How bad is this?

[chazcarr]

Just give it to me straight, this was a bad thing to do wasn't it? I have my insert so full of ash that I had to get some out or I couldn't even open the door to get more in. I've been burning a lot of cherry. The thing is that there were no real coals, but a lot of really hot small embers. I burned a hole in my ash vac filter thinking it was safe to vac the ash up. I was really wrong as these tiny embers started glowing like mad and were super hot.

I tried to then shovel some ash out into my ash bucket, but huge plumes of black smoke would pour out of the stove on every shovel full.

My daughter was just born 20 days ago, and my wife was having none of that smokiness in the house.

So, I went outside, got a half bucket full of snow and ice and dumped it into the firebox. I swirled it around and it hissed and smothered all the embers out. I was then able to easily vac out the ash with no smoke or fire.

My question is how bad of a thing was this to do? because I'll be damned if it didn't work perfectly.

 

[Halligan]

Putting snow or ice into a hot firebox could result in a cracked stove. Honestly, you would have been better off letting it cool down completely the vac ash out.

Hopefully no damage to the stove was done and the lesson has been learned.

 

[Nick Mystic]

I would never use an ash vac to suck up hot ashes due to what you experienced when you tried it. I'm puzzled over why you had such a problem shoveling the ashes out in the conventional manner with a shovel and bucket. Whenever I shovel out ashes that are even just slightly warm the draft sucks any suspended ash right up my flue and not out into the room. Maybe you can try to work on your technique. If you keep the door mostly closed and only open it far enough to slide your shovel in and out without banging into anything you should have a good enough draft to keep the smoke/ash inside the stove and up the flue. Once you clear enough of an area toward the front of the insert you should be able to open the door further to get at other areas that are harder to reach. Perhaps your wife could lend a hand manning the ash can and its lid to keep things as clean as possible.

As for your technique of shoveling in snow and ice I'd be worried about thermal shock and possibly cracking some cast pieces if your insert has any to worry about. Besides, that method sounds awfully messy. Are those ash vacs made for wet conditions? I would just try to be more patient and let the embers burn down longer before I'd be willing to go the snow/ice route.

 

[joescho]

I tried to then shovel some ash out into my ash bucket, but huge plumes of black smoke would pour out of the stove on every shovel full.

Whenever I need to get some ashes out, I shovel them into a metal bucket. If there's some embers, I then place the bucket in my outside steps area (cement steps/metal Bilko doors) for a few days.

 

[Sons924]

let your insert go out and cool down before cleaning it out. It beats the heck out of dealing with hot coals.

 

[mellow]

Get a metal bucket that fits just inside the firebox, that way when you shovel the ashes all of that goes up the chimney if you still have a good draft going. I use my welding gloves when I do this so I can hold on to the bucket and still scoop the ashes. This method has done me good for years.

As what was already stated, putting snow on a warm stove is asking for trouble. Plus I find when I do that it just stirs up more ash from all the hot coals.

 

[firefighterjake]

Echoing . . .

1. Ash vacs are fine . . . but just about every single one I've seen has instructions somewhere that says they are not designed to suck up hot coals and as such should be used around the stove or when the heating unit has not had a fire for quite some time.

2. I would not throw water or snow into my stove myself . . . I would be concerned some about thermal shock and also for the sudden conversion of all that water or snow into steam. Chances are no damage was done this time . . . but I would caution that next time you might just want to wait a bit longer before cleaning out the stove.

 

[nola mike]

Thermal shock not likely--keep in mind that he only had embers buried in ash, so the stove couldn't have been that hot.

 

[Hogwildz]

The ash & coals can be shoveled out carefully, with minumal dust.
Time, patience and technique are required. You'll get it in time. No go on ash vac on a hot stove, and def no go on putting anything but wood to burn in that thing.
Water, ice or snow is not a great idea.
Let it burn out if ya must.

 

[weatherguy]

You have to do it slow, like Hog said patience and technique, put the shovel full of ashes into the pail and let is slide off slowly, then put the cap on before any ash flies out. My wife's a stickler for dirt so I just take my time and do it slow.
I also find it better to take a couple shovels out every couple of days when you have the opportunity rather than let it get filled up and doing it all at once. Cherry makes the worst ash too.

 

[Swedishchef]

As others have mentioned, let the fire go out completely. EVen then, sometimes ashes can remain hot for 1-2 days: use a metal bucket. Trust me I did the test: let the stove go out for 29 hours. I put the ashes in a plastic bucket to see what would happen: the ashes didn't seem hot. I placed it out in the back yard so I could watch it. 3 hours later no bucket was left.

I remember Backwoods Savage telling me when I first started burning with wood: "when cleaning out the ash of your stove, pretend the dust is like gold flakes, you'll make a much smaller mess that way"

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

If it's a big concern you could always hold the ash vac hose above the ash bucket with one hand while you shovel the ashes out with the other so you can catch whatever floats up in the air during the process. In the future, I'd save the ash vac for cold ashes. They do a great job of keeping dust down during a vac session but they aren't happy with hot anything from what I've experienced. Snow in a warm stove, I wouldn't do that... rust, cracking, warping etc. An upset wife is even more upset when she is cold because you killed the woodstove lol

 

[chazcarr]

Yeah, I knew it was a bad idea. I was just really surprised how well it worked. It cooled the hidden embers and made an easily vacuumed up ash. THe stove was only around 150 when I did it. I never seem to have a good draft when I try to empty into the bin. The smoke always seems to shoot right up to the ceiling.

I am going to try the vacuum above the bin technique next when my wife can help. Right now she has her hands full.

 

[oldspark]

Staying ahead of it is the key, sorting out the hot coals from the ash and removing some ash every day is good practice.

 

[chazcarr]

Staying ahead of it is the key, sorting out the hot coals from the ash and removing some ash every day is good practice.

I think I need to get an ash rake soon. Strangely there doesn't appear to be any on Amazon, so I guess I'll have to go to the dealer to find one. Home Depot doesn't have any either.

 

[oldspark]

I think I need to get an ash rake soon. Strangely there doesn't appear to be any on Amazon, so I guess I'll have to go to the dealer to find one. Home Depot doesn't have any either.

Ash rake or a coal shovel, I bought a deep fat fryer thingie with a long handle and it works OK (old forum member's advice).
It's kind of a pain in the ass no matter what tool you have.

 

[BrianN]

I have fine ash billowing out as well when I shovel. Last time I coated the whole stove room with ash. Wife was not too happy with that. Next time though, I will be getting her to hold the vacuum above the door as I shovel, to catch the fine dust, or, find a way to create more draft to suck it up the flue.
I shovel mine into a steel bucket. When the bucket is half to three quarters full, I take it out side and dump it in the snow where I planted new grass seed last year.

 

[velvetfoot]

I use an ash scoop:

 

[ColdNH]

As others have mentioned, let the fire go out completely. EVen then, sometimes ashes can remain hot for 1-2 days: use a metal bucket. Trust me I did the test: let the stove go out for 29 hours. I put the ashes in a plastic bucket to see what would happen: the ashes didn't seem hot. I placed it out in the back yard so I could watch it. 3 hours later no bucket was left.

I remember Backwoods Savage telling me when I first started burning with wood: "when cleaning out the ash of your stove, pretend the dust is like gold flakes, you'll make a much smaller mess that way"

This.

Another trick I use which I learned on here, is to take a damp towel and drape it on top of the metal ash pail/bucket. when you dump the ashes into the bucket the damp towel will collect any fine particles that try to fly into the room.

 

[FishKiller]

i'm still confused as to why a stove at 150 filled with ash was smoking so bad... i mean a hint of smoke in the air is one thing, but thick black smoke doesn't seem right. did you stir your ash and put a small split in with the air open before you cleaned out. i have cleaned out plenty of times with this technique and had hot ashes but no smoke... but i also don't burn cherry. sounds like you had a lot of unburnt fuel in those ashes. clean out regularly and try the stir and burn technique a few hours before you plan to clean out.

 

[chazcarr]

i'm still confused as to why a stove at 150 filled with ash was smoking so bad... i mean a hint of smoke in the air is one thing, but thick black smoke doesn't seem right. did you stir your ash and put a small split in with the air open before you cleaned out. i have cleaned out plenty of times with this technique and had hot ashes but no smoke... but i also don't burn cherry. sounds like you had a lot of unburnt fuel in those ashes. clean out regularly and try the stir and burn technique a few hours before you plan to clean out.

Not really smoke, but thick black ash flying everywhere.

 

[FishKiller]

gotcha. like i said, i don't burn cherry. i only burn oak, i think the advice given already was right... go slow keep the door shut as much as possible, maybe try a vac over the bucket when your unloading them. treat them carefully and they will treat you right . my wife is on me all the time because the house gets "dusty" when the stove is running, its all from super fine ash during clean outs. but with oak its white and doesn't smell. good luck.

 

[billb3]

Open all the dampers several hours before cleaning the ash out usually does a pretty good job of cooking down all the coal, but all those little buggers buried in the ash can be tricky.
My stove tends to have hot coals in the back and ash in the front so I push from the middle back, remove the ash from the front and pull the back forward. Leaves half the ash, but that gives me two weeks or until the next warm spell usually.
I like a little ash anyway.

 

[velvetfoot]

With that ash scoop I use, I just leave it on a concrete slab for awhile and it cools down pretty quick, but I generally leave it there until the next cleaning.

 

[begreen]

I think I need to get an ash rake soon. Strangely there doesn't appear to be any on Amazon, so I guess I'll have to go to the dealer to find one. Home Depot doesn't have any either.

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-500-586-Ash-Rake/dp/B004CPFBQ2
http://www.amazon.com/AW-Perkins-Wood-Stove-Rake/dp/B005S4LINQ/ref=pd_sbs_lg_3
http://www.amazon.com/Seymour-Mfg-30-573-Ash-Rake/dp/B00002NBRY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_3