Ash pan or no ash pan

[Zinnia]

How important is having an ash pan in a wood insert?
I've got wood stacked and ready, even bought eco bricks, but I don't have an insert yet.
Some models have ash pans and some don't.
Would really like to hear some thoughts on it.
I find that the dealer guys are like used car salesman when trying to ask them questions. Just can't get a straight honest answer from them.

 

[begreen]

Ash pans are fairly uncommon in inserts and rarely are large or deep. There are more important features like an ashlip to help prevent ash from dropping on the hearth and being sucked into the blowers.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I've had ash pans on all of my stoves. If the pan was large I used it. Small, I didn't. I don't think I'd choose a stove because of it or disqualify one because of a lack of one. One thing to consider with one is it's a potential air leak.

Now, you're dealing with an insert. Odds are, you wouldn't be looking at a large ash pan, so I'd ignore it if your stove has one.

 

[Zinnia]

I've had ash pans on all of my stoves. If the pan was large I used it. Small, I didn't. I don't think I'd choose a stove because of it or disqualify one because of a lack of one. One thing to consider with one is it's a potential air leak.

Now, you're dealing with an insert. Odds are, you wouldn't be looking at a large ash pan, so I'd ignore it if your stove has one.

I'm still trying to figure out which stove to get. I had no idea it would be so hard. So many things to consider.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Which ones do you like? Try searches for the models you like and you can probably get a fairly good picture of what you can expect from it.

 

[Jags]

Used my ashpan for several years. Its pretty good sized and will hold darn near a weeks worth of burning. I don’t any more. Too much ash for the pan makes for a mess in the drawer area that needs to be addressed. Ash pan or not would not be the determining factor of a stove purchase at this point. Just one dudes opinion.

 

[maple1]

I don't have a stove or insert, but do have a boiler with an ashpan.

IMO it is way easier & cleaner to use a scoop and scoop a bit of ash into a bucket every day, then carry the bucket out when it gets full, than it is to carry an ashpan full of ash out. I certainly haven't seen every ashpan made out there but have yet to see one that is any where close to being as easy to carry as a bucket with a handle. They're all awkward to carry when full - that I have seen.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Ash pan all the way. I have found it to be a safe and tidy way for ash disposal. I don’t like the idea of shoveling ash out of a stove into a metal container in my living room.

 

[blades]

Kinda depends on how the ash pan is set up. a lot of them are just hung under neath on stoves, like an after thought. pull a plug and scrape ash into hole drops to pan and piles up right there - the pans are not particularly sealed so you get fly ash floating all over. additional for the most part they are not large enough on most units to be of any real value and are not covered once removed. unless you let stove get fairly cold those pans are hot as well as having possible hot coals in it. been a lot of creative ways to control very fine particulate when shoveling out stove - I use shop vac/ hepia filter set to pull fine particulate that is going to rise from disturbing said accumulation when using bucket and shovel. Not in the stove and not actively sucking up visable ash just in a reasonable proximity to try and control what you almost can't see floating in air.

 

[maple1]

I set the bucket right in front of and up to the edge of the bottom of the door. I don't get any noticeable spillage - careful scooping & letting the ash slide slowly into the bucket with the scoop resting at the bottom of it creates very little fines, and any that do rise out of the bucket get sucked up the chimney.

There's likely some variance here from stove to stove and setup to setup too...

 

[blades]

yep some goes up the flue, some doesn't

 

[Diabel]

I use the VC ash pan 100%. It is a very clean process. As for the Princess I just picked up a bucket and a shovel and I will use that even though it has a ash pan installed.

 

[electrathon]

It is far less messy on my stove if I clean it out with a shovel. If I use the ash pan there is ashes everyplace by the time I am done. If I shovel it out I can control the dust far better.

 

[yooper08]

+1 not important
+1 easy to just scoop out ash of the firebox

 

[fire_man]

I would never own another stove without an ashpan.

Woodstock makes them right.

Using the ashpan makes much less mess and I get the stove loaded faster in the morning without fussing with shovels and not worrying about puffs of ash dust.

 

[begreen]

I shovel out ash every 2-4 weeks depending on the time of year. Burning doug fir helps keep the ash volume down. It is not particularly messy and about a 5 minute process. Our ash pan is empty, though it would make a decent bun warmer.

 

[ratsrepus]

I like the ash holes on the BK"s especially the ashford, The Oslo, not so much

 

[Simonkenton]

I have an ash pan on my Jotul Oslo. I don't use it. More trouble than it is worth.

Seems like a good idea but not so good in practice.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I should probably add that I use a steel dustpan to scoop the ash.

 

[Simonkenton]

No, I have the ash pan on the Oslo and it seemed like a good idea when I bought the stove. I have used the ash pan a half dozen times.

Problem is, when you pull out the ash pan some ashes will spill out. Then, when you go to replace the ash pan, it won't fit.
Then you gotta get down on the floor with a flashlight and a stick and dig the ashes out of the back recesses of the ash pan hole. Pain in the *** especially after a couple of double gin and tonics.

And, what is finer on a 20 degree snowy night, than to look at the light of the beautiful Oslo, glinting off of a glass of gin and tonic.

So I have given up on the ash pan. Clean out the fire box with a scoop and a bucket, and then, every year in April, dump the ash pan out in the garden.

 

[maple1]

Another thing with an ash pan is you have to deal with what is in it right away if you want to use the stove right away. So you need to handle & carry it however far you have to carry it then deal with ash that will likely have hot coals in it and get them in a safe space until they go out. Some have a good setup for that, others it can be challenging. I just scoop some ash out with a small scoop into the bucket then slide the bucket aside and carry on. That could be covered if necessary. Then by the time I need to empty my bucket it is full cold and I can dump it without hot coal worry - after carrying it more easily by the bucket handle. I just found a full ash tray very awkward to handle, with no handle and wide configuration. There might be good ones out there that are easier to handle.

 

[Ashful]

I like the ash holes on the BK"s especially the ashford, The Oslo, not so much

That just shows how much personal preferences vary. I’d say the ONLY thing I liked about my Jotul Firelights, better than my BK Ashfords, is the ash grate system. I thought it worked just right, for what I was burning.

@Zinnia, there’s nothing this crowd loves more than helping someone pick a new stove. It’s how they live vicariously through your wallet. Describe your needs and wants, and let’s help pick a stove!

 

[ratsrepus]

the issue I had with the jotul is, During heavy burning season it had to be emptied just about every other day. If you forgot, you made a big mess when the pan is removed. Now you had to clean the ash out of the pan compartment plus you have ashes all over the floor. The BK I can pull the plug and send them down into the pan whenever I feel necessary. But like you said, to each his own

 

[ratsrepus]

No, I have the ash pan on the Oslo and it seemed like a good idea when I bought the stove. I have used the ash pan a half dozen times.

Problem is, when you pull out the ash pan some ashes will spill out. Then, when you go to replace the ash pan, it won't fit.
Then you gotta get down on the floor with a flashlight and a stick and dig the ashes out of the back recesses of the ash pan hole. Pain in the *** especially after a couple of double gin and tonics.

And, what is finer on a 20 degree snowy night, than to look at the light of the beautiful Oslo, glinting off of a glass of gin and tonic.

So I have given up on the ash pan. Clean out the fire box with a scoop and a bucket, and then, every year in April, dump the ash pan out in the garden.

Pretty much how i feel

 

[Diabel]

Does that little opening really work on the BK in terms of ash removal. I have a hard time imagining it. Hence the bucket and shovel purchase.

Also, the opening nor the actual ash pan has no seal, it just sits there (no gasket). Is this air intrusion considered epa hole?