Sometime I'll get around to making an ash bucket that fits right in the stove better.
pen
If I thought my ash pan was worth a darn, I'd give that a try. But, I have never even attempted.
Sometime I'll get around to making an ash bucket that fits right in the stove better.
pen
newtothis said:
They can handle the harshness of the ash and hot embers.
DO NOT try with a traditional shop vac. I did, and even after I hadn't added wood to the stove in more than a day, I apparently found a hot ash, sucked it into the vac, and turned it into a flame thrower. Next, I got to practice my shot put skills as I launched it into the snow, ripped the shell opened, and did the "Yes everyone, I'm stupid; stamping out my vacuum cleaner that is on fire in the snow" dance
But anyway :red:
pen
Dix
Minister of Fire
Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:pen said:
Pics, or it didn't happen
Sorry no pics, but the shop vac still has a funny smell when it runs which serves as a lingering reminder.
pen
NH_Wood
Minister of Fire
If it is only the ash on the ash lip which seems to be the problem, I can't see why you can't use a shop vac or similar vac with fine particle filter to suck up the ash - if you leave the ash for a little while to ensure no small embers and vac with the door closed. Obviously using the vac around the hot embers is a no-no. Cheers!
Lighting Up
Feeling the Heat
pen said:Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:pen said:
Pics, or it didn't happen
Sorry no pics, but the shop vac still has a funny smell when it runs which serves as a lingering reminder.
pen
Lol... don't need pictures the visual made me laugh, thanks for making my day...don't worry I've done the tango too.
DanCorcoran
Minister of Fire
I used to use a Shop Vac with a HEPA filter all the time around my pellet stove. As long as you're just picking up soot/ashes outside the stove, no problem. I only used it inside the stove when the fire was long dead (and pellet stoves don't have a problem with live coals, after the ash pan has been emptied, as do wood stoves).
basod
Minister of Fire
I had the same issue with my Clydesdale. The chimney effect from hot ashes being emptied into the ash bucket makes them want to rise-directly into the discharge of the blower. the ash vacs online seemed a bit high for what they are (metal bucket/fire proof hose/filter). I made an attempt at my own - used a steel buket with tabbed lid, found a porostone exhaust filter from an industrial air dehydrator, and 1" piece of seal flex - all found in scrap metal bin at work. I picked up a couple conduit bushings, and attached the porostone filter internally through the lid, and 1" seal flex through the lid. Instead of taking the risk with my shopvac, I opted for the parts vac ($40 throw away bissels) that was up in my garage rafter. It worked pretty well for a couple times, except you need to wear the welding gloves as the seal flex gets really hot. All the online models tell you to keep the nozzle directly on the bottom of stove, this prevents sucking up larger coals that will plug the hose. The corrugations inside the seal flex seem to catch embers and they clog mine. The whole contraption bucket/vacuum etc, is pretty ackward so in the end I just resumed the bucket/shovel method. If you slide the shovel slowly from beneath the ashes its seems to be "cleaner". Another little bit of advice is when scooping ashes, place shovel on the bottom of your soapstone, push all the way back, rock it a little inside the stove. this tends to keep the good hot coals in the box and collects just the fly ash.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Todd said:
Good, but I always like to tell folks that once they get the shovel to the bottom of the ash can (moving extremely slow), then instead of sliding the ashes off the shovel, I like to slide the shovel out from under the ashes. Yes, there is a difference.
However, I still found a better way to clean out ashes. My wife does it! I don't remember the last time I emptied ashes.
PapaDave
Minister of Fire
pen said:
pen,
You just had to bring that up, didn't you?
I now find myself flinching at the thought of my one and only VERY bad decision to do that very same thing.
The dancing was fun though.
PapaDave
Minister of Fire
newtothis said:
His last words before this magical experience were, "hold my beer, and watch THIS". :lol:
michaelryba
Member
I've found that most of the ash was coming out during relaoding. Obviously, this is another reason to run the stove in full-to-empty cycles. More relevant though was to turn off the blower, grab a paper towel, moisten it with kettle water and wipe-up any ash that comes out when opening the door. Often there's some on top of the door gasket too. Then proceed to reload. I don't have to do this every time, but usally can tell before opening if there's anything to blow around.
PapaDave said:
If memory serves I think I actually was in the basement to get a beer when I made the bad initial decision to do some work. History has since taught me that I am better of to simply continue drinking and ignore similar domestic responsibilities
And in all seriousness, I can't overemphasize the flame thrower part. The worst thing is I smelt this happening first, but never turned around to see what the shop vac was doing until the otherwise worthless and sedentary cat that lives with my wife and me went tearing up the basement stairs as if the house were on fire. Wait..... Put overweight feline running for her life together with the strange odor! :shut: That's when my mistake became all so clear and things started to happen at high speed.
All in a life time I suppose.
pen
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