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

[Boozie]

If you are burning 24/7 how and when do you clean out the ashes?

 

[logger]

About every 3 weeks for us. After that there are just too many. The ash helps blanket the embers so I can start her back up much later than I would with a clean stove. I usually let the fire burn out at some point to do this.

 

[begreen]

The T6 has a big belly, but it depends on what we are burning. Fir doesn't coal much and we get by with several weeks between cleanouts. Cherry on the other hand requires much more frequent cleanouts, like every couple weeks.

 

[NH_Wood]

When mild temps, once every two weeks or so - with real cold temps, once per week to maximize load space. Cheers!

 

[Heaterhunter]

I have to clean my VC Resolute much more often because the air intake will get covered after about 3 days of burning. I just let the fire burn down to a decent enough bed of coals to restart and shovel through the mess stacking the good remaining coals to the side and shoveling out most of the ash. This way I don't have to "shut it down". Then after I'm done getting the ash out of the stove I'll throw a couple pieces of kinnling(sp?) on the good remaining coals and a couple of good dry sticks and I'm off to the races again!

 

[Battenkiller]

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.

 

[savageactor7]

At least once in 24hrs...maybe twice.

Because I'm retired I burn WOT and mostly just 3 splits in different burn stages. That'll give us the stove top temp# that works for us. Since we're always raking coals forward before reloading there's usually a couple shovels of ash available when we'll miss a stove feeding and the opportunity presents itself for ash removal.

 

[BrowningBAR]

If you are burning 24/7 how and when do you clean out the ashes?

About once a week to once every two weeks for the Heritage.

Every other day to every third day for the Intrepid (not a lot of area allowed for ash build up and I hate the ash pan)

Every other day to every third day for the Vigilant I take out a scope or two. I've noticed with each year my wood improves, the ash content in the vigilant lessons greatly.


I do all of my ash removal in the morning when things have died down to coals.

 

[Shari]

If you are asking 'how long between ash cleanouts' that depends on the type of wood I am burning. If you are asking 'when do you physically remove the ashes when you are a 24/7 burner' then the answer is normally in the morning (EDIT: about every 4th or 5th day or so) when there is just a coal bed.

Specifically how I handle my ashes: When I am going to clean out the ash pan I don't stir or rake anything inside the stove. I place a cookie sheet under the ash pan area to catch any spills and just pull out the ash pan, close the ash door on the stove, carry the pan outside and dump that into my covered 12(?) gallon galvanized garbage can that sits outside on a burn proof surface and has a locking handle on it. Then I bring the ash pan back in, open the ash door, scrape out any ashes laying on the floor/backside of the ash pan area inside the stove back into the ash pan, re-insert the ash pan and then 'stir & start'. Doing it this way (without stirring before dumping) I feel I have a much less chance of getting a hot coal in my outside ash can. It can take 3+ weeks to fill my 12(?) gallon outside galvanized garbage can. When it is full I then transfer those ashes to my 30(?) gallon galvanized garbage can which again sits on a burn proof surface.

 

[nate379]

I just let the stove die out and clean it out roughly once a month (whenever I can't fit much wood in teh stove and the ashes are pretty much coming out the door)

 

[Slow1]

I have a need during peak burning to pull ashes out every 5-7 days. However I will grab my opportunities whenever they come so if in the morning the stove has burned down enough to make it comfortable and I have the time I do it.

I've baked the paint on my shovel pretty well now so the stink is less but I don't like having to shield my face as I pull ashes out . I don't let it 'burn out' though as I like quick re-starts on the coal bed.

 

[Hogwildz]

Scoop the ash out in the front every day. with pulling the coals forward here and there, that brings the ash from the back. Each morning when I wake up, I scoop the ash out of the front, then spread the coals around and reload.

 

[Chargerman]

I rake the coals to the center and clean out along the sides about every 4 or 5 days in this cold weather. The walnut I am burning seems to build more ash than the oak or elm I also burn.

 

[3fordasho]

If you are burning 24/7 how and when do you clean out the ashes?

I run two stoves so I wait untill outside temps will be above 15F and let one of them go out. (one stove will handle the load at this point) I've found the clean out process is much less dusty with a cold stove - nothing like dumping hot ash into a bucket for spreading a cloud of ash around the house - I don't care how carefull I am, the heat rising out of the ash bucket just spreads the finer ash straight up and out of there.. no such issue when everythings at room temp.

 

[mellow]

I clean it out when I can no longer fit splits on top of each other, about once a week. Rake the large coals forward, set the intake air to max put a small log on top and let the coals burn down, then move what is left of the coals to the side, scoop out 75% of the ash, move the coals to the other side and repeat. Then bring the smaller coals to the front again and put a split on with max air to get the fire going. About 5 minutes total.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I clean it out when I get about 3 inches of ash on the bottom. Much more than that and I wouldn't be able to fit any wood in there.

Depending on the weather that means once, or maybe twice per week.

My wife cleaned it last Wednesday or Thursday, and with the single digits over the weekend it is due to be cleaned again today or tomorrow...

I've found that it also depends on the wood that I'm burning. Some woods generate a little more ash/BTU than others. It's not much difference, but I think it's enough to notice it.

 

[tynman]

I clean it out when I get about 3 inches of ash on the bottom. Much more than that and I wouldn't be able to fit any wood in there.

Depending on the weather that means once, or maybe twice per week.

I do this as well. I find that anything more than 3 inches and the stove doesn't perform as well. I'm guessing either because the fire can't breath as well (even though I rake the coals back during loading) or the bottom of the stove is too insulated by the ash.

I use an ash shovel to move the coals around to one side and then scoop up the ashes (and some coals with it - can't be helped) and put them into an ash bucket. I have an ash bucket with a cover and it has a spout too. When transferring the ashes to the bucket, I have the shovel in one and and the bucket lid in the other. I put the bucket as close to the stove as possible with the spout end pointing towards the stove I then SLOWLY transfer the shovelful of ashes into the bucket and SLOWLY set the shovel in while I put the lid back on. With the lid on I gently raise the shovel and "set" the ashes in the bucket. I find that this techique doesn't let alot of ash fly into the air and any that does gets sucked up into the flue because the spout end of the bucket is "directing" ashes back into the stove. Then I do the same thing for the other side of the stove. Then, I even out the coals across the stove. I turn the shovel around and use it to push the coals and remaining ash away from the from air inlet. Then I load her up again!

I think next season I'm going to find or make one of those perferated shovels so I can sift the ashes out of the coals.

 

[firefighterjake]

1-2 times a week . . . usually Wednesday and Saturday. Typically I do this as my first activity in the morning before reloading the stove, raking up coals or cleaning the glass if I opt to give the glass a quick swipe. Easy 5-minute job . . . open door, remove ash pan, take outside to dump in covered metal pail, return pan after shoveling out any errant ashes.

 

[MetMan]

I have a small fire box and I'm finding that if I scoop a small amount of ash every other day it's an easier task and I can more wood in each load.

Edit: I do it in the morning before the first fire when the insert is fairly cool.

 

[mikepinto65]

About every three-four days. Its pretty much the only time I get to use my flue damper!

 

[leeave96]

I empty mine about every 3 days if I am burning hard. I've got an ash pan so no need to let the fire go out or nearly out. When I reload, I scrape the ashes around, they fall into the ash pan and I empty them.

I like my ash pan!

Good luck,
Bill

 

[bogydave]

I empty ashes about every 2 weeks.

When it's real cold here, (10°f or colder):
I let it burn down to hot coals but still putting out good heat.
Open the bypass, & crack the door for 5 min or so, to get a good draft going.
I put on welding gloves,
rake the big coals to the Left side, shovel out Right side. Then coals to right side, shovel out left side.
Hurry outside with the bucket os hot ashes & empty in an area I want to kill weeds & dump.
Pull the hot coals to the middle area & spread them out.
Add a load of wood, crank it up & within a few minutes, good heat is being produced.

When its above 10°f,:
I turn the stove to highest setting, rake the coals around & pull them to the front near the door, close it up & let the big coals
put out heat, every 45 minutes about 3 times I rake the coals, & let it burn down to almost ashes but enough coals left to get a new fire started.
Same a above for the coals & ashes.
(I may vacuum the catalytic at this time if needed, but empty the vac ASAP just in case I may have gotten a hot ash/spark in it)
Spread the small amount of hot coals to the middle, reload, crank it up & enjoy the heat.

 

[ecocavalier02]

I empty ashes about every 2 weeks.

When it's real cold here, (10°f or colder):
I let it burn down to hot coals but still putting out good heat.
Open the bypass, & crack the door for 5 min or so, to get a good draft going. I put on welding gloves,
rake the big coals to the Left side, shovel out Right side. Then coals to right side, shovel out left side.
Hurry outside with the bucket os hot ashes & empty in an area I want to kill weeds & dump.
Pull the hot coals to the middle area & spread them out.
Add a load of wood, crank it up & within a few minutes, good heat is being produced.

When its above 10°f,:
I turn the stove to highest setting, rake the coals around & pull them to the front near the door, close it up & let the big coals
put out heat, every 45 minutes about 3 times I rake the coals, & let it burn down to almost ashes but enough coals left to get a new fire started.
Same a above for the coals & ashes.
(I may vacuum the catalytic at this time if needed, but empty the vac ASAP just in case I may have gotten a hot ash/spark in it)
Spread the small amount of hot coals to the middle, reload, crank it up & enjoy the heat.

thats my routine. move left move right and then still some nice hot coals to get her going again. im on about week 3 right now and am going to do it tonight. or maybe not. i say every nite ahh ill do it tomorrow. so it usually ends up there spilling over the top.

 

[remkel]

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.

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

 

[jpl1nh]

My Woodstock Keystone has a grated bottom and an ash tray. I stir the coals around between loads and pull the tray out about once every 3 days (before I stir the embers so it's ash, not embers) and empty it with the heavy burning in this type of weather.