Just cleaned the pipe with my Shop Vac. Went to a local stove dealer to look for an ash vac however it was a bit more than I had the cash to spend right now. From speaking with the guy there he recommended I try a shop vac. Went home and tried it and it worked fine. I just gotta make sure the stove is cold. Anyone else using a shop vac to clean their pellet stove?
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i use one, except that the shop vac is a little bit clumsy to use (large size) it works out great.
One should use a good filter and or a paper bag so that the fine ash is not blown out into the room again. Mrs. will not be happy with the ash dust around the house.
One should use a good filter and or a paper bag so that the fine ash is not blown out into the room again. Mrs. will not be happy with the ash dust around the house.
I use a small shop-vac with a HEPA filter and it works fine. Do not use one without the special filter or you will be sorry you did.
- Feb 27, 2007
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I bought a Canadian Tire shop-vac knock off for 34 bucks. Vacuumed out the stove with the stock bag, and not 1 trace of ash blew out the other end.. I really don't see the need for the special filters...or even a brand name shop vac for that matter.
I use a one gallon Shop-Vac with a drywall filter over the paper filter to vacuum the ash from the firebox.... works pretty good...
A leafblower is what you need to clean the rest of the stove and the vent pipe.
A leafblower is what you need to clean the rest of the stove and the vent pipe.
my shop vac is a piece of junk so I bought a 10ft extension hose and put the vacuum outside the window!
CAMAROPEP said:
What filter you have in it?
Drywall bags or hepa filter is the way to go! Even the cheap little crapsmen I had with a drywall did not blow any dust out. But I do prefer the hepa. No bags to change. When I go to dump the vac into the garden I just tap the filter on a stone. I have had the same filter for like 4 years now. Cost more up front but does last longer!
For years I have used a Fein Turbo II to vacuum a "cold" stove. Even cold I have about 20' of hose to make sure nothing hot hits the canister. It's a plastic composite. It has a HEPA filter and there is no spillage. The only problem is it is cumbersome. Moving the vac and hose is like carrying two 5 gallon cans half full.
I have been looking for a stove vac for over a year. So this morning after complaining to friends that I really need a vac, my very good buddy :cheese: calls me. Says he's at a local flea and found something that might work/be adapted. It's about the size of a fiver, but It's a vac with a really heavy hose and some weird end on it. He thinks that I can tinker my way through it. Do I want him to buy it for me. Of course, I naturally ask how much? He says, "$10.00". I say yeh get it, I have done worse. About three he stopped by and we shared a cup of coffee. It's cold and not yet transitioned to Winter Adult Beverages. We're talking and he pops the door and shows me my weird vac. I looked and pulled out a twenty. He had to make change, saying if he didn't I would not look out for his stuff, besides I was way ahead in finding for him.
Well we chatted, he said it worked, but the weird hose looked like it attached to something. I told him I had seen them before and it would work fine. Even with the weird end on the hose. He said he tried to get it for $5, but the guy was firm. So, after he left I took my new stove vac, with a little gray dust inside and set it proudly next to my stove. I was a little dissapointed that he didn't get me the one with the Winter Scene on it, but the black one will do fine.
Oh, sorry, guess I didn't say what was on the label. It's a Lovelessash Cheetah II MU305.
I have been looking for a stove vac for over a year. So this morning after complaining to friends that I really need a vac, my very good buddy :cheese: calls me. Says he's at a local flea and found something that might work/be adapted. It's about the size of a fiver, but It's a vac with a really heavy hose and some weird end on it. He thinks that I can tinker my way through it. Do I want him to buy it for me. Of course, I naturally ask how much? He says, "$10.00". I say yeh get it, I have done worse. About three he stopped by and we shared a cup of coffee. It's cold and not yet transitioned to Winter Adult Beverages. We're talking and he pops the door and shows me my weird vac. I looked and pulled out a twenty. He had to make change, saying if he didn't I would not look out for his stuff, besides I was way ahead in finding for him.
Well we chatted, he said it worked, but the weird hose looked like it attached to something. I told him I had seen them before and it would work fine. Even with the weird end on the hose. He said he tried to get it for $5, but the guy was firm. So, after he left I took my new stove vac, with a little gray dust inside and set it proudly next to my stove. I was a little dissapointed that he didn't get me the one with the Winter Scene on it, but the black one will do fine.
Oh, sorry, guess I didn't say what was on the label. It's a Lovelessash Cheetah II MU305.
krooser said:
I agree. this is the one I bought, and use drywall filters in it. HD has them on sale occasionally
(broken link removed to http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Wet-Dry-Vacuums/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5Zb8pi/R-100638350/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053)
I use these drywall filters. They are meant for a different vac. They come 4 to a pack, but you can cut them in half and make twice as many:
(broken link removed to http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?jspStoreDir=hdus&catalogId=10053&productId=100520395&navFlow=3&keyword=rigid+vf3501&langId;=-1&searchRedirect=rigid+vf3501&storeId=10051&endecaDataBean=com.homedepot.sa.el.wc.catalog.beans.EndecaDataBean@2bd1a577&ddkey=Search)
Sorry guys. That's why I haven't bit before. You know, I don't have to pay shipping, they are a 100 miles away. I could pick it up, but they charge $229. How's that for a deal. I'm going to save more and make my own accessories.
I use a Cricket Vacuum that is specifically designed for stoves. It has a foil lined bag but you still need to wait till the stove cools. The reason I sprung for the Cricket is because it looks nice enough to sit next to my hearth. Bought mine on eBay lightly used for a steal. Been very happy with it.
Yea, i wanted to get one of those fancy stove vacuums but i just cant justify paying 200 dollars since the reason why we bought the stove was to save money on home heating. I see that things can slowly add up and what we would have saved by using the stoves to heat get used up on accessories. But thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.
I use an old Filter Queen that I got at an estate auction for $7. It's really old but it works. I try to clean it out cold but sometimes there are still some hot ashes in there I don't see. I guess it's good that the ashes get sucked into a metal canister.
I use a 6.5 Hp Shop Vac located in the corner of the basement just below the stove which is on the main floor. I cut a 2 1/4 inch hole through the floor next to the hearth / stove and secured a shop vac wand pipe (which just sticks up above the floor by 2 inches) and is held in place with 2 hose clamps (one above floor and one below floor).
Next I installed a light switch in a box next to it under the lip of the hearth which I use to contol the shop vac from the hearth location upstairs with the noise of the vac downstairs. (so all I have upstairs is the hose).
When not cleaning the stove with it, I store the six foot 1 1/4 flex pipe in a box next to the stove and put a cap on the 2 1/4 inch port to cover it. (used a black ABS threaded cap with the threads filed down to fit snugly in the wand pipe end coming thru the floor). Just my poor mans centra vac. Use a drywall filter bag also. Sure nice having the noise in the basement (where I can barely hear it) and just the pure suction sound next to the stove for cleaning.
P.S. If I need my shop vac for another big job somewhere else, I can just unplug it in 15 secs and take it to where I need it.
........cc
........click on pic to enlarge....
Next I installed a light switch in a box next to it under the lip of the hearth which I use to contol the shop vac from the hearth location upstairs with the noise of the vac downstairs. (so all I have upstairs is the hose).
When not cleaning the stove with it, I store the six foot 1 1/4 flex pipe in a box next to the stove and put a cap on the 2 1/4 inch port to cover it. (used a black ABS threaded cap with the threads filed down to fit snugly in the wand pipe end coming thru the floor). Just my poor mans centra vac. Use a drywall filter bag also. Sure nice having the noise in the basement (where I can barely hear it) and just the pure suction sound next to the stove for cleaning.
P.S. If I need my shop vac for another big job somewhere else, I can just unplug it in 15 secs and take it to where I need it.
........cc
........click on pic to enlarge....
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I used a shop vac with the hepa bags to clean out the stove. I also decided once to vacuum out the hopper while the stove was cooling down to give it a coat of dry graphite and ended up sucking hot ashes back up the auger and burning a hole in the shop vac bag. Learned my lesson stove needs to be cold!
I use an El Cheapo shop vac with a hose on the outlet side with a damp sock on the end, just in case. The sock gets dirty on the inside, so it's a good thing it's there.
I have a small shop vac and have ordered a HEPA filter for it (Nothing around here carries the HEPA filter for it). It uses those circular filter papers (about 18" diameter that you fold over the exhaust thingy) so in the mean time, I just put two of them on at the same time and it seems to work ok...no dust comes out the exhaust and it picks up the fly ash and dust fine.
There are great photos that a fellow member posted last year here of a stove vac unit that he made. He used a "homer bucket" from HD. Obviously modeled it after a pricey unit that attaches to a shop vac. Just search for the post in 2008.
Look for it, and if you already have a good shop vac, it can save it from the black dust of chimney creosote.
Look for it, and if you already have a good shop vac, it can save it from the black dust of chimney creosote.
macman said:
I have a 2.5 gallon Shop Vac Hang Up and cannot, for the life of me, find a hepa or drywall filter for the silly thing. Can I use the drywall filter you use for my Hang Up? If so, how does it attach? Maybe I'm missing something.
sweetsncheese said:
Does your vac use a "bag" type filter to begin with? The one I mentioned above that I bought has a bag inside that slips over a plastic "cage", and is sealed with a big rubber band. I just substituted (on advice from another forum member) one of the filters I mentioned. It's really for a different type of vac, but it can be cut to fit. If I get some time tonight, I'll try to post some pics.
macman - no it doesn't have a filter type bag. It has a round, blue cloth that gets secured by a plastic ring and a foam sleeve (for wet pickup?). The round cloth is obviously not hepa or used for dust/fine particles. I'd love to see pics of how it works for you if you have the time - thanks!
Yep - lots of people do. Make sure that you use the specific bag for your unit. It needs to be for drywall and cold ash. I go thru about a bag a ton. I try to use the shop vac for nothing else.
pelletfan said:
Use a HEPA filter and a car cleaning kit with all the small tools and you can clean anything with it...
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