Cleaning out ash - burning 24/7

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Fairly new to this burning - just started to burn 24/7. Managed to do 2 weeks but now i need to clean out some of the ash and the window could do with a bit of a clean - not bad just not 'sparkling'.

How do you guys clean out the ash? is it a constant thing in the morning or do you wait until you have a fair bit in there? Also do you clean your glass when it is hot? and if so how? i normally use the newspaper and a small amount of ash when the fire is cold. I don't want to damage the 'window'.

 

[Ashful]

I empty my ash pan 2x per week, always right before a reload. Be sure to keep about an inch of ash in the stove when you empty, don't clean out fully until its time for maintenance.

Window, I used to clean with Rutland stove glass cleaner, but then I got lazy and just let the fire keep it clean(ish).

 

[Sprinter]

How deep is your stove at the lip? If it's really shallow, you may need to clean the ashes out frequently. The consensus is that about an inch of ash on the bottom is good. Wood species makes a difference, too. Some wood just creates more ash than others. I imagine every couple of weeks may be somewhat average.

When you do it, remember that embers can remain hot for a long time, even days, so use an appropriate container.

For the window, I use a damp cloth dipped in ash with the window cold. No reason to do it hot anyway. Works well for me.

And if, after two weeks, the window only needs "a bit" of cleaning, I'd say you're doing something right.

 

[KaptJaq]

About once a week before the morning reload I use a coal rake to shift the hot embers to one side. Clean the ash on the cleared side. Then shift the hot coals to the other side and get the rest of the ash.

At the same time I usually wipe the very warm window with a piece of clean, dry cotton cloth to clear the haze...

KaptJaq

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

And if, after two weeks, the window only needs "a bit" of cleaning, I'd say you're doing something right.

Thanks for that - my wood supply is not bad but another year of seasoning and i think it will pay big rewards. I have mainly been using some Aussie Gum Tree but last night i used some pine which had seasoned for the same amount of time and what a difference. It gave spectacular secondaries and lasted a considerable amount of time.

I am having the flue cleaned on Friday. This will be the first time since i started burning, and probably the first time ever as the previous owner wasn't that 'bothered'. I have owned the house for 18 months. I will let you guys know what the results are - its a professional firm coming out this time as i want to see how they do it so when i do it next time i hope to do it right. $100 to clean the flue sounds pretty reasonable to me?

 

[Sprinter]

$100 to clean the flue sounds pretty reasonable to me?

Sure. But some guys like to charge more if you watch! And even more if you help...lol

 

[Ashful]

I always hang around to keep an eye on things. I don't offer to help, unless asked, as there's liability in helping someone working on a roof with ladders. You could be one well-intentioned move away from a lawsuit, should someone get hurt while you're helping.

 

[firefighterjake]

When running 24/7 I empty the ash pan twice each week into an ash bucket outside, covered and away from any combustibles.

The "glass" gets cleaned then as well . . . generally the glass is warm as I tend to empty the ashes and do the cleaning in the morning . . . I use some balled up wet newspaper to swipe the glass clean.

At some point I am assuming it will warm up and stay warm so that I can stop running the woodstove . .. thought I was there until this morning . . . got a fire going again.

 

[Ashful]

With all you folks using their paper for glass cleaning, I don't know how the newspapers claim to be going out of business.

 

[Highbeam]

I empty the ashes when the build up will fill the ash bucket. That's about three inches deep and you learn this from experience. You can either allow the fire to burn out and empty everything or you can empty the ashes from a hot stove and save the coals. Scoop out one side and slide the coals over, then clean out that side. I have learned to just empty out the whole firebox and start a new fire. This is every few weeks and firestarting is not hard.

Leave the door open while cleaning ash and you will find that the glass is cooler. Cool enough to clean.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

In the coldest part of winter we find we have to empty ash about every 4 days. Other times we can go up to a couple weeks before it needs cleaning.

The thing about the coldest part of winter it pays to clean a bit more often because then you can get more wood in the stove. More wood means the fire holds longer for those long cold winter nights.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

thanks guys for all the good advice. I think i will try and clean the glass at the same time as i clean out the stove - that will allow it to cool a little while i empty the ashes. The sweep is coming in the morning so will let you know what he finds and if he is any good.

 

[rideau]

I'm confused. You've had the home 18 months, didn't burn last season? You burned two weeks this season BEFORE getting the chimney cleaned after the previous owner, whom you believe never cleaned the chimney?
Seems like an unlikely sequence, so maybe I'm missing something.

You have a huge amount of heating potential, with two stoves rated 120,000 and 50,000 BTU. How large is your home, and how cold your climate? How big are your fireboxes, and how many months do you need to heat 24/7?
Did you like the sweep, and how much creosote came out of the chimney?


Hope you enjoy the woodburning experience.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Its a long story but I bought the house which had a stove already installed. I used this one last year we used unseasoned. I decided to buy a new bigger stove at the end of the season. When I installed the new stove I checked the flue and. All looked good. I thought it would be a god idea to get it checked out while I had a day off.
The sweep turned up on time. He didn't seem too professional as I had to tell him how to get the baffle plates out. But he did both flues in the rain. He got about a small handful of soot out of the two. He was very impressed with the setup. He said he would recommend every 3 years inspections.
I really did it for peace of mind after all the horror stories I have seen on here. My theory is that its not as bad here as we don't get the cold extremes you do. It very rarely goes below freezing.
I am burning 24/7 again and the house has never been so warm and comfortable.

 

[begreen]

AG, welcome to the forums! Sounds like you are burning well. I clean out the ash similar to Highbeam's method. This is about once every 2 weeks with full on 24/7 burning. Some folks use a sifter shovel to save the coals off to one side, but I just use a regular ash shovel.

If you get a chance, could you post some pictures of your stoves? That Nectre sounds like a beast of a heater. Most of us don't get to see daily burns at this time of the year, so a little FIRE shot is always appreciated.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

That Nectre sounds like a beast of a heater.

I will take some snaps at the weekend in all its glory - here's a standard photo. My wife calls her Evil Edna.........

Not sure if you have seen a heater with an additional air vent at the bottom of the heater before? I thought i would never use it but it is brilliant to help start the fire and to give it a blast of air. It's like the bellows for a blacksmith it must draw the colder air from the room into the heat of the fire. I use it in the morning to get the fire going after an overnight burn.

Here's the fire when i came home after work the other day - it had been going for 10 hrs.

 

[begreen]

That's a big belly in Edna.

 

[fossil]

...Here's the fire when i came home after work the other day - it had been going for 10 hrs.

Shut the stove door, and I bet you can get 24 hours out of it.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Shut the stove door, and I bet you can get 24 hours out of it.

Very quick - I like it.

Here is the sweep on the roof. It doesn't look like it but it was raining the whole time he was on the roof.

 

[begreen]

Doesn't look like winter either. Are most of your trees evergreen?

 

[Woody Stover]

Not sure if you have seen a heater with an additional air vent at the bottom of the heater before? I thought i would never use it but it is brilliant to help start the fire and to give it a blast of air.

The Buck 91 has that (they call it the "shot gun air") and I agree, it's very handy. I believe some of the other US stoves have it as well (Englander?) You will see it referred to here as "doghouse air."

Doesn't look like winter either. Are most of your trees evergreen?

It's still early...maybe a lot of the leaves haven't fallen yet?

 

[Ashful]

Not sure if you have seen a heater with an additional air vent at the bottom of the heater before? I thought i would never use it but it is brilliant to help start the fire and to give it a blast of air. It's like the bellows for a blacksmith it must draw the colder air from the room into the heat of the fire. I use it in the morning to get the fire going after an overnight burn.

Akin to opening the ash pan door? If so, be careful! Easy to overfire, that way.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Doesn't look like winter either. Are most of your trees evergreen?

yes we are in winter (June - Aug) but all eucalyptus species are evergreen but shed part of their canopy to reduce their water need in high heat. Australian Acacias, Wattles, mostly hold a nearly full canopy of leaves all year long.

Akin to opening the ash pan door? If so, be careful! Easy to overfire, that way.

it must be similar - it's a very handy tool.

 

[begreen]

The Buck 91 has that (they call it the "shot gun air") and I agree, it's very handy. I believe some of the other US stoves have it as well (Englander?) You will see it referred to here as "doghouse air."

It's still early...maybe a lot of the leaves haven't fallen yet?

June is their equivalent of December. But some hardwoods like eucalyptus and madrone don't shed their leaves in winter.

 

[Woody Stover]

Akin to opening the ash pan door? If so, be careful! Easy to overfire, that way.

The Buck shoots that air in through a 4" X 1/2" opening in the bottom of the door frame so it really fans the coals, much like cracking the ash door on a stove with a grate beneath the coals. Really nice to get a small sacrificial load going in a hurry, to get a lukewarm stove back up to temp. I'm not as concerned about overfiring the plate-steel Buck as I'd be with stoves of other construction.