Better way to use an ashpan - don't rake so often!

[fire_man]

I wonder why we would see such a difference, it's night and day for me. Maybe the type of wood? I burn mostly oak and beech. I was raking small unburned coals into the pan before which added to the volume, but now they all burn down to fine ash.

 

[DBoon]

Maybe the size of the grate, or the time between reloads (I tend to only burn two fires a day, mostly)? Ash from a cat stove is pretty fine and dense anyways (compared to my prior tube stove) so maybe the difference just isn't that noticeable to me at this point. I am getting a little less particular about raking all the ash down into the pan.

 

[Sealcove]

I usually load twice a day, +- 12hrs apart. I have an almost straight stack pipe, double wall to class A. I am on a rise and with windy conditions can get some back drafting when I go to load. For me the less ash and coals in the stove the better in terms of not getting particulate and also so I can maximize my load for twelve hours.

 

[fire_man]

I raked the grate today for the first time in weeks. WOW all I can say is the ash pan is easily 3 times the weight of what it used to be when I raked twice a week.

Same volume but it's MUCH heavier. I wish I could quantify it but there is no doubt in my case the ash is denser by just leaving it to settle and burn down on it's own.

 

[Sealcove]

Funny I find just the opposite, the less I mess with the ash, the less dust I make. But I have lousy draft in that stove so it doesn't get sucked up.

That certainly is likely a difference between situations. I tend to reload when I still have a reasonably hot stove and chimney, and unless I am dealing with high winds, everything gets sucked out the chimney like a vacuum.

 

[DBoon]

I will say that raking less often (or only lightly, without the intent to get every last bit of ash into the ash pan before reloading) has pretty minimal downside and does seem to result in less dust on areas near the wood stove. It's still a good idea to rake less.

 

[fire_man]

I think the only way to show the dramatic difference (raking vs not raking) is to weigh the tray both ways.
Boy I'm glad I'm now retired so I have time to do silly things

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Oh, and what about the ash levels with different species! I see lots of testing… lol

 

[begreen]

See, for me, I was just being lazy, lol.

Likewise. Same reason I burn low ash wood. Less work, less dust in the house, more insulation under the firebed. I am due to clean out the ash bed and clinkers, but that is after burning a cord and a half of doug fir.