Ash Clinkers? Have you ever had this happen?

[mr. propane]

While raking my coals ( I'm a wood burner) I noticed I had big flat hard ash clinkers . They looked like coal clinkers. So far the only wood I have been burning is elm, maple, hickory. This is my fourth year wood burning and a first for me. weird.

 

[Dieselhead]

Pretty normal

 

[dave_376]

I find that if I leave the ash in the stove for a long time, more than a week, I get those "clinkers" too. I think the ash settles gown and some of the air trapped between the particles escapes creating a hard clump of ash.

 

[Hogwildz]

Yeap normal. Usually right in front of the primary ports in the from of the stove.

 

[Adabiviak]

Ash clinkers? What are these?

 

[begreen]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/hard-substance-on-firebrick.100240/

 

[turbocruiser]

Good to know this; I get these too and I always thought it was some leftover silica from all the sandy soil we have here burning and bunching up together like little lava rocks that connect together over time. Anyone know what this substance truly is? Thanks.

 

[firefighterjake]

Future diamonds . . . with some added carbon, pressure and about 3.3 billion years . . . give or take a few centuries.

 

[murinsky]

I get them every cleanout. They are never adhered to anything like mentioned in the other thread, just seam to be floating around in the ash. I took one out and washed it in water and took a picture of it. I thought at first it might be the leftovers from cheap walmart firestarters but tested that theory and they remain.

 

[imacheezhead]

While raking my coals ( I'm a wood burner) I noticed I had big flat hard ash clinkers . They looked like coal clinkers. So far the only wood I have been burning is elm, maple, hickory. This is my fourth year wood burning and a first for me. weird.

I've been burning wood for 30 years with the same stove and this is the first year I have been getting these annoying clinkers and I can't figure out what could be causing them. Does anyone know how and why they form and what can be done to prevent it from happening?

 

[gholler]

I've been burning wood for 30 years with the same stove and this is the first year I have been getting these annoying clinkers and I can't figure out what could be causing them. Does anyone know how and why they form and what can be done to prevent it from happening?

All wood has silaca in it some more than others. What you are seeing is fused silica partical (Glass) Local potter has a wood fired kiln when he fires that ash is carried over the pots when he gets the temp up the ash melts and forms the glaze for the pots. Same thing in your stove. Formation has to do with temp air flow and wood.

 

[Earth Stove]

I've been getting lots of those thingys lately too. I think it's from the mineral uptake that the Elm trees are especially known for. I've been burning pretty much straight Elm w/some Mulberry. What's really cool is some time I see some green colored globs or wispy flakes laying near the bigger clunks/clinks. Makes me think of oxidized copper minerals??? I've read several times that Elms are notorious for uptake of silicates???

 

[Hogwildz]

First saw thew name Mr.Propane, and the thread heading, and was a bit concerned you were getting clinkers from propane. LOL
The I read the post....

 

[imacheezhead]

All wood has silaca in it some more than others. What you are seeing is fused silica partical (Glass) Local potter has a wood fired kiln when he fires that ash is carried over the pots when he gets the temp up the ash melts and forms the glaze for the pots. Same thing in your stove. Formation has to do with temp air flow and wood.

That makes sense, but I still don't understand why this is happening for the first time in 30 years. BTW I burn mostly Oak.