Ash in upper chamber of EKO

[easternbob]

How often do people rake the ash out of their upper chamber? It's been pretty mild around here so far so haven't been burning every day, but wondering if I should be sending the ash down thru the slot more often and cleaning it out from below. Does the amount of ash effect bridging? I'm burning good quality dry hardwood (2yrs under cover).
Thanks.

 

[stee6043]

This time of year I go two weeks between clean-outs. During the real heating season I'll do it every week....

 

[timberr]

I am on the same schedule as Stee. The main reason for cleaning the unpper chamber for me is the ash will cake pretty hard in the front and back if you don't do it too often.

 

[Jeff S]

This is my first year with my EKO 25 ,my system includes almost 700 gallons of storage.In this weather I'm burning every other day and cleaning on the day I don't burn.Not sure if it would be beneficial to let it build up, but only seems to take a minute to push the bulk of the ashes down the slot and pull it out the bottom.

 

[taxidermist]

I dont clean mine all season, This helps with bridging it really makes the fire box V twards the nozzles. I also burn all ash and oak, if you are burning wood that cakes up then you have to remove some ash. My eko has a sticker right on the side that says no need to clean ash from upper chamber.

Rob

 

[in hot water]

Once a week, depending on what I am burning. Some wood species create a lot of ash. Seems walnut produces more ash than heat!

I think you want to keep the firebox clean as the ash may insulate some of the energy (fire) from the water you are trying to heat. Also the ash can attack the metal after time, worse if it ever gets wet from some flue leakage.

hr

 

[Jeff S]

I dont clean mine all season, This helps with bridging it really makes the fire box V twards the nozzles. I also burn all ash and oak, if you are burning wood that cakes up then you have to remove some ash. My eko has a sticker right on the side that says no need to clean ash from upper chamber.

Rob

Interesting concept,I'm assuming that it probably doesn't fill up past the fire brick and just keeps on funneling its way on down through the nozzles.Mine didn't come with that sticker of instructions.Thanks.

 

[shoeboxlen]

I try to clean my lower box out 2 times a week as I idle alot since I do not have storage I clean out the top once a month or so I scrape the creosote on the top avery couple of days doesnt get clean but every little bit helps.

 

[taxidermist]

I dont clean mine all season, This helps with bridging it really makes the fire box V twards the nozzles. I also burn all ash and oak, if you are burning wood that cakes up then you have to remove some ash. My eko has a sticker right on the side that says no need to clean ash from upper chamber.

Rob

Interesting concept,I'm assuming that it probably doesn't fill up past the fire brick and just keeps on funneling its way on down through the nozzles.Mine didn't come with that sticker of instructions.Thanks.

Yes Jeff it really never gets real deep cause it just gets blown down into the lower chamber.

 

[Tony H]

I don't clean the upper much just once a week or so when I happen to burn almost everything out of the upper I will push a bit down to the lower and pull it out. The lower on the other hand I clean out every time I add wood to the boiler ... it all depends on what I am burning. The maple leaves a bunch of coals and I have a big aluminum 3" deep pan that's the width of the boiler that I leave on the ground in front of the boiler and just pull the ash into that and empty that into an older galvanized trash can with a tight fitting lid until it's full then dump it in the compost pile.

 

[barnartist]

I don't clean the upper much just once a week or so when I happen to burn almost everything out of the upper I will push a bit down to the lower and pull it out. The lower on the other hand I clean out every time I add wood to the boiler ... it all depends on what I am burning. The maple leaves a bunch of coals and I have a big aluminum 3" deep pan that's the width of the boiler that I leave on the ground in front of the boiler and just pull the ash into that and empty that into an older galvanized trash can with a tight fitting lid until it's full then dump it in the compost pile.

I take those coals that are left over and return them to the upper chamber to recycle. Whats left is very fine fly ash, this is a good indication of how well things are burning.

I only clean out the upper chamber when it seems to start to effect the gasification. I think when there is an overload up there it makes it harder to get a clean gassy flame, but I agree that a certain amount of ash up there helps with bridging. I have not had many bridging issues though now that I keep my splits very small.