Where do you dump your Ashes

[Wildflush]

I shovel ash when stove is cold. Spread the ash in winter in my raised beds for the spring/summer veggies. Big difference in my crops last year. Great article on doing this years back in The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

 

[ctreitzell]

I don't clean ashes out the stove more than once every two or three weeks. The frequency obviously depends on the size of the stove, how much wood you are burning, and what species, so your results may be very different.

I have found that, with this newfangled high efficiency stove, if I let ash build up in the firebox the heating efficiency plummets. I can only guess at the reduced efficiency numbers but I would estimate the heating power of the stove drops to about 20%! Yeah, I'm not joking...80% drop!

When I first looked over this Panadero, I scoffed at the tiny ash tray. In use, though, this tray design is one of the best things about the stove. When the ash tray is full, air intake is reduced too, further adversely affecting the heating performance. The ash tray is like gauge for how efficiently the stove will run and heat.

The amount of ash in the firebox certainly affects burn times. Having a couple fire's worth of ash will increase the burn times and not negatively affect the heat output. But more than 24 hrs worth of continuous burn creates a very difficult situation to manage in my Panadero. All that said, having a lot of ash in the firebox can help keep the heat output down if the user needs output. In my case, I find it a waste of wood and would rather adjust the air intake which gives better control IME.

Again, I do NOT love this stove, it's been a frustrating learning curve and takes far too much continuous attention from the user.

 

[begreen]

The amount of ash in the firebox certainly affects burn times. Having a couple fire's worth of ash will increase the burn times and not negatively affect the heat output. But more than 24 hrs worth of continuous burn creates a very difficult situation to manage in my Panadero. All that said, having a lot of ash in the firebox can help keep the heat output down if the user needs output. In my case, I find it a waste of wood and would rather adjust the air intake which gives better control IME.

Again, I do NOT love this stove, it's been a frustrating learning curve and takes far too much continuous attention from the user.

Sounds like they may have cut some corners for the air intake. A full ashpan shouldn't affect the fire, but apparently in this case it does.

 

[jimmyjabjames]

I have a metal 4-gallon bucket with a metal lid and a metal pull handle installed in the lid. I usually only empty the stove once a week at most, so once full, it sits another week or more inside on the concrete basement floor next to the stove until I empty them along the tree line in the backyard.

 

[ozarkoak]

Sounds like they may have cut some corners for the air intake. A full ashpan shouldn't affect the fire, but apparently in this case it does.

Ash pan on the Mansfield is so small. I empty it one time. At the end of the season.

 

[ctreitzell]

Sounds like they may have cut some corners for the air intake. A full ashpan shouldn't affect the fire, but apparently in this case it does.

a full ashpan absolutely does affect air intake on the Délice/ Dover...I tried it today after posting...

clearly there are better solutions than this Panadero 🙄

 

[begreen]

It doesn't sound like a stove designed for 24/7 heating.

 

[NHWS]

A day or two worth of ash and embers helps to stabilize the heat output of my BK stove, and improves burn times. A week or two worth begins to reduce the usable firebox volume. Mostly, though, I clean out the ash once every week or two because I have more time to do it on weekends.

 

[begreen]

Burning doug fir exclusively I clean out the stove about once every 6 weeks.

 

[ctreitzell]

It doesn't sound like a stove designed for 24/7 heating.

for one year maybe 🙄

 

[ctreitzell]

From the Dover manual:
"The stove is intended to function intermitently with intervals for recharging the fuel.
- For the lighting process of the stove it is recommended you use paper, fire lighters or
small sticks of wood. Once the fire starts to burn, add to it two logs of wood each weighing 2 to 2.5 kg as a first initial charge. In this lighting process the air inlets of the stove must be kept completely open. If necessary the drawer for removing ashes can also be opened to begin with. Once the fire is more intense, close the drawer completely (if open) and regulate the intensity of the fire by closing and opening the air inlets.
- In order to achieve the stated nominal heat output of this stove a total quantity of 2.5kg of wood (roughly two logs weighing a little over 1 kg each) must be placed inside at intervals of one hour. The logs should be positioned horizontally and separate from one another, to assure a correct combustion. In any instance a charge of fuel must not be added to the stove until the previous charge has been burnt, leaving only a basic fire bed which is enough to light the next charge but no stronger.
- To achieve a slow combustion you should regulate the fire with the air draughts, which must be kept permanently unblocked to allow the combustion air to be distributed."
pretty much impossible to keep a fire going with splits not touching each other! So, splits have to be added once every hour? Then how can they advertize 5-12 hr burn times! I doubt I have much wood at 20%...certainly my wood vendor doesn't deliver 20%...I gotta dry my wood stocks to burn his product...and I'm not alone

Heck, the Jotul F602 V2 states max burn times of 5 hrs! and @begreen you say you get 14 sometimes

so yeah, your milage may vary...not all products are built alike
we do what we can with what we've got

I need something better, for sure...that said, isn't better to help others by sharing experiences? That's what these kinds of forums are for I reckon

 

[begreen]

In order to achieve the stated nominal heat output of this stove a total quantity of 2.5kg of wood (roughly two logs weighing a little over 1 kg each) must be placed inside at intervals of one hour.

That says it all right there.

Heck, the Jotul F602 V2 states max burn times of 5 hrs! and @begreen you say you get 14 sometimes

In a firebox 3 times the size of the 602.

 

[Pinesmoke]

Ash pan on the Mansfield is so small. I empty it one time. At the end of the season.

They are cute little guys aren't they. I ordered one for our new stove since I loved the on on our Dutch West stove when burning 24/7. I took the shaker grate out and it's at least a little useful now.

 

[ctreitzell]

That says it all right there.

it does...stove was already purchased by that point...there was no time and no stock...monthly elec would have cost more than the stove...we're doing our best

still, when I followed those instructions, the firebox deformed

salesman at the store said this rolled steel build was as good as cast...he was incorrect...it's ok...we aren't freezing or going broker paying elec

just not gettin a lot of sleep

 

[BillBurns]

I feel ya on lack of sleep, lol....different reasons but one is the fire. Just load it when it needs it.

 

[ctreitzell]

well I've been sleeping only 5 hrs a night for many years without issue, really

so, setting the alarm and rising to load every 2-2.5 hrs is actually getting me more like 6 hrs...I just get up throughout

 

[ctreitzell]

It doesn't sound like a stove designed for 24/7 heating.

From the Dover manual:
"The stove is intended to function intermitently with intervals for recharging the fuel.
- For the lighting process of the stove it is recommended you use paper, fire lighters or
small sticks of wood. Once the fire starts to burn, add to it two logs of wood each weighing 2 to 2.5 kg as a first initial charge. In this lighting process the air inlets of the stove must be kept completely open. If necessary the drawer for removing ashes can also be opened to begin with. Once the fire is more intense, close the drawer completely (if open) and regulate the intensity of the fire by closing and opening the air inlets.
- In order to achieve the stated nominal heat output of this stove a total quantity of 2.5kg of wood (roughly two logs weighing a little over 1 kg each) must be placed inside at intervals of one hour. The logs should be positioned horizontally and separate from one another, to assure a correct combustion. In any instance a charge of fuel must not be added to the stove until the previous charge has been burnt, leaving only a basic fire bed which is enough to light the next charge but no stronger.
- To achieve a slow combustion you should regulate the fire with the air draughts, which must be kept permanently unblocked to allow the combustion air to be distributed."
pretty much impossible to keep a fire going with splits not touching each other! So, splits have to be added once every hour? Then how can they advertize 5-12 hr burn times! I doubt I have much wood at 20%...certainly my wood vendor doesn't deliver 20%...I gotta dry my wood stocks to burn his product...and I'm not alone

Heck, the Jotul F602 V2 states max burn times of 5 hrs! and @begreen you say you get 14 sometimes

so yeah, your milage may vary...not all products are built alike
we do what we can with what we've got

I need something better, for sure...that said, isn't better to help others by sharing experiences? That's what these kinds of forums are for I reckon

That says it all right there.


In a firebox 3 times the size of the 602.

it does...stove was already purchased by that point...there was no time and no stock...monthly elec would have cost more than the stove...we're doing our best

still, when I followed those instructions, the firebox deformed

salesman at the store said this rolled steel build was as good as cast...he was incorrect...it's ok...we aren't freezing or going broker paying elec

just not gettin a lot of sleep

see, I think this is all worth discussing...hence why I registered here...maybe my experiences can help others who jumped on board with these newfangled EcoDesign stoves...took advice from a big box store and even the manufacturer doesn't know how to communicate with their customers...but obviously should have its own thread so I will carry on in another thread rather than continue to derail this subject

 

[DonTee]

I have a metal bucket I put my ash in. Then I leave it outside for a week until I want to shovel the ash out of the stove again. I just throw the ash in the woods after it sits in the bucket for a week.

This time it rained and snowed and got way below freezing since I shoveled the ash. So my bucket was a block of ash ice. Lol. With the shovel sticking out of the top. I had to chisel it out of there today when I wanted to clean out the stove.

We have a few days with the lows above freezing and the highs in the 40’s. I usually try to clean out the stove when the weather is warmer.

 

[Mreif]

Someone burned down their house by doing that a couple of years ago. Leaves caught fire late at night and that spread to the house. Wait longer. Hot coals buried in ash can stay red hot for many days.

I did the same thing except they were in the bucket for 3 days. Next thing I know my woods where on fire luckily I saw it before got to big used a fire extinguisher to put it out.

 

[begreen]

.maybe my experiences can help others who jumped on board with these newfangled EcoDesign stoves...

I don't think the issues have anything to do with it being an ecodesign stove. By the description this is a room heater, designed for short fires. More like nights and evenings, with a big fire view glass, at a low price. It is what it is.

 

[ctreitzell]

I don't think the issues have anything to do with it being an ecodesign stove. By the description this is a room heater, designed for short fires. More like nights and evenings, with a big fire view glass, at a low price. It is what it is.

again, not according the rep at Castorama who sold the "appliance"

I'm not saying that rep is correct, I'm saying communication is continually vague from Panadero snd then vague from Castorama.

I'm looking into EN 13240:2001 and Panadero's other specs as the EcoDesign "regs" actually a real thing here in the UK and Europe. The regs have decreed that only EcoDesign compliant stoves can be purchased by the public at large.

In my house we do desire to heat 24/7, which is what my missus asked the Castorama rep for. He told us "anything with higher Kw rating would have us sweltering in our bathing suits".

Fact is, I'm not going to be replacing this Panadero Delice this cold season with something "more robust" before winter thru spring is out. If the current stove becomes too dangerous to operate, the best solution for me is to buy another Delice/ Dover and baby it following the reload instructions to the letter.

What about the electric Dimplex and DeLongi heaters we use?Obviously they are an expensive route. They can be running 24/7...and had been for years...no, they are not a 25 Kw furnace...each one has 1Kw or 2Kw setting...three in my living room when it's cold will heat that one room. It can be very pricey tho with current elec prices.

The Panadero Delice/ Dover is rated at 8Kw...but what does that actually mean? 8Kw output for 1hr? 2mins of 1hr? Is an 8Kw peak rating? And then the user has to wait for the fire to die down to say 2Kw over an hr (or 2 hrs in my use)...and then wait to refuel when? The next day? 10hrs? I don't find the answers to such usage questions.

I've been keeping this stove running for a month at a time...even longer...is it a pain? yeah, sure...but it heats a MASSIVE volume compared to an army of electric oil filled type heaters or the propane gas heater we have...the Delice is heating 42 sq meter LR, and bringing up the temp in the 42 sq m worth of rooms directly above...raising the temps in the adjoining 50 sq m rooms by about 3° C...but is only designed for occasional use? I don't buy that either.

To run the stove as Panadero describes is beyond a full time job...it's a reload every hour...they don't really say how long to leave the stove cold. I should think letting the stove cool completely wouldn't help it's longevity.

If the firebox deforms on first usage of following the firing instruction to the letter, then the appliance isn't fit for the purpose. I could run it a single fire per month, and the damage would be done.

The fact in my case is a retrofit that was never done correctly in the first place, and still is not installed following the guidelines of HETAS or local regs, etc...so I either live my previous overworking of the stove beyond its intended use up until it becomes dangerous as I had been doing and is where I'm at now, or I modify the install to meet the regs...and re-test with a new Delice or Dover...to investigate if the firebox deforms upon first illumination...which is silly...I'm better off with a better stove and install.

Using other heat appliances is totally inefficient for my purposes because I do have quite a lot of firewood, with a massive barn roof currently being demolished and big oaks are close to falling over on my property in the next year or so...along with all the other wood hitting the ground around here, wood is the most efficient and most ecological choice.

All that said, this winter is here, and we will require heat at my place...and the Delice has a 5 year warranty, so it should function for at least 5 years, no?

I'll start another thread with photos so the conversation can continue in context

 

[ctreitzell]

Further, one thing I haven’t made clear is why I run my Panadero Delice 24/7…the main reason is how difficult it is to cold start…it’s far easier for me to keep it burning 24/7

 

[Garbanzo62]

I use a coal bucket to move the ashes from the stove to a galvanized garbage can at the base of my deck. I am about to put in a new raised bed, so the ashes from the can are going to go into that. I have a big pile of grass clippings/ Leaves in the woods that will be getting treated with any additional ashes.

 

[begreen]

Further, one thing I haven’t made clear is why I run my Panadero Delice 24/7…the main reason is how difficult it is to cold start…it’s far easier for me to keep it burning 24/7

It's as much the fault of the flue system as the small capacity stove. The long horizontal section right off the stove makes for a sluggish start. Once the tall exterior chimney gets cold, it takes a fair amount of heat get draft established again.

 

[ctreitzell]

It's as much the fault of the flue system as the small capacity stove. The long horizontal section right off the stove makes for a sluggish start. Once the tall exterior chimney gets cold, it takes a fair amount of heat get draft established again.

indeed, thanks for the clarification

I need to determine a better solution

it does function, but in always a tenuous manner