PE 'Super Series' - Ash Removal...

[Peter B.]

In another thread, I 'wondered aloud' whether some/many modern stoves are designed such that ash removal (without removing live coals) is difficult or a nuisance.

I'm starting a new thread hoping to catch the eye of PE owners... and get a reply or two in specific.

Next season, I may spring for a PE Fusion... but the purchase may end up being sight unseen since local dealers don't stock the Fusion model.

I'd like to ask if someone with a Pacific Energy 'Super Series' (D1) stove could describe the ash removal 'system' it uses, and how well it works. The Fusion shares the same firebox and ash drawer design.

(PE actually capitalizes 'Ash Removal System' as if it was a notable feature of the Super Series.)

My current stove has a shakeable grate and ashes fall right through, leaving most coals (over a certain size) in the firebox. I know the PE's aren't set up that way, just wondering if the ash handling is better than some.

Thanks.

Peter B.

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[crazy_dan]

All of the PE stoves I have seen use the same ash removal system.
It is basically a hole about 2" square int the front left part of the firebox floor. it has a flap that you open then use a rake and rake the ashes in the hole then close the flap.
I just use a shovel and did not even put the optional ash system on my stove and saved the $$$
The 2 stoves I studied the most are the PE Super 27 and the Summit.

 

[10-cc]

Hi Pete,

Indeed it is a problem for users who run these stoves 24/7. I own two of these stoves: aT6 and a Summit, both stoves and also the Vista and the Super 27 all have the same concept, the hashes mix with the coals which prevent complete coal combustion. So after few days of non stop usage you find that coals and hashes take a considerable amount of space in the firebox, preventing wood space, although the burning coals (usually seating on top heats up the box but not as much as flaming wood. What people doing and it is written in the manual too, is moving hot coals to the front of the box close to where the air inlet is located, so he coals will burn fatter, but it take a long time.
Today, after four days of non stop usage and below teen’s temperatures I had to dispose of a full bucket, 5 gal. worth of hot coals (one inch or two in diameters) to give space for wood.

Also I have to mention that the hashes removal system in these stoves is quite annoying, I always use a shovel it is much faster and efficient.

I am an x owner of a Vermont Casting Encore, which had the same system for hashes removal you described: a shakable grate. Believe me I miss this a lot; too bad rebuilding the encore was too expensive. In the a shakable grate you can use the stove non stop all I had to do is use a shovel from the top of the stove and shake the coals so the hashes all fall down to the removable tray and the open the tray and remove the hashes. Coals will eventually all burn because the hashes are not mixed with hot coals so the system is more efficient. If I have to dispose every few days of hot coals in the end you can deduct of the amount of usable BUT wasted to trash.

If you have more questions please do not hesitate.

 

[Peter B.]

Thanks to you both for the information... I've got a better idea now of what to expect... and it actually sounds survivable... though I'd miss the shaker grate on my present stove.

All the same, while I'm still very much interested in the Fusion, after posting this question, I realized it would be well worth my while to travel a bit (if I have to) and go see one 'in person'... or (at the least) carefully look over a 'representative' PE stove if the local dealer (35-50 miles) actually stocks one.

Crossed my mind that I'd never made such a major purchase without actually seeing the goods before, and I suddenly thought it wouldn't be such a great idea to break that 'tradition'.

Thanks again for your time.

Peter B.

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[vtdavid]

The ash dump system in the Super 27 (had one) and T6 (using now) are a pain to use. The ash dump is localized to one place so ash and charcoal chunks pile in the ash tray and stops more from dropping out of the stove until the pile is shaken down or moved. Getting that little door closed with a chink of charcoal hung up is annoying to say the least. I pull all the coals forward then to one side and shovel out the ash and small chunks. Moving the large hot coals from side to side and shoveling ash from the back of the stove leaves the big hot coals for the next fire and I clean out mostly ash. Faster and safer than the dumper IMHO.

I really like the T6 for heat and burn times.

 

[begreen]

IMO, the ash dump system on the big PE stove is it's weakest feature. I don't use it. I don't know what they were thinking of when they designed this little 2" peehole into a big stove.

 

[Nic36]

Interesting. I thought maybe the larger PE stoves would have a bit larger ash collection system, but it sounds like the same size as mine.

I really thought this was going to be useful when I bought my stove, but like the others, I just shovel it out. The ash collection system is nothing but a hassle and usually causes a big mess. PE needs to seriously come up with something better.

So far, that's the only thing I don't like about my stove.

 

[DELETE ME PLEASE]

First we had a PE Super 27, which was like a blast furnace out of control. After two months of taking turns sitting up nights with a fire extinguisher, the dealer who sold that beauty to us finally deigned to inspect it (in his opinion, we were pain-in-the-neck newbies who didn't know what they were doing). Lo and behold --- the gasket in the ashpan door had never been installed by the factory. There was about a 1" piece of gasket material stuck in the hinge. Meanwhile, we had used nearly two cords of wood and lived with every fire being an inferno, because of the incredible amount of air sucking in through the hole. He changed the whole mechanism and discovered that the mechanism didn't close right either, that the metal handle was inoperable. Okay, new mechanism, looks good to go. No infernos for the next week, but it came time to use the ashpan again, and . . . you guessed it . . . it didn't close properly, and the next fire was a humdinger. Let the stove cool AGAIN (more fuel oil), meticulously cleaned the entire door and hole with a nylon brush, and we were good to go. Finally, on the third round of this crazy routine, we'd had enough. Went to the dealer's showroom to tell them to swap this stove out and noticed that their Super 27 had the same tell-tale signs of air leakage around the ashpan door (hole is empty, and ashes make a sort of mound around the edge of the hole). What did PE say? They don't talk to customers. You have to go through your dealer. Swapped the stove for a Summit that day. The Summit was no better. Just scoop with a shovel. Works much better.

 

[begreen]

The Super 27 doesn't have an ashpan door nor an ashpan door gasket. Are you referring to the small ash dump hole? I don't believe this is gasketed. At least on the T6 it's not.

 

[GaryS]

I decided early on not to use the ash door. I can't even get mine open any more. Probably need to work on that some day. I have a short wide metal tub that I scoop ashes into.

As for coals and ashes, I just use my shovel and kinda scoop the coals back and forth and eventually get all the big coals on top to one side. I scoop out the small coals and ash. Usually, the front is burned to mostly ash and I scoop that out to about 1/4 of the way back and move coals forward. Live and learn. I love my PE 27, wouldn't mind having a bigger firebox though.

 

[rich81]

The Super 27 doesn't have an ashpan door nor an ashpan door gasket. Are you referring to the small ash dump hole? I don't believe this is gasketed. At least on the T6 it's not.

i sure hope not. because my super 27 dont have one. and i dont have any leaks

 

[madrone]

(PE actually capitalizes 'Ash Removal System' as if it was a notable feature of the Super Series.)

the ARS hole?

 

[bbc557ci]

(PE actually capitalizes 'Ash Removal System' as if it was a notable feature of the Super Series.)

the ARS hole?

I don't use the ARS hole in my PE :lol:

I can remember only a couple/few times when I had coal build and needed to remove chunks of coal, and that was when I 1st started burning my Alderlea. I come down in the morning after the overnight burn and just move and level out the ash and coal chunks. Then build the morning fire on top of them. When it's time for the next reload, any "old" coals are long gone. When I reload to get the fire going again I let it burn HOT for the 1st 20 minutes or so. That probably helps burn off the old coal chunks.

The ARS LOL is a pain in the ARS for sure. So I stick an old 4 qt. pan in the PE and shovel the ash into that, then out to a metal trash can.

 

[John_M]

My Spectrum pedestal has the same ash cleanout system. I don't use it to remove ashes because I do not like the idea of ashes dropping into the ash pan below. I imagine huge clouds of ashes circulating around the pedestal just "looking for" a place to egress and dirty the surrounding area. Love the stove, though.

John_M

 

[fredarm]

The Vista Insert doesn't have the "ash hole" (I don't think any of the PE inserts do). I don't miss it. I just rake the coals forward when I reload. I only have to empty the ashes once a week (mostly weekend and evening burning).