helpful ash disposal method

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Englishteacher

Member
Hearth Supporter
Dec 8, 2007
55
Chesepeake Bay
Love our Englander 17. Its size, design and performance are perfect for us. It is, however, a smaller stove. It thankfully does not have an ash drawer as I've always found them clumsy and messy. so the ash collects in the bottom of the firebox. Being a small stove it doesn't take too long for the ash level to require emptying--every day or two. Except for the coldest days around here we usually keep it fired up all day and let it burn out over night, firing up again the next morning. The problem was upon getting up at 7am to fire the stove back up, which in itself I don't mind, it often required ash disposal. So out I would go into the yard PJ's, bathrobe and scarf, bring in cold, wet and heavy ash disposal bin into the house, empty the stove ash then take the ash bin back outside. Definitely a pain. It dawned on me to try using one of those metal cans that popcorn comes in at Christmastime with a secure lid and keep it by the stove . Morning comes, I empty the ash into the can, put air- tight lid on, have a nice box to begin my stove again and wait until later in the day when I'm awake and dressed to take can out back to the ash container. It also serves me well during burning as ash and dirt collect on the hearth. Not knowing what to do with it I used to open the door of a burning stove throw it in and disrupt the cycle, now I add it to the little bin, safely collect it and have a tidy hearth area. The tin I use is one of the smaller ones, fits perfectly and won't hold so much that I'll be tempted to let it sit around too long. Read a nice hint on here as well to spray the ash with a water mister to keep down ash dust during disposal Some thing along these lines may be a nobrainer for some, but it takes me a while sometimes to catch on.

[Hearth.com] helpful ash disposal method
 
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I use a cheap stock pot. It's small enough that I can tip it and have the opening almost in the stove.
It's usually wet enough around here during burn season that the ashes go straight to the woods behind the house. But sometimes I just open the back door and place the pot on my barbeque for later disposal.
 
I've got a 3-4 gallon galvanized covered can that sits on the cement sidewalk just outside our front door. I dump my ash pan in there on a non-windy day. When the 3-4 gallon can is full, I then dump it into one of my two 30 gallon galvanized covered garbage cans which are even further away from the house. Somewhere in mid-summer I start spreading or bagging up the ashes and then dispose of them.

Nothing is spread or leaves my galvanized cans or my property until summer.

I've got a phobia about sneaky coals..........
 
I have never worries about coals and CO. I use a stainless container with a tight lid. Most importantly it has a raised bottom, and it stays on the concrete hearth near the stove. Given the amount of hot coals that come out of the stove I can't see the amount of CO leaving the can to be an issue.

That said, storing the can outside away from combustible stuff would be safer.
 
I wouldn't store ash in the house simply because it would be a HUGE mess if the can gets knocked over.
 
Search Lowes for a
Behrens 6-Gallon Silver Indoor/Outdoor Garbage Can

Steel can with lockable lid for $16.. Works great
 
We use an old, HEAVY metal trash can, scoop out the stove and immediately haul it outside to a cement sidewalk behind the house, 10 feet or more from the house, usually in a snow bank. The can doesn't have a lid, but it usually gets snow in it so no big deal. After a few days, it gets dumped out in the garden, which at this point has about 1 1/2 feet of snow. Nothing is going to burn in there.
 
yup, galvanized can.....store the ash in it after transferring cold ash from the ash bin to the can. I don't put it outside until its time to dispose of a full can.....cause they are already cold.
 
I would think the metal of that can would be too thin for any hot Ash.....and yes, outside away from combustibles.....not on your deck either
 
that behrens can has a tight lid and when you pull the handle up right it locks it on
 
Those pop corn tins are not ember safe. You will def need something more heavy duty. Be careful what metal you chose because with some smoldering embers in it, some metals can give off poisonous gases u def don't want to breathe in. I don't suggest anyone leave a hot ash bin in their home.
 
Just my own feeling ... I don't trust any container inside my house when it comes to a potential source of carbon monoxide and hot coals ... for me and my house all ash goes into a covered metal pail outside away from all combustible.
 
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I bought one of those 6-gallon cans at the start of this season and I love it. No ash can will stay inside my house for any longer than it takes me to put my shoes on.

TE
 
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