Ash vac died - thinking a shop vac will do

[movemaine]

My powersmith ash vac died and after taking it apart with no obvious issue, I need to get something else.

I only vacuum cold ash, so I'm thinking a shop vac is probably a better buy - more power/suction, more uses.

Any suggestions?

 

[DneprDave]

I have always used a regular shop vac. I always vacuum cold and have never had a problem with ash getting past the filter.

 

[reallyte]

Shop vac with dry wall bag has worked great for me.

 

[alternativeheat]

Just speaking for myself, because I have awkward inside basement stairs and my shop vac lives down there due to my wood working, it's just a hassle to bring it up and down. But then I got my metal ash vac for free with my stove and it works quite well, if it died I might be more inclined to fight the stairs with the shop vac. But as far as dust and working well etc. You can get the decent filters and or bags for most shop vacs, so I see no issue there. Just I can stuff my ash vac behind a living room chair in the corner when not in use is all, it's more convenient for me.

 

[Ben B]

I have used a shop vac with a hepa filter and a drywall bag exclusively. The stove only get vacuumed cold...but. There was a day last year in which I was out of the house, and the ash tray was full. My wife decided to vacuum the ashes, which she has done many times in the past. This time though the air setting must not have been right, and the ashes formed a rock of hot ash. The stove was cool to the touch, but the rock of ash must have been hot internally. The filter element caught fire, and the air being forced into the vacuum created a smoking melting vac that was fortunately thrown outside before it could cause any issues. I am always careful now to stir around the ashes in the panto ensure there are no "rocks" that may still be hot prior to vacuuming.

 

[Lake Girl]

I would suggest a shop vac with the metal body just for a bit more security. I use both ... ash vac for the regular cleanings and the shop vac with drywall filter for the deep cleans.

 

[Pelleting In NJ]

Shop Vac with a $35 Cleanstream HEPA filter cartridge, which is washable/reusable.

 

[johneh]

All I have ever used is a shop vac with
a dry wall bag ! As far as I am concerned ash vac,s
cost more than they are worth .

 

[Deezl Smoke]

I have used a shop vac with a hepa filter and a drywall bag exclusively. The stove only get vacuumed cold...but. There was a day last year in which I was out of the house, and the ash tray was full. My wife decided to vacuum the ashes, which she has done many times in the past. This time though the air setting must not have been right, and the ashes formed a rock of hot ash. The stove was cool to the touch, but the rock of ash must have been hot internally. The filter element caught fire, and the air being forced into the vacuum created a smoking melting vac that was fortunately thrown outside before it could cause any issues. I am always careful now to stir around the ashes in the panto ensure there are no "rocks" that may still be hot prior to vacuuming.

This is exactly, 100% the "WHY" ash vacs were invented.
I have a multitude of shop vacs available at any given time. Some are even made in the USA believe it or not. But I still use an ash vac just for the reason Ben mentions here. Those odd, one time, unforeseen situations. Plus I use it for the pellet bbq cleaning.

If one does decide to use a shop vac, please find a way to take the extra time and set the vac in the back yard for some greater amount of time when you are done. On much smaller scales, I have tried the "short cut" ways to get around something. Only a smallish percentage of the time does it actually work for the long run. But that is how I learn a lot of new things. Expensively.
I tell you what an electrician told me a couple years ago when doing some upgrade work on a dwelling. After I asked him what his worst scare was, he told me "sometimes I wish I would have went for the pumbing profession. When plumbers mess up, they get wet. When electricians mess up, sometimes they dont get to go home". So of course it up to each person whether to use a shop vac or an ash vac. Just make sure the choice is made after considering your history with safety. If you dont have time to be bothered with monitoring the vac after cleaning the stove, you run a risk of loss of you house and/or loss of life. But if you always take the time to service things and insure they are safe to put away, then...........it's your choice to make.

 

[Jim S]

Instead of spending all this money on filters and expensive vacs why not just purchase a 20-25 ft vac hose and add it to the exhaust port of your shop vac. Open the window and put about 10-15 ft away from the house. Vacuum away

 

[OhioBurner©]

Just speaking for myself, because I have awkward inside basement stairs and my shop vac lives down there due to my wood working, it's just a hassle to bring it up and down.

If the OP is shopping for a new shop vac they do make small ones, I have a 2.5 gallon shopvac that is both smaller and lighter than my Powersmith ash vac. So size shouldn't really be a deciding factor on a new purchase.

Instead of spending all this money on filters and expensive vacs why not just purchase a 20-25 ft vac hose and add it to the exhaust port of your shop vac. Open the window and put about 10-15 ft away from the house. Vacuum away

It would still be risky, but not much different than the LBT though much more a chance of hot embers in burn pot ashes I would not risk it. What if you want to put the ashes somewhere that is not outside the immediate window? Would you do this in a forest of dry pine needles?

 

[bags]

I always just let my stove cool and use a regular shop vac. Never an issue here since I am usually doing a complete clean and the stove needs to be cool anyway.

However, other stoves require more frequent cleans which might see the need for a more appropriate ash vac. I don't need one with my stoves or set up but if I had a stove that needed hit with the vac weekly then the ash vac may be well worth the extra $$ Cha-Ching.

That is a decision to be made according to ones specific needs. They also make steel canister shop vacs but they usually cost more than regular plastic ones. I have two steel vacs and honestly I always use a smaller plastic El Cheapo shop vac for my stove cleanings.

 

[tractorboy924]

I bought a specific ash vac and it died after 3 uses so Im going with a shop vac after reading this. ofcourse always do when cool and will take advise of poking around to ensure no HOT SPOTS like other poster metioned. so made that thing died to fast!!

 

[OhioBurner©]

I don't need one with my stoves or set up but if I had a stove that needed hit with the vac weekly then the ash vac may be well worth the extra $$ Cha-Ching.

Only weekly? Try 1-2 days maybe every 3 if it's really clean and burning well.
I hit the off button and usually sticking the ash vac in those hot coals in 20 minutes, especially if the house is in dire need of heat when I get home.

 

[Mt Bob]

Only weekly? Try 1-2 days maybe every 3 if it's really clean and burning well.
I hit the off button and usually sticking the ash vac in those hot coals in 20 minutes, especially if the house is in dire need of heat when I get home.

Depends on your stove and how clean it burns.My austroflamm(which I barely use now),I would scrape firepot daily,while running,shut down and clean pot,empty ash tray every 3 to 5 days,teardown,pull plates and clean after a ton.My accentra(now my full time stove),I scrape pot every day or 2,while running,After a ton,shut down,empty ash bin,drop plates(no bolts!),and clean.I am afraid if I had a stove I had to clean more often than that,I might not burn pellets,but I have been spoiled by 2 very high quality units.

 

[Gavin641]

I use a small shop vac its called a stinger.I bought it at home depot for about 20.00 bucks and use a drywall filter in it also in the blowport I stuck a piece of plastic drain pipe in it and attached a sock on the end of that with a hose clamp,when the time comes to use it I just get the sock wet so it will be sure to capture all of the blowbye dust

 

[bags]

Only weekly? Try 1-2 days maybe every 3 if it's really clean and burning well.
I hit the off button and usually sticking the ash vac in those hot coals in 20 minutes, especially if the house is in dire need of heat when I get home.

MONTHLY...... I do not shop vac weekly. Many other Harman "snobs" will gladly verify. Mr. Ideal Steel. LOL! I'm slumming too. NC-30.

 

[bags]

I use a small shop vac its called a stinger.I bought it at home depot for about 20.00 bucks and use a drywall filter in it also in the blowport I stuck a piece of plastic drain pipe in it and attached a sock on the end of that with a hose clamp,when the time comes to use it I just get the sock wet so it will be sure to capture all of the blowbye dust

Yellow and black..... Great little "cheap" vacs.

 

[Gavin641]

hereis a pic of mine that sock on the end just get it wet and ring it out then put it back on the pipe with the hose clamp,

will not let any ash blow out,sometimes if i clean the stove and was in a hurry and done it a little on the warm side I will just take the vac and set it in the middle of the yard or snow bank if we have snow.

 

[Lake Girl]

Your sock trick is similar to the trick I use if I have to do drywall. Shop vac with a little bit of water in the bottom and the reusable filters with ring around the cartridge. Reconstitutes the "mud" in the bottom but easier to deal with then the fine dust.

 

[OhioBurner©]

MONTHLY...... I do not shop vac weekly. Many other Harman "snobs" will gladly verify. Mr. Ideal Steel. LOL! I'm slumming too. NC-30.

I am quite familiar with Harman and many others. In fact the fellow sitting right next to me here at work has an XXV. I was merely presenting the opposite scenario that was left out prior, many cheapie stoves need cleaned out very frequently, and not as easy as a simple scrape, you have to shut the whole stove down and remove the pot. If you want to do it with short as possible amount of down time that means stove gloves, big pair or slip joint pliers to take the pot out, and a metal ash vac with metal wand. I know better stoves go longer, but with mine is more of a PITA than the woodstove as far as cleaning goes.

 

[DneprDave]

I clean my old Whitfield about once a week and do the leafblower trick on it after every ton burned. That's all the maintenence it wants.

 

[Mt Bob]

I am quite familiar with Harman and many others. In fact the fellow sitting right next to me here at work has an XXV. I was merely presenting the opposite scenario that was left out prior, many cheapie stoves need cleaned out very frequently, and not as easy as a simple scrape, you have to shut the whole stove down and remove the pot. If you want to do it with short as possible amount of down time that means stove gloves, big pair or slip joint pliers to take the pot out, and a metal ash vac with metal wand. I know better stoves go longer, but with mine is more of a PITA than the woodstove as far as cleaning goes.

Good points,never too much info.

 

[bags]

That's the thing I was getting at. Your Ideal Steel is a sweet stove. It is a Caddy of a wood burner. I'd like to get one myself.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I'm not sure how the Ideal Steel got involved in this convo, I rarely use the vac on it except for one thing... it has andirons that fold down to make loading easier but they spill a bit of ash out on the ash lip every time. So I do hit that with the vac from time to time, otherwise just rake the ashes through the floor grate, it's about perfect size that ashes go through easily but retains the coals in the firebox, and slide the cover on the ash pan before removing from stove and you take your ashes out with no mess whatsoever, it's nice! The ash vac was bought just for the pellet stove.

Actually just fired up the pellet stove Friday night for the first time this year, so it'll get shut down today and cleaned with the ash vac. Since I have plenty of free wood, and only need 1 stove until it gets below freezing, I've been running just the IS up until now.