How often to clean a wood burning stove?

[griz7674]

My Lopi Leyden has an ash drawer so I obviously know when to clean that. My question is on the interior. How often should I vacuum out the inside of the stove? I do let the stove cool down each evening and move the interior ash around so it falls into the ash pan. But, I still have small chunks of remnant wood laying around inside of the stove. My intent was to simply leave them be and let the stove burn them down but I am now second guessing myself. I clean the glass on occasion but need advice on the other. Thanks!

Bob

 

[burntime]

At the end of the season.

 

[gpcollen1]

Spring time for me. I call spring - when the stove is out for the season. Somewhere around Aprilish...

 

[fossil]

After I'm sure (or reasonably confident) the burning season's over. Rick

 

[Highbeam]

Each time I sweep the chimney. It's no effort at all to shop vac the fly ash from the inside of the stove top when the baffle is out for sweeping. Otherwise just keeping the ash accumulation down and the glass clean is all that is needed.

 

[Bubbavh]

Each time I sweep the chimney. It's no effort at all to shop vac the fly ash from the inside of the stove top when the baffle is out for sweeping. Otherwise just keeping the ash accumulation down and the glass clean is all that is needed.

+1
I got a noodle brush I run around the stove then I vac it up. From start to finish with a chimney sweeping and clean up about 45-1 hour.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Once a year, usually in May or June.

 

[firefighterjake]

My Lopi Leyden has an ash drawer so I obviously know when to clean that. My question is on the interior. How often should I vacuum out the inside of the stove? I do let the stove cool down each evening and move the interior ash around so it falls into the ash pan. But, I still have small chunks of remnant wood laying around inside of the stove. My intent was to simply leave them be and let the stove burn them down but I am now second guessing myself. I clean the glass on occasion but need advice on the other. Thanks!

Bob

The stove will get a thorough top to bottom cleaning when the burning season is over and it's been cool for several days . . . don't want to risk having my Shop Vac catch on fire . . . I would never live that one down.

Wood remnants/coals . . . leave 'em and burn 'em in the next fire . . . as long as they're not doing anything they're just more fuel for the fire and you should find that they'll catch fire pretty fast . . . often faster than the wood.