Too much ash in stove

[HighHeat22]

I have a question that I needed some advice on. I have had a rough time keeping a good fire in my stove all morning and yes I am burning the same wood that I have had all season so far that has burned fine. I had a lot of ashes in my firebox, more than usual, well it was time to clean out and I left a good size of hots in the middle and cleaned out the sides and re- loaded my stove and wow its burning great. So does the ash in the firebox affect the fire/burn or diminish the air in any way. I know this sounds crazy but its burning great now.

 

[stejus]

Too much ash might limit air flow along the bottom of the stove. I would say 1" to 2" of ash is good as it also acts as an insulator for the coals. I also have an air hole on the front side of the stove near the base. Be sure to clear any ash away from that so air flows.

 

[oldspark]

No it does not sound crazy, my old stove and the new one both work better with only the min. amount of ashes.

 

[firefighterjake]

Too much ash can block the air coming in . . . and reduce the amount of wood . . . and provide additional insulation to the base . . . but generally I don't find the amount of ash affects the way the fire burns . . . just that it provides insulation and helps preserve the coals . . . which is why I try to keep 1-2 inches in the firebox, which for me is emptying the ash pan twice a week or so when going 24/7.