How long on average do ashes stay hot,(last fire was two days ago with cherry) I was thinking of cleaning out the ash in the lopi tonight.
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Ashes
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Depends on several factors -- best bet is to take Wendell's advice and stick them in a covered metal container on a non-combustible surface outside.
Things to not do would include using a plastic bucket, plastic trash can, paper bag, cardboard box or plastic bag to hold the ashes . . . and things to also not do would include placing the container of ashes on to the covered porch, wooden deck, in the garage or on a patch of long, dead grass . . . all of which are things I have either seen or read about in the newspaper from local fires started by a homeowner who thought the ashes were cool.
Things to not do would include using a plastic bucket, plastic trash can, paper bag, cardboard box or plastic bag to hold the ashes . . . and things to also not do would include placing the container of ashes on to the covered porch, wooden deck, in the garage or on a patch of long, dead grass . . . all of which are things I have either seen or read about in the newspaper from local fires started by a homeowner who thought the ashes were cool.
firefighterjake said:
I have used many of the above for hot ashes. My standard is actually a plastic bucket. But then I take them out IMMEDIATELY and saturate with water from the garden hose. I water the ashes, stir them, and water again. I basically leave an ash soup, which I let stand for one to two days and then dump in either the compost pile or the green (yard waste) trash can.
I'm on the lookout for a local source for an ash-hopper, the black metal kind.
Peace,
- Sequoia
I got my metal bucket at Lowes for $5. You can buy a bigger metal trash can for dumping the little one into.
I waited nearly 2 days after a fire at the end of my first burning season to really clean the stove out. I wanted to replace a fire brick so I was planning on using the shop vac to clean it out good so it'd be easier. Since the bag was nearly full in the shop vac anyway, I didn't bother to clean out all of the the ashes by hand, just decided to suck them up and toss the bag. Once I was nearly done I remember thinking "What is that smell????" As I turned around to look at my shop vac, I was greeted by a 5-6 foot long flame thrower exiting my shop vac :snake: And of course, the flames were not going towards the concrete wall but at the couch in my family room.
The next moments involved some maneuvers that an Army Ranger would have been proud of as the vac and I made a ridiculously quick trip out of the basement and to the yard where the shop vac was gutted and the stinking / now smoldering bag could be stomped out covering me and my yard / drive with dust and other nastiness. My only consolation was that the wife wasn't home and the neighbors were not out in the yard to witness me being a complete dumbass.
This was definitely not my proudest moment.
However, the lesson was learned.
BTW, other than a strange smell for a few months after, the shop vac is surprisingly fine!
Err on the side of caution
pen
The next moments involved some maneuvers that an Army Ranger would have been proud of as the vac and I made a ridiculously quick trip out of the basement and to the yard where the shop vac was gutted and the stinking / now smoldering bag could be stomped out covering me and my yard / drive with dust and other nastiness. My only consolation was that the wife wasn't home and the neighbors were not out in the yard to witness me being a complete dumbass.
This was definitely not my proudest moment.
However, the lesson was learned.
BTW, other than a strange smell for a few months after, the shop vac is surprisingly fine!
Err on the side of caution
pen
pen said:
You basically had the ultimate fire stoker, running high speed air through the embers I could see why it would start up like a torch.
Its always nice when the wife is not around to witness the shenenigens, they tend to overreact more than necessary, and start contemplating why they married you in the first place.
Always play it safe.
1. Load into metal container.
2. If summer: Add water to said container, pour slurry in garden
If winter: I place in sunken firepit that has old metal shelving on each side & top
1. Load into metal container.
2. If summer: Add water to said container, pour slurry in garden
If winter: I place in sunken firepit that has old metal shelving on each side & top
I've told this story before, but it's worth repeating. I had been using the new stove in the new weekend cabin for about a two months. The fire would burn out every Sunday. I would clean out the cold stove and ash pan the next Friday. I'd dump the cold ash into plastic garbage can on the deck. One day when the garbage can was getting full I moved it and found the bottom was burned out, the deck board was smoking and burned halfway thru. The pile of ash was preventing it form getting air but it was red hot and smoldering it's way thru the deck. That was some close call. So now all cold ash goes into a metal garbage can in the yard and then dumped into a ash pit hole out back in the woods.
Tom
Tom
I set fire to my parents house when I was a kid by shoveling ashes into a cardboard box that I then left on the wood floor.
As for ashes in the compost, I won't make that mistake again. The change in PH killed all the microbes and it took about ten times as long to finally compost. I now dump the ashes in a pile and wait until the compost is done before blending the compost and ashes.
As for ashes in the compost, I won't make that mistake again. The change in PH killed all the microbes and it took about ten times as long to finally compost. I now dump the ashes in a pile and wait until the compost is done before blending the compost and ashes.
covered 5-gal galvy metal can from lowes carries the ashes outside - they either sit on the concrete porch or out in the gravel drive for a few days/weeks. when full, i have a regular old galvy garbage can out back - also on gravel - i dump 'em into. Makes great icemelt on the driveway...
Call came in as a structure fire. Fire department pulled up on scene to find a completely naked male trying to stomp out the fire on his deck. Cardboard containers and hot ashes don't belong together. Common sense is not to common. Be safe.
Ed
Ed
I go with the two can method - each is perhaps 2 gallons (?). It took me about 3-4 weeks to fill a can, then I would switch to the other can and fill it. Once the second was filled I'd go dump the first one in the woods figuring it had been at least 3 weeks since last fresh ashes added. As added measure I only dumped on wet or snow days so there would be moisture to help dampen any heat left in the ashes but I never noticed anything. Then again, I had an ash pan and my old stove would generally be out cold every time I pulled ashes out. I wonder if this year I may have to change my protocol since I will actually have warm/hot ashes to deal with... Think 3 weeks is long enough to be safe?
I use the steel 5 gal. can method, let the ash sit in the can for several days, never fewer than four or five. Few years back, someone in the next town over dumped their ash into an outhouse that was grandfathered in [new ones are illegal] as it was common to use stove ash to treat outhouses, I used to do it myself back in the seventies. In any case, they claimed, in the newspaper story, the ashes were "several days old," and the story was about how the outhouse burned down and the fire was spreading across the yard in a neighborhood when it was discovered.
One more, don't do this story from a guy that does a car repair radio show I listen to. He cleaned out his fire place ash after it had been cold a few days. He shoved the ash into a cardboard box, put it in the back of his pick up and headed off down the highway. As you can guess it went up and he found out when the people passing him were pointing to the fire ball in the bed of his truck.
So my ash goes into a covered metal can, outside. The can is on top large paver stone. I was always concerned dumping the can into the woods pile evey few weeks, but the pile is 10 years old and is wet or snow covered. I to like the 2 can method.
So my ash goes into a covered metal can, outside. The can is on top large paver stone. I was always concerned dumping the can into the woods pile evey few weeks, but the pile is 10 years old and is wet or snow covered. I to like the 2 can method.
I have a burned circle on my LR floor, where a plastic 5 gal bucket was sitting.
My GF used to insist she knew when the ash was cold and that was the only time she would use a paper bag or a plastic bucket.
Yes, I know... but some things are best left for the wimmins to learn first hand.
anyway.... there sat a 5 gal bucket of cold ashes. After a few hours she says "I smell something odd"
I had stopped freaking over combustible containers with ashes in them sitting around when I found them, in hindsight I shoudlt have.
So... she picks up this bucket and the bottom is meted out, ash falls all over the floor, and its smoking.
She screams.
I laugh.
She came the next day with a nice new tall ash bucket just for the wood stove.
I left the burned hole in the floor to remind her to use it.
My GF used to insist she knew when the ash was cold and that was the only time she would use a paper bag or a plastic bucket.
Yes, I know... but some things are best left for the wimmins to learn first hand.
anyway.... there sat a 5 gal bucket of cold ashes. After a few hours she says "I smell something odd"
I had stopped freaking over combustible containers with ashes in them sitting around when I found them, in hindsight I shoudlt have.
So... she picks up this bucket and the bottom is meted out, ash falls all over the floor, and its smoking.
She screams.
I laugh.
She came the next day with a nice new tall ash bucket just for the wood stove.
I left the burned hole in the floor to remind her to use it.
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