Hey everyone. I have a small shop vac all around, and I would like to know if they make some type of filter for ashes. I used it once to vacuum out the stove but had to set the vacuum outside the window. I made a pretty good mess. Thanks everyone!
Filter for Shop Vac
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cableman
Minister of Fire
I use this on my boiler, seems to work well
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3...-5-0-gal-RIDGID-Wet-Dry-Vacs-VF5000/100075119
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3...-5-0-gal-RIDGID-Wet-Dry-Vacs-VF5000/100075119
RobbieB
Feeling the Heat
I use the disposable bags in mine. I think they are only made for the larger units though. I can tell you that they make all the difference in the world. My pleated paper filter (the one they all have) would get clogged up minutes after I cleaned them.
After I started using the bags I've never had to clean a pleated filter again. You get full suction all the time and the dust stays in the vac. Yes I have vacuumed ashes from the stove and they stay in the vac too. When full you remove the bag full of filth and toss it inna trash without having to deal with the atomic mushroom cloud of dust either.
After I started using the bags I've never had to clean a pleated filter again. You get full suction all the time and the dust stays in the vac. Yes I have vacuumed ashes from the stove and they stay in the vac too. When full you remove the bag full of filth and toss it inna trash without having to deal with the atomic mushroom cloud of dust either.
WoodyIsGoody
Minister of Fire
Keep in mind that the small filter on a small shop vac will plug relatively quickly with fine ash. There's a reason why "real" shop vacs are so big!
WoodyIsGoody
Minister of Fire
Truthfully, you never need a vacuum to maintain a woodstove. I've never used one in all my years burning wood.
Jan Pijpelink
Minister of Fire
I think that depends on the woodstove. I have 2 stoves and one of them is a Kent. This one has a damper plate you can pull out partly. On top of the plate is quite some soot after cleaning the chimney. No way you can get that out without a vacuum.
WoodyIsGoody
Minister of Fire
The simple solution is to disconnect the stovepipe before sweeping the chimney. Why make the job harder than it needs to be?
Jan Pijpelink
Minister of Fire
In my set up, a tiny fit in my fireplace, is not as easy. Every set up is different. Not enough wiggle room.
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WoodyIsGoody
Minister of Fire
True. And that is one reason I don't like the whole woodstove in a fireplace.
Jan Pijpelink
Minister of Fire
Don't guess I have to vacuum it out. I just like the idea of cleaning it out at the end of the season to give it a good look over.
Bad LP
Minister of Fire
If you are going to use a vacuum to clean your wood stove...
Buy one that is specifically for vacuuming ash.First it will be an all steel construction,and have a filter designed for ash.
Safety first.Unless you leave your stove for a few days before vacuuming there will be a real chance that there are embers glowing away in the ash.Plastic shop vac with a paper bag inside really isn't a good idea.
Buy one that is specifically for vacuuming ash.First it will be an all steel construction,and have a filter designed for ash.
Safety first.Unless you leave your stove for a few days before vacuuming there will be a real chance that there are embers glowing away in the ash.Plastic shop vac with a paper bag inside really isn't a good idea.
I was trying to avoid buying a vac specific for the stove. I would wait at least a week before I tried vacuuming the stove with my shop vac anyway. Just trying to save a little money and use what I already have.
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Easy Livin’ 3000
Minister of Fire
Great tip, Robbie. I didn't even know these were made. I recently cleaned two pleated filters. What a pain in the ass! I'm gettin' me some of those bags.
maple1
Minister of Fire
The few times I have used my vac for ashes, I stuck a second hose on the outlet and ran that out my basement window. I would either do that, or put the vac outside (did that once too) - I would not depend 100% on bags or filters holding all the dust inside the vac, got stung once doing my fireplace even with both a bag and a filter in place. Thought I was doing OK until I stopped and looked all around me...
I done same thing maple1. Was so focused on cleaning the stove I didn't see the mushroom cloud of ash in the living room 
I too use the bags in both of my large shopvacs. The bags go around the HEPA filter core which is a back up. It's not just ash, I don't ever want to redistribute crud all over my home. I use it for vacuuming a lot of sheetrock dust and the bags work great for that too. Home depot sells them. Get the ones rated for sheetrock dust since they use a tighter fabric.
I vacuum out the cat and cat chamber of the stove frequently. Removing any chimney for cleaning is a last resort. I only vacuum out the firebox once a year at the end of the burn season.
Sure, don't vacuum a live fire, duh, yadyyadyyady.
I vacuum out the cat and cat chamber of the stove frequently. Removing any chimney for cleaning is a last resort. I only vacuum out the firebox once a year at the end of the burn season.
Sure, don't vacuum a live fire, duh, yadyyadyyady.
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
I purchased a 50' +? long swimming pool vacuum hose at LOWES for next to nothing almost twenty years ago. I set the vacuum outside and bring the hose through the window and it is nice and quite and quite flexible. The only blockages I have had is at the adapter. The adapter is a multi-hose adapter that connects to the shopvac and IS designed to be trimmed to the hose's ID. I have not trimmed the adapter due to the wide potential of uses and the blockages always occur at this adapter. The blockages never occurred with the creosote cleaning but with other jobs' debris/materials and masonry.
I like the idea of the hose extension. Cuts down on the noise and no worries about the dust. I wouldn't have to clean or change bags either. Thanks VirginiaIron for the idea.
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
You are welcome. I have a filter cartridge in mine that I tamp clean after most uses and then use I use an air hose to remove what remaining particles are left. This process makes the filter quite serviceable and eco-friendly so I can use it many times over.
Watch the filter when using an air hose.
I was warned that you could blow a hole through the filter with air.Not as bad on a vacuum filter as a engine filter.
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