Ash Vacuum

[SpaceBus]

I've been looking into getting an ash vac for a deep clean in my wood stove once I'm able to let it sit cold for a few days. I know folks on here put hepa filters in shop vacs and don't have issues. I don't want to do that. I prefer to have a vac just for ashes with a stainless drum. So far the ShopVac brand ash vac seems like a good deal at $100 with pellet stove attachments, which will be really handy on my odd shaped stove. I've also seen a more professional grade Cougar Ash Vac for $300 on Amazon. Is it worth it?

I'll be maintaining two stoves and two chimney systems soon, so this seems like a worthwhile investment to me.

 

[Bad LP]

I bought an ash vac a few years ago and quickly learned how obnoxiously loud it is. It sits unused in my garage I hate it so much.
End of season cleaning for the LR insert I'll use the shop vac with the vacuum can outside on the porch and a long hose thru a mostly closed window. The wood boiler in the basement doesn't need to be that isolated from the house with several saws down there plus I can run the shop air filter.

 

[thewoodlands]

I've been looking into getting an ash vac for a deep clean in my wood stove once I'm able to let it sit cold for a few days. I know folks on here put hepa filters in shop vacs and don't have issues. I don't want to do that. I prefer to have a vac just for ashes with a stainless drum. So far the ShopVac brand ash vac seems like a good deal at $100 with pellet stove attachments, which will be really handy on my odd shaped stove. I've also seen a more professional grade Cougar Ash Vac for $300 on Amazon. Is it worth it?

I'll be maintaining two stoves and two chimney systems soon, so this seems like a worthwhile investment to me.

I just use an ash bucket which goes out of the house into a garbage can in the woods, I don't have to worry about a hot ember getting inside the ash vac.

We do have a ash vac for the pellet stove but I'll only use it when the pellet ash has been in the ash pan for a week and then that goes into the garbage can.

 

[Dataman]

I have Cougar ASH Vac. Got it for 60 bucks plus new filters on Ebay with FREE shipping. Wife hates it says it puts dust in air still. I was cleaning out (Harmon XXV) burn pot daily and it had warm ashes. Vac came thru fine, no melting at all. Hose is metal and such. Last month of burning I only scrape the burn pot 2x weekly and it ran perfectly. Less ash escaping. Vac will only be used when stove is STONE COLD and do 1 Ton Cleaning.

I would suggest you get shop vac with hepa filter. Use it for 1 Ton Cleaning only. Cold Stove.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have Cougar ASH Vac. Got it for 60 bucks plus new filters on Ebay with FREE shipping. Wife hates it says it puts dust in air still. I was cleaning out (Harmon XXV) burn pot daily and it had warm ashes. Vac came thru fine, no melting at all. Hose is metal and such. Last month of burning I only scrape the burn pot 2x weekly and it ran perfectly. Less ash escaping. Vac will only be used when stove is STONE COLD and do 1 Ton Cleaning.

I would suggest you get shop vac with hepa filter. Use it for 1 Ton Cleaning only. Cold Stove.

My purpose for the vacuum is to suck out all of the crud that accumulates in the upper portion of my stove, Morso 2B Classic, and whatever falls out of the chimney when I sweep it. Hepa filters on Shop Vacs don't filter out the fine dust, which is why I'm looking at Ash Vacs. I have no intentions to vacuum out my firebox, just the ash pan area where ash falls over the sides and the flue. Next season I hope to have a wood cook stove installed, and the ash vac would be used to get the crud out of its flue and areas were it accumulates around the oven.

 

[blades]

vacs and a spark = instant jet engine. i have had a number of little exciting episodes at my shop ( mostly metal work a lot of grinding) the worst is when using cbn type wheels, the dust is so fine that one tiny spark can set off a mini explosion can't always keep everything wet.

 

[SpaceBus]

vacs and a spark = instant jet engine. i have had a number of little exciting episodes at my shop ( mostly metal work a lot of grinding) the worst is when using cbn type wheels, the dust is so fine that one tiny spark can set off a mini explosion can't always keep everything wet.

This is true. I used to work for a company that built media blasting cabinets and sold some to the US Airforce. Two airmen died when the dust collector exploded because nobody was using a grounding strap with walnut shell media. The company I worked for didn't know they would be using organic blast media, and even warned them as is their standard procedure.

While there is some risk of this happening with an ash vac, there is also the risk of getting creosote dust and fly ash into my house when cleaning the upper half of my stove and flue.

So far one person used the Cougar and said it was loud but worked. Hopefully I'll hear from some other users of ash vacs

 

[blades]

Just about any dry media in the blast cabinet sets up static. Have a 24x48 unit with vac system. corn cob /walnut/glass/alum. oxide are what I use depending on the job at hand. hooked up to a 120 gal tank and a 55cfm dedicated compressor.

 

[SpaceBus]

Just about any dry media in the blast cabinet sets up static. Have a 24x48 unit with vac system. corn cob /walnut/glass/alum. oxide are what I use depending on the job at hand. hooked up to a 120 gal tank and a 55cfm dedicated compressor.

Invest in a grounding strap. Usually the glass will explode and keep things from going too poorly, but that can mortally wound you. Your cabinet and dust collection system probably have a ton of mixed medias which could still ignite.

 

[johneh]

I had an Ash Vac worst thing I ever bought
Now use a reg. shop vac with dry wall dust bag

 

[SpaceBus]

I had an Ash Vac worst thing I ever bought
Now use a reg. shop vac with dry wall dust bag

What was wrong with the ash vac?

 

[johneh]

Very loud , week suction after just a little use
clean and was good to go . I didn't like having
to clean the vac ever 10 minuets

 

[SpaceBus]

Very loud , week suction after just a little use
clean and was good to go . I didn't like having
to clean the vac ever 10 minuets

This is why I was looking at the Cougar Ash Vac. It has a filter jiggler to knock the dust into the bottom of the bucket. I wish it didn't cost $300...

 

[greg13]

I have a Vacmaster ash vac. VERY quiet, but like most other vacs it does loose suction fast due to the fine dust. Look for an all metal canister & metal lined hose.

 

[Sawset]

I have an older version of the loveless (couger) model. 10yrs now. It has an asbestos like filter that is impervious to coals and sparks. The shaker handle shakes loose ash that has accumulated. They are a bit pricey. I recieved it from a relative whose comments were "the pos is loud and refuses to pick up anything over half inch dia. Worthless for cleaning the fireplace." That said it was mine. Previously I went through a couple minivacs due to burned out filters. My shop vac is set up in the wood shop hooked to a thein preseperator, and is big and clumsey to unhook and move around. So its been the stove vac for stove work. It has an asbestos like large filter, impervious to heat. It seems to draw well regardless if I shake the shaker rod. Ear plugs are a nuisance, but not annoying. I don't tolerate noise well, but this is not much different than running any other power equipment. I don't sit around drinking coffee with it running when its time to get work done. Hand clean out the coal chunks, and suck the ash. It does a good job. Anything caught in the nozzle, just jamb the nozzle, crush it and it goes in. Rarely an inconvenience. When done, hang it in the garage. I use it 6-8 times a year, empty it once a year or so. It's not something I would leave laying around the stove and use whenever. I use a broom and wet wash cloths once in a while to clean up around day to day.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have an older version of the loveless (couger) model. 10yrs now. It has an asbestos like filter that is impervious to coals and sparks. The shaker handle shakes loose ash that has accumulated. They are a bit pricey. I recieved it from a relative whose comments were "the pos is loud and refuses to pick up anything over half inch dia. Worthless for cleaning the fireplace." That said it was mine. Previously I went through a couple minivacs due to burned out filters. My shop vac is set up in the wood shop hooked to a thein preseperator, and is big and clumsey to unhook and move around. So its been the stove vac for stove work. It has an asbestos like large filter, impervious to heat. It seems to draw well regardless if I shake the shaker rod. Ear plugs are a nuisance, but not annoying. I don't tolerate noise well, but this is not much different than running any other power equipment. I don't sit around drinking coffee with it running when its time to get work done. Hand clean out the coal chunks, and suck the ash. It does a good job. Anything caught in the nozzle, just jamb the nozzle, crush it and it goes in. Rarely an inconvenience. When done, hang it in the garage. I use it 6-8 times a year, empty it once a year or so. It's not something I would leave laying around the stove and use whenever. I use a broom and wet wash cloths once in a while to clean up around day to day.

A man after my own heart here. The Cougar is pretty dear, but sounds to be the only worthwhile ash vac around. If I don't like it, I'll just give it to another wood burner.

 

[Bad LP]

This is why I was looking at the Cougar Ash Vac. It has a filter jiggler to knock the dust into the bottom of the bucket. I wish it didn't cost $300...

It doesn't work worth a crap. Trust me.

I'll GIVE YOU mine if you come and get it. However you must promise not to bring it back. Yes I'm 100% serious.

 

[SpaceBus]

It doesn't work worth a crap. Trust me.

I'll GIVE YOU mine if you come and get it. However you must promise not to bring it back. Yes I'm 100% serious.

How far away are you?

 

[Sawset]

That sounds like a possible plan. I really thought hard about alternatives before the freebe came up. I doubt I would spend what they want for a dedicated stove vac. Mine is a noisy pos, but it does suck ash, so guesse it works in that regard. Find one free/lowcost, or vac a cold stove with an alternative is what I would do.

 

[bholler]

300 sounds cheap ours is around 1500. Honestly I would just use a shop vac with a filter bag in it for home use. No matter what vacume you are using you should never suck up hot coals.

 

[Jazzberry]

300 sounds cheap ours is around 1500. Honestly I would just use a shop vac with a filter bag in it for home use. No matter what vacume you are using you should never suck up hot coals.

I don't get the whole vacuum the stove thing. 10 minutes after building a fire it needs vacuuming again. Maybe there is a profitable business opportunity for someone selling stove wax lol.

 

[johneh]

I don't get the whole vacuum the stove thing. 10 minutes after building a fire it needs vacuuming again. Maybe there is a profitable business opportunity for someone selling stove wax lol.

You are forgetting out a whole host of burners (pellet stoves) need regular vacuuming
I know this is for wood burners but a lot of us do both

 

[bholler]

I don't get the whole vacuum the stove thing. 10 minutes after building a fire it needs vacuuming again. Maybe there is a profitable business opportunity for someone selling stove wax lol.

We use vacums to control dust when cleaning and make sure air inlets etc are clear of ash. As well as cleaning the inside of the stove so we can properly inspect it.

 

[SpaceBus]

The top half of my stove is a fly ash collector and has nooks and crannies like a pellet stove inside. It would also be nice if I could vacuum out the bottom of my clean out instead of awkwardly shoveling it out. My wife will murder me if dust comes the vac and settles in our house. It's also horrible for your lungs. The Cougar is nice because they guarantee no dust ever gets out. I'll also be getting a wood cook stove and it would be nice to use the vac on it as well.

 

[SpaceBus]

We use vacums to control dust when cleaning and make sure air inlets etc are clear of ash. As well as cleaning the inside of the stove so we can properly inspect it.

Thank you, finally someone that understands why I want this thing!