Continuous Burners ... when do you remove the ashes?

Remkel said:

Battenkiller said:

I make about three shovels full of ashes a day. I figured that out because I take out about 3 shovels full every morning and they haven't build up high all season. My stove has 1" tall ribs cast into the bottom that hold ash to protect the bottom. I like to keep it from getting any higher than that or the stove doesn't seem to work as well for me. There are alway plenty of coals in the AM to start a fresh fire with.

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Have the same stove and follow the same routine- keep the ashes just above the ribs.

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Ribs? Is that below or above the four hole on the back plate?

Empty ashes about every 3-4 days. Never use the ash pan, just shovel them out.

First cleanout of the year for me is about a month in, after that I scoop out about 3/4 of a 10qt stock pot every 2-3 weeks.. I do like bogydave, I push everything to the left and scoop the right and then visa versa.. I just pick up from the bottom and the coals tend to fall off leaving ash.. I get a little bit of coals out but usually just very small ones. With my old Buck 21 I cleaned it out daily, but then again it was about out daily as well.. The bucks just don't have a deep (below the door) firebox and the air comes in front and center at the bottom so its kinda tough.. If I had your 91 I would keep everything pushed back a few inches and leave the airpath open even with some coals/ash..

Jason

Like others here have said usually every three days or when the fire has burned down low enough I will rake the coals towards the back of the stove and shovel out two or three scoops then rake the coals back towards the front. With my intake right at the front and center it allows me to lay a small split there to get going and one or two larger in the back of the stove. Since I don't have a "rake" I usually use a small split to move the coals around. I have an ash pan but have leaned towards not becoming so fanatical about emptying that. Might do it once every 3 weeks when I've let the stove burn out and feel the need to clean glass. The glass has stayed pretty clean thanks to my diligence in staying 2-3 years ahead in the wood burn cycle.

I have an older Jotal #3 with a removable ash pan. Usually once a day I scrape the ashes into the pan and dump them outside. I do this on the fly when the stove temp is low. Usually first thing in the morning. I never shut my stove down except to clean the chimney. My wood is so dry and I burn the stove hot I usually clean the chimney once or twice a year.

RPK

WE clean ashes anywhere from every 4th day to perhaps once a week. Less in spring and fall. We do this by simply raking the coals one way, scoop out some ashes and then push the coals to the other side and finish the job. We try to not scoop out any more coals than possible as that is wasted heat. It is really simple to do this and it is also simple to do without creating ash dust if it is done right. Also it is important to leave some ashes in the stove.

Boozie said:

Backwoods Savage said:

WE clean ashes anywhere from every 4th day to perhaps once a week. Less in spring and fall. We do this by simply raking the coals one way, scoop out some ashes and then push the coals to the other side and finish the job. We try to not scoop out any more coals than possible as that is wasted heat. It is really simple to do this and it is also simple to do without creating ash dust if it is done right. Also it is important to leave some ashes in the stove.

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I'm going to check my garden tools and see if I can come up with something to use as a "rake".

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Easy Rake... Buy "cheap" fireplace shovel, flatten sides with hammer, bend 90 degree angle about 2 inches from end, grind angled slots, easy, cheap, effective, rake for a couple bucks and 5 minutes of work.

As others have said, depending on burn rate betwen 3 and 7 days between cleanout of ash. Push to one side, scoop some ash, push to other side, scoop some ash, (leave some for insulation of coals), push all coals to center in front of dog house, reload, ahhhhh warmth......rinse, repeat as needed.

Ash pan makes this easy. Whenever I look in it and it is full. Every few days. Average maybe once a week. I'd never go for something without an ashpan, that's for sure.

Boozie said:

Backwoods Savage said:

WE clean ashes anywhere from every 4th day to perhaps once a week. Less in spring and fall. We do this by simply raking the coals one way, scoop out some ashes and then push the coals to the other side and finish the job. We try to not scoop out any more coals than possible as that is wasted heat. It is really simple to do this and it is also simple to do without creating ash dust if it is done right. Also it is important to leave some ashes in the stove.

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I'm going to check my garden tools and see if I can come up with something to use as a "rake".

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Tractor supply had a set of tools for 15 bucks, had a shovel, rake and brush on a little three way stand. Wifey got me one for Christmas. Last year I cut my garden hoe and used it to rake the ashes down through the ash pan grate.

So the guys that are cleaning out the stove every couple days, how much ash are you pulling out??

When I clean mine out I have about 1/2 a 5 gal pail full. (yes metal pail) I haven't messed with many manufactured stoves, so the Princess is small to me, but judging by the posts on here do your stoves just not hold ash??
I'm not sure I'd even bother burning wood if I had to mess with ash every couple days to be honest.

Like most of the folks who have posted, I've got a routine that flexes according to the temps and the wood I'm burning.

In colder weather when I'm burning hotter, longer, I seem to get less ash, and might go three days before I need to scoop.

When it gets up to zero-ish and I'm cruising or running banked fires at night, I usually clean daily. I'm thinking that cleaning out the ashes on the bigger stoves might be more of a nuisance than the routine I go through, because I consider it practically painless: a couple of minutes of putzin' will get me a clean stove ready to lay a fire, or a bed of coals ready to fire off for another burn or to lay an overnight banked fire.

I have an odd-looking assortment of hearth tools:
an old retired turkey roasting pan;
a rubbermaid dust pan;
a wallpaper-paste brush;
a spatula and fork from a barbeque grill set.

Even if it would be easier to just scoop out ash and coal and lay a fire from scratch (or zap it with the propane torch), I get an atavistic pleasure out of starting the next fire from the coals of the last; I feel like part of a long line of people who've kept the flame going, held back the dark another night.

I slide ash and coal to one side (left for me, since my door has hinges on the right) and use the wallpaper-paste brush (long, stiff bristles with a little flex to them) to clear the corners and the long groove in the back of the stove (Heritage). Then slide just the coals to the right, and reach in with the Rubbermaid dust pan (and no, these tools haven't melted or burned yet--much) and scoop ash into the turkey roaster. The long oval pan fits right inside the firebox, so I slide it partway in and dump the ashes into it while it's in deep enough that any ash in suspension is caught up in the draft and exits the stove through the pipe.

I either use the dustpan to flick the coals over (if I don't have a lot) or I use the barbeque spatula (broad working end holds a lot of coal, and long handle keeps my arm out of the heat) to move the coals. I reach in on the left side then with the wallpaper-paste brush and clean out the corners and groove in the back, and scoop w/dustpan into roaster. The whole procedure takes less time to do than to tell. I often give the window a quick wipe daily because I like having the glass so clear that it looks like an open fire.

Turkey roaster is carried outside to a shelf where any coals can harmlessly burn themselves out, or I dump it in galvanized metal garbage can then, depending upon whether I've put shoes on or not to carry it out, and leave it out there until needed again.

If I have coals left, I kick up a clear-its-throat fire, or I pull them to the front of the stove, cover with a broad split, and arrange a dense array of 3-4-5 splits behind and above that so that I'll have an overnight or all-day-while-I'm-at-work fire.

I'm burning cottonwood and aspen, can't be helped, well-seasoned, and am getting quite a bit of ash. It's keeping my house warm this winter, so I'm not complaining.

NATE379 said:

So the guys that are cleaning out the stove every couple days, how much ash are you pulling out??
When I clean mine out I have about 1/2 a 5 gal pail full. (yes metal pail) I haven't messed with many manufactured stoves, so the Princess is small to me, but judging by the posts on here do your stoves just not hold ash??
I'm not sure I'd even bother burning wood if I had to mess with ash every couple days to be honest.

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I'm probably pulling out a quart or two of ash when I clean daily. I see what you mean; if I had to scoop 2-3 gallons daily, that would get old. Nope, my little `parlor stove' doesn't hold a lot of ash. It's all trade-offs and weighing and balancing needs. I knew I didn't want a BK in my living room. Didn't want a barrel stove in there, either, even though they hold some serious ash.

I probably spend about as much time daily cleaning out the stove as I do feeding the dog, and just as with that, I get more out of it than I put into it.

Speaking of which, it's time to go see how well my fire held overnight. Y'all have a great day.

about every 1-2 weeks, depending on weather. if its cold and i need a real hot burn, about once a week. Air will circulate around the load better with less ashes. I usually do it on a morning before reloading. I use a little hand garden rake while wearing gloves of course. This allows me to keep a hot start by raking all of the larger hot coals to one side, then scoop out ash and small embers. Rake the coals to the other side and repeat. I then am left with little ash and plenty of hot coals. make sure to palce the bucket of embers out of harms way.

NATE379 said:

So the guys that are cleaning out the stove every couple days, how much ash are you pulling out??

I'm not sure I'd even bother burning wood if I had to mess with ash every couple days to be honest.

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Im with you as far as emtying the ashes every few weeks. We are well into our seasoned white oak, which I find to leave very little ash behind. Like many have said, depends on the wood. My locust last year would fill up the stove quickly. I just find a clean stove doesnt burn as well or as long.

Once a day, in the morning before I reload. The ash pan is half to nearly full on my Dutchwest.

I'd like to know what causes a large coal build up, not burning hot enough long enough? Seems I'm always throwing away coals and very little ash. I do try to run the stove wide open and burn them down, but that only can happen so long before I need more wood for some heat.

For our Merrimack, we scoop out a good amount once a day, in the morning before getting it going again.

Generally speaking yes or the wood isn't dry.

I have been getting quite a bit of coals the last few days because it's been so warm (in the mid 30s!) I barely need a fire. When it's colder I can run the stove a bit warmer and not fear roasting out the house and all that is left is a grey powder.

xclimber said:

I'd like to know what causes a large coal build up, not burning hot enough long enough? Seems I'm always throwing away coals and very little ash. I do try to run the stove wide open and burn them down, but that only can happen so long before I need more wood for some heat.

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Every other day on my stove.

Once or twice a week, first thing in the morning. I check how full the ash pan is. If it's not too full (usually the case), I rake the coal/ash bed around a bit to drop some of the ash. Then dump the pan, put it back in, and it's all done. 1-2 minutes tops.

I have been running the King for a couple weeks and have not yet dumped the ashes, it's too hot to get that close.