Ash Control

[KSgrown]

I did a quick search for this topic but didn't find much, sorry if it's already been covered.

We installed a wood burning insert (Century CW2500) last fall and we're looking forward to firing it up again this fall. It worked great for us and we only have 1 complaint: the amount of dust that quickly collects on everything in our living room. I think I've got it narrowed down to the blower distributing small bits of ash that falls out of the insert opening when I open the door to add fuel; the blower intake is located directly below the door.

So, my idea is to use some sort of a carbon filter or fine particle filter or maybe even like cheesecloth over the blower intake to catch the ash particles before they get sucked up. Has anyone done this before or know of a product that will help with this problem?

Another idea would be to get an air purifier. But that would be to take that ash dust out of the air and my goal is to prevent the ash duct from getting into the air in the first place.

Thanks for any responses on this idea!

Doug

Our insert:
(broken link removed to http://www.century-heating.com/product.aspx?CategoId=7&Id=522)

 

[Slow1]

I'd probably start with turning off the blower during stove loads - but I wonder why you get much ash falling out at those times. The only time ash comes out of my stove is when I shovel it out every few days - when the stove is hot and I open the door the draft of the chimney is such that air is being pulled into the stove and thus any ash stirred up in loading gets sucked into the stove - it doesn't fall out.

Now, as to adding any sort of filter to the stove, that is a pretty neat idea that I wonder why stove manufactures haven't considered doing. A combination stove fan/air filter would be a good idea in my opinion - if well designed that is. If you are already burning power to blow air around the stove you may as well filter it while you are at it. Now doing a DIY job of adding filters may be problematic as you might add too much flow restriction and put a lot of stress on the fans if you aren't careful - and if you put a lot of surface area on the filters to minimize flow restriction you will end up with a large box on your stove. Then of course there is the question of sticking combustible materials (the filter) on the stove - if the airflow were to stop and the stove were hot enough to ignite your filter that could turn bad pretty quickly. Hmmm... maybe that is why they don't design filters into stoves....

 

[KSgrown]

I think part of the problem is that I open the door the too fast and it creates turbulence. Not a lot of ash comes out, just a few flakes here and there, but if you break the up and evenly distribute throughout the room, it makes it pretty dusty. I could also turn off the blower, but if the ashes come out, then eventually they will end up getting sucked in if the blower gets turned off and back on again.

My idea for now, pending further design, is to use a light gauge metal to create a frame that will house a carbon filter. I'm thinking of the carbon filter typical of a residential vent hood above a range. If you don't have your hood ducted to the outdoors, you commonly use a carbon filter to knock out some of the cooking smells. This should also be noncombustible and introduce very little static pressure on the fan. I think it just might work, but I need to take some measurements and see what size of filters are available.

I'll let you know how it goes... Any other comments or ideas are welcomed!!

 

[sixman]

Maybe you could turn the fan off during your reloads and just clean up around the air inlets real good with a small wisk broom. If that doesn't get it all use a damp paper towel to wipe up with after sweeping. That will usually get all the dust left behind by the broom.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not sure if you are doing this or not but before opening the door it is a good idea to open the draft fully and wait a minute or two. Let the draft get started good and then open the door really slow rather than just swinging it open. That should keep all the ash inside the stove.

Like Slow, I'd be concerned about putting stress on the blower when installing a filter.

 

[Fake coal burner]

I have always had filters on mine the washable type. wash one a month. They eve help filter the air.Always dust in the air no mater what . Got them on for my gas unit.

 

[mhrischuk]

This is an interesting thread. I kinda like the idea of some sort of filter cloth on the intake. For my mine I would need something black. Then there's how to attach it without it looking crappy.

 

[KSgrown]

I'm going to home depot to see what they have. And I meant charcoal filter and not carbon filter, same thing I guess. Also, I agree that if you attempt to add a filter, it should not be combustable.

 

[KSgrown]

Home Depot didn't have much. The charcoal filters were much more expensive than I had anticipated and the sizes wouldn't work at all. I thought that I might have to cut them down to work, but I didn't see anything that would even come close. I'll keep looking around and maybe look for another material.

 

[Loco Gringo]

Just slowly open your door after youve established a solid draft. Be gentle adding wood and dont just toss it around, even in your basket. If it continues you may have a poor draft. Also dont set your wood too close to the stove. There is usually dust, dirt, sawdust, or whatever fine matter on your firewood and your fan may be picking that up and spreading it around the room.

 

[KSgrown]

I understand that I need to have a good draft and be careful while adding wood, opening door, etc. And that the nature of having split wood and burning a fire are a bit messy, but does everyone have more dust around their house, in general, during burning season? The room that holds our insert is especially dusty while we're burning. I feel like we have a good draft on our stove too.

 

[sixman]

Honestly I don't really notice any in the room, just some fly ash near the stove.

 

[Loco Gringo]

Is it like a film of black soot on everything KS?

 

[KSgrown]

No, it's not soot. It is just a light colored dust, similar to regular household dust except when we burn, it accumulates very quickly and can get pretty thick if we don't clean it up every couple of weeks. When not burning, dusting isn't required very often.

 

[KSgrown]

I thought I would mention that Home Depot doesn't have anything like I wanted, and the charcoal filters they did have where more than I wanted to spend. I ordered a cut-to-fit charcoal filter from amazon for $9, and it is just what I had in mind. I used some sticky back velcro on my fan housing and cut the filter to fit over the housing, the filter sticks to the velcro. It didn't seem to affect the fan airflow much, no noticable air volume change or change in fan sound, which can indicate an increase in static pressure. I'll see if it helps with the ash, after we get burning this season. If nothing else, charcoal filters are supposed to take odors out of the air. The cut-to-fit charcoal filter was advertised to be cut and placed on top of or before your furnace filter. The sheet was 16x48, so I might try that also. I only used 16x3 for the stove blower.

 

[Milton Findley]

I understand that I need to have a good draft and be careful while adding wood, opening door, etc. And that the nature of having split wood and burning a fire are a bit messy, but does everyone have more dust around their house, in general, during burning season? The room that holds our insert is especially dusty while we're burning. I feel like we have a good draft on our stove too.

Yes is the answer at my house. It is much dustier when the stove is going, and it gets vacuumed more often, and dusted more often. I use a shop vac with a dry wall filter regularly.

 

[begreen]

We're dustiest here during late summer during the long dry spell. Cars coming up the driveway really kick up the dust.

Also, folks with forced air furnaces can see more winter dust, especially if the ductwork is not cleaned and the filter is a simple fiberglass 1" unit.

 

[KSgrown]

I ordered a cut-to-fit charcoal filter from amazon for $9, and it is just what I had in mind. I used some sticky back velcro on my fan housing and cut the filter to fit over the housing, the filter sticks to the velcro. It didn't seem to affect the fan airflow much, no noticable air volume change or change in fan sound, which can indicate an increase in static pressure. I'll see if it helps with the ash, after we get burning this season. If nothing else, charcoal filters are supposed to take odors out of the air. The cut-to-fit charcoal filter was advertised to be cut and placed on top of or before your furnace filter. The sheet was 16x48, so I might try that also. I only used 16x3 for the stove blower.

UPDATE! After burning for a few weeks here, I thought I would update people to my ash control experiment. It's working! We do not have the dust buildup on the furniture around the stove like we did last year and we haven't dusted since starting to burn. My wife is very pleased with how well the charcoal filter is working. And you can tell that it's working because the areas where the air is drawn through it have turned a slightly lighter color than the original black, due to the ash being sucked into it and caught. We are pleased with the results, got what I was hoping for (lest dust) and have not had any noticeable decrease in fan performance.

 

[smmm]

To add to the discussion... The dust I get is when I am shoveling the ashes out of the stove and putting them in my ash bucket. It never fails, as soon as I dump the first shovel full in the bucket, ashes rise everywhere. Any suggestions on that?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes, quit dumping the ashes! Always handle gently. Lower ash shovel into container and then do not dump the ashes but very gently, slide the shovel out from under the ashes. If done right there will be no dust at all.

 

[KSgrown]

Yes, quit dumping the ashes! Always handle gently. Lower ash shovel into container and then do not dump the ashes but very gently, slide the shovel out from under the ashes. If done right there will be no dust at all.

I was thinking the same thing. The part you are doing wrong is the "dump" part. Gentle as possible...