Hearthstone Heritage Ash Pan Door

[dkuntz413]

I will be hooking up my new Hearthstone Heritage in the coming week.
I noticed that the asp pan door does not seat very well at the bottom. It appears that the gasket at the bottom of the door doesn't touch the bottom of the ash pan.
My question is- will this effect the operation of the stove? It does not appear that the stove would draw air into it from this bad seal when the ash grate is closed, but perhaps I am mistaken about this.
I have heard complaints about the ash pan, and was not even going to use it. I was just going to shovel out the stove like I did for the past 7 years with my old stove.
I've posted a photo of the "bad seal", and would appreciate any thoughts on this. Thanks

Doug

 

[Ride]

I have the same stove, I just took a look at it and it has the same "gap". I did the dollar bill test and it's snug. My stove is new this year and I've only burned a couple of fires in it, but what I've noticed is if that door is open, lots of air gets in and the fire takes off. I've used the ash pan just because I wanted to try it, but I don't see it being something I use regularly.

 

[relax]

I have used our ash pan and find it works great...just push and pull the shacker rod a few times and all the ashes drop into the pan..great idea...burn baby burn....ZZZim

 

[bcnu]

I have the Homestead model and decided not to use the ash pan. Just seems easier. Or perhaps it's more manly ;-)

 

[Highbeam]

The ash grate does not make an air tight seal between the firebox and the ash pan so a leak at the ash pan drawer will indeed be a leak into your firebox. I have never even tried using the ashpan since the little tray only holds about 2 cups of ash and has no lid or means of securing the ash during transport. I would be using it as a fancy shovel so instead I just use a shovel and fill a galvanized bucket about half full of of ashes each time. I let the ash pretty well plug up the ash grate during the burn season. If the ash pan was bigger, deeper, and had a lid I might consider using this system.

Instead, how about somebody remove the ash pan and try cooking a pizza in there?

 

[paulie]

I have a Hearthstone Homestead that also only holds about two cups of ash....worthless! and yes you will get a good amount of draft through it. I solve the problem by filling the ash pan and leaving full. it stopped the draft problem qiut nicely, and I don't have to mess with the pan...

 

[relax]

what year model heitage do you have Highbeam..And does it have the shacker rod ,,my 2008 seams to have a good size pan about 14''x 4''high by 10 ''deep. im gussing im at work...works ok...the installer diddn't know what the shacker rod was as it was new to him to..musta been a new feature ...ZZZIm

 

[relax]

what year model heitage do you have Highbeam..And does it have the shacker rod ,,my 2008 seams to have a good size pan about 14''x 4''high by 10 ''deep. im gussing im at work...works ok...the installer diddn't know what the shacker rod was as it was new to him to..musta been a new feature ...ZZZIm

 

[Hoopdancer]

Who would have thought two stoves that are the same are different? There is the 8020 (older) and the 8021. I’m just about (on the fence) to buy a Heritage and happened by this post. You guys made me look otherwise I wouldn’t have known. EPA is better on the older stove (2.3) vs 2.6 but the newer one takes a 21” log vs (20”) and has a bigger fire box 2.2 ft³ vs (2.03 ft³). The glass door on the new one seems to have more viewing as the top corners aren’t beveled in at 45º. I cannot see the size differences on the ash drawers but they are different part numbers. I was hoping that the adjustments to the newer stove made it better but with the EPA higher than the older model it makes me wonder.

 

[relax]

how bout you Highbeam do you have the 8020 or the 8021 that could the differance in ash pan size ,or maybe theere the same,ZZZim

 

[Highbeam]

I've got the square corner windowed modern heritage. It's only a year and a few months old, mine's goota be the newest model. I cut my wood to 18" long hoping to have some slop in the 21" max.

I measured the ash pan just now and it is 9 deep by 14 wide by two tall. It is only a four sided box though so you only get half of that volume. It is bigger then I had remembered but still not worth using. Now if it was 4" deep and had 5 sides then we might have a valubale product. Heck, maybe we can make it 5 sided.

Oh and the bottom of the outer door seems to not close as tightly as the top similar to the first photo.

 

[Hoopdancer]

I went to the Hearthstone store today and partially removed the ash pan on the Heritage. Seemed a little messy but not to bad. I've seen a better design from a British Columbia manufactured stove (not sure what make) where a secondary lid drops over the ash pan as it's removed in such a way that there is very little or no ash mess to clean up. Over all do you "Highbeam" and "Zim" (or other Heritage owners) like the Heritage? Would you have bought a different stove knowing what you know now after experiencing the good and not so good of the Heritage stove?

 

[relax]

having burned only about 7 fires now and about 10 years ago i burned in a fire place with a insert .I really like my new heritage..It will hold heat for many hours after my fire is out ,and so far I have let every fire go down to nothing cuz house was hot and i was leaving for work and just didn;t need to refule it..I havent been around any of the ather stoves they talk about on this site so i cant say how they look and work but This stove I sure would buy again ..And they look nice...I will post more later when i can keep a fire going,its just not cold enuff yet to do that...ZZZim

 

[relax]

Highbeam does your stove have a shaker rod above your ash pan to shake the ashes down throu the grates and into the ash pan ??? ZZZim

 

[Highbeam]

Highbeam does your stove have a shaker rod above your ash pan to shake the ashes down throu the grates and into the ash pan ??? ZZZim

Yes, there is a rod that is laying in my ash pan. The rod attaches to a little tab that allows you to operate/open the grate. You must remove the rod before closing the ash pan door and if you forget to close the ash grate, the ash pan door pushes the tab as it closes which closes the ash grate. It might be a workable system if only the ash pan was much much more substantial and not hidden under the stove as it is. If you want to use it then go ahead but I have way more ash then that little tray can hold. Also, the stove is much easier to burn when there is a healthy inch of ashes on the floor. If I dump the ashes out from the bottom then there goes my inch.

 

[Highbeam]

[quote author="Hoopdancer" date="1222934791" Over all do you "Highbeam" and "Zim" (or other Heritage owners) like the Heritage? Would you have bought a different stove knowing what you know now after experiencing the good and not so good of the Heritage stove?[/quote]

I do not regret buying the heritage and especially not buying a soapstone stove. Realize that I paid under 2000$ for my stove brand new from a dealer before the prices went way, way, up. Given the price increases and my experience in this home with the heritage I would buy another soapstone stove that is as big, or somewhat bigger, than the heritage (for longer burn times) and I would likely go for a woodstock. Reason being the cat will allow for a longer and lower burn. I love the side door. I love the looks of the stone and the cast iron and the large viewing window stays very clean. I appreciate the tight install clearances. If the heritage takes a dump or if I move to a new home then I will go for a woostock, otherwise I hope to be burning this one for a good ten years.

 

[relax]

iwould buy again..I really like my stove I get good long heat out of a load ,havent been able to keep it fired 24/7 yet ..looking foward to long nights in front of the fire show...ZZZIm