Fine ash everywhere in Great Room, wife displeased...

[Spletz]

All,

First year burner here. We love our insert, warm, happy and propane-free this winter. However, the amount of fine ash/dusting is throwing my mate into a tizzy. Any advice? I try to turn the fan off during reloads/ash clean out, but the layers of dust are ridiculous. When ash falls onto the hearth, it is sucked right into the insert's air intake and ends up all over my interior designer wife's home!

Any easy corrections appreciated...

 

[webby3650]

Get a small shop vac with a filter and a fine partical filter bag. Run it with the hose off to the side as you scoop your ashes and as you dump them into the bucket. Problem solved!

 

[DougA]

I used to have that with my old VC, now I get nothing with the Hearthstone. You need better draft so that when you open the door, everything is sucked into the stove and out the chimney.

 

[jatoxico]

I keep a small vac handy and it helps to keep things clean. Open your stove door slow. Another thing, are you sure its all ash dust? The dry air seems to let any dust kick up easy.

 

[prezes13]

Like others said, I have a small battery operated vaccum. I always vacuum, sweep etc. all the ash and other wood derbies from my hearth as soon as I see some. You will always get a bit of dust when cleaning out the stove but with practice and patience you should be able to keep it to minimum. You have to be anal about it keep it clean and wife will be happy. I learned very quickly...

 

[Dix]

What dust?

 

[pdxdave]

All,

First year burner here. We love our insert, warm, happy and propane-free this winter. However, the amount of fine ash/dusting is throwing my mate into a tizzy. Any advice? I try to turn the fan off during reloads/ash clean out, but the layers of dust are ridiculous. When ash falls onto the hearth, it is sucked right into the insert's air intake and ends up all over my interior designer wife's home!

Any easy corrections appreciated...

Just one of the many reasons why I bought a different stove (Lopi Declaration is the same model - I had the exact same issue and there is no way to resolve it completely).

 

[2PistolPacker]

If you are going to use a vacuum make sure to use a HEPA filter in it or you will just send more dust into the air.

 

[webby3650]

If you are going to use a vacuum make sure to use a HEPA filter in it or you will just send more dust into the air.

No need for anything real special. Just a fine partical bag and a filter. I do it every single day!

 

[begreen]

Yup, the insert blower is sucking in any ash that falls onto the hearth because there is no ashlip. Always turn off the blower before opening the door and sweep the ash up before turning the blower back on. You may want to have a battery operated hand vac near the hearth for this. Just be sure there are no hot embers being picked up!

 

[Dix]

I'm astounded. But I've said this before on this topic.

Really? Seriously???

 

[begreen]

I'm curious who wanted the flush insert more, he or she?

 

[prezes13]

I'm curious who wanted the flush insert more, he or she?

They are great looking, maybe a bit safer for kids and save some space in the room, but other than that very impractical.

 

[2PistolPacker]

No need for anything real special. Just a fine partical bag and a filter. I do it every single day!

Fine partical bag and filter, sounds like a HEPA "Type" filter to me. To solve a fine dust problem use a "true" or "absolute" HEPA filter. They are more expensive but they will catch the fine ash dust. You need to decide if a real quality HEPA filter is necessary for your home, or if capturing less dust is worth spending less on a filter.

 

[begreen]

I use a standard drywall dust filter on my basic shop vac. It works great for trapping ash dust.

 

[webby3650]

I use a standard drywall dust filter on my basic shop vac. It works great for trapping ash dust.

That's the one! Even the regular bag works just fine if you have a filter on it.
We have a Ro-Vac, but I only get it out if we are cleaning an open fireplace.

 

[BradleyW]

I hate to be a downer, but burning wood is dirty, and it requires a certain amount of tolerance of dust and dirt. Not sure there is much you can do unless everyone involved accepts that basic fact.

 

[begreen]

This is a bit beyond dirty and peculiar to flush stoves and inserts without an ash lip. The blower can send a powder of ash all around the stove room. We definitely do not experience this.

 

[madison]

Any easy corrections appreciated...

1. Don't "try" to turn of the blower -- TURN OFF THE BLOWER
2. Fully open air control to the fireplace whenever opening the doors
3. Resist all urge to futz and poke the wood, keep the doors closed and let it burn
4. Only open the doors of the fireplace with the air control fully open, and blower off
5. Do not attempt to clean ash from a coal bed, but clean the ash when the fire is almost completely out but still warm.
6. Shovel ash into the ash bucket with half full shovels, and gently place the shovel into the ash remaining in the bucket - don't dump the shovel into the bucket.

 

[fredarm]

Ash vac.

 

[prezes13]

Totally agree with Madison. That's exactly what I do. The minimum of ash gets in the room when I take ash out of the stove I don't think there is a way around it other than using an ash vac.

 

[pdxdave]

This is a bit beyond dirty and peculiar to flush stoves and inserts without an ash lip. The blower can send a powder of ash all around the stove room. We definitely do not experience this.

Absolutely. I experienced it first hand, a perfectly clean room would have a fine layer of ash coating in just a couple days with this insert.

 

[Hickorynut]

I hate to be a downer, but burning wood is dirty, and it requires a certain amount of tolerance of dust and dirt. Not sure there is much you can do unless everyone involved accepts that basic fact.

Agree here with Bradley W, burning wood is dirty, maybe it is a lopi stove thing or not, but I have always had lots of dust(ash) in the house with both the lopi freedom and the old countryflame. I thought dust was with all stoves and just something you have to deal with

 

[begreen]

A lot has to do with technique and the setup. We have decent draft in the stove so that I can follow Madison's #6 recommendation and have minimal dust when cleaning out ash. I keep the bucket right at the stove door so that the draft suck up most of the dust. Then the shop vac cleans up the hearth and ash lip. Done carefully there is little ash dust. Also, our stove has a pretty deep belly so I can get away with infrequent cleanings, especially when burning doug fir. Soft maple builds up ash quicker.

 

[Typ0]

You need an ash vac. Vaccuuming up ashes when they come out of the stove is not great advice IMO. You need something that can handle hot ash your wife will be happier and it will save your marriage.