Ashes Ashes Ashes.....

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Woodscout

New Member
Sep 19, 2011
15
Eastern PA.
:roll: I have read a lot concerning ashes on the forum (take out, leave in etc. etc). Do you think, that ashes only aid in persevering coals only, or aids in making a fire burn longer and better or both?
 
Preserves the coals . . . but in a way it helps make the stove stay hotter longer . . . so it may not make the fire burn longer or better, but it keeps the stove radiating heat longer.

And for the record . . . general consensus is to leave an inch or two of ash in the firebox when cleaning . . . besides preserving the coals it will also make a difference in the heat radiating underneath the stove to the hearth.
 
I take out all the ashes when it is ash shoveling time. I guess the stove does seem to burn a little better with some ashes in it, but I figure the more ashes I remove, the less frequently I have to mess with ashes. I can always make more ash if I need it.
 
Wood Duck said:
I take out all the ashes when it is ash shoveling time. I guess the stove does seem to burn a little better with some ashes in it, but I figure the more ashes I remove, the less frequently I have to mess with ashes. I can always make more ash if I need it.
+1
 
In the real cold when you are trying to burn down the built up coals to throw fresh wood in, I find the ashes interfere with the burn down process.
Al
 
My fire leaves a few small bits of coal in the ash. By leaving some ash there with the small coals, it means there is some free fuel to burn that might have ended up out in the garden.

When I was a lad I can remember my parents sieving the ash to get bits out for the fire, I can understand why now I'm older.... ;-)
 
I save some hot coals (the bigger noticeable ones) to get the new load burning. How many coals depends on how much I let the coals burn down before I empty.
But enough coals to fill 2 coffee cans at least. Good glove needed for sure.
I empty the stove the day I have to fill the wood box, (about every 10 days +/-)
The stove is still hot when I empty the ashes, (burning 24/7)
I get 95% or more of the ashes, leave some coals, add the new load of wood & the stove is back to temp in no time.
I empty the ashes in the snow in the garden right away. Pretty hot & has some hot glowing coals.
 
Morso recommends leaving a couple of inches of ash, ostensibly to protect the castings below.
Anything that elevates temp of firebox is a plus, for completeness of combustion & efficiency.
 
+1 on preserves coals but YMMV on heat output.

In milder temps, I leave the ashes in so that I'll have coals in the morning without a raging fire all night. In really cold temps, I remove the ashes both to make more room for wood and also because the stove puts out more heat without all that insulation.
 
LLigetfa said:
+1 on preserves coals but YMMV on heat output.

In milder temps, I leave the ashes in so that I'll have coals in the morning without a raging fire all night. In really cold temps, I remove the ashes both to make more room for wood and also because the stove puts out more heat without all that insulation.

YMMV ???
 
Your Mileage May Vary. Lose your decoder ring?
 
LLigetfa said:
Your Mileage May Vary. Lose your decoder ring?

Don't speak Canadian well or acronyms, eh. :)
 
I find that fires are harder to start and get going if I clean all the ashes out. My guess is because heat is going into and out of the bottom of the stove and the ashes left in help insulate against that. Try it yourself and see. I remove ashes when they get so high they limit how much wood I can put in and always leave 2 inches or so on the bottom when I "clean" it out. Between this and wood bark and stacking and such I think clean freaks and OCD types must have a hard time with wood burning:) For my personality disorders it works great now that I have figured it out:) Crude stacking is fine, leaving a mess of ashes in the stove is fine.....uneven splits don't matter.....make a mess, be warm and be happy......suck it up perfectionists:)
 
Half an inch to an inch make my stove happy. When I reload, I rake the ash forward and send the biggest coals to the back so I usually take 2-3 shovels of ash (which might containa few very small embers) out in the morning.
 
bogydave said:
LLigetfa said:
Your Mileage May Vary. Lose your decoder ring?

Don't speak Canadian well or acronyms, eh. :)

Same here . . . thanks for asking.
 
Wood Duck said:
I take out all the ashes when it is ash shoveling time. I guess the stove does seem to burn a little better with some ashes in it, but I figure the more ashes I remove, the less frequently I have to mess with ashes. I can always make more ash if I need it.

This is my game plan as well. It only takes one fire to build up that small layer again; I just take them all out while I'm cleaning it out.
 
A layer of ash protects the stove and the hearth.
 
CountryBoy19 said:
Wood Duck said:
I take out all the ashes when it is ash shoveling time. I guess the stove does seem to burn a little better with some ashes in it, but I figure the more ashes I remove, the less frequently I have to mess with ashes. I can always make more ash if I need it.

This is my game plan as well. It only takes one fire to build up that small layer again; I just take them all out while I'm cleaning it out.



I take most I scrape coals around the grates pull ash pan out empty put back. Don't get easyer than that I don't worry about leaving ashes, I can make more.
 
In about 3 days of burning I fill the ash pan under the stove. So I clean all the ash. I wonder if I left it do you ever reduce the ash with more burning. Anyone have an opinion?
 
xman23 said:
In about 3 days of burning I fill the ash pan under the stove. So I clean all the ash. I wonder if I left it do you ever reduce the ash with more burning. Anyone have an opinion?

I have an opinion (bwa-ha-ha).

I only empty my ashes about 3 times a year.
I empty it when it gets hard to fit enough wood in for an overnight burn.

So, some of it might compact, some of it might burn.
 
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