# how often do you remove ash?



## RnG17 (Nov 28, 2010)

I have been burning for 4 straight days now, and I still have not cleaned any ash out. 

Its roughly 2-3" deep and seems to insulate the coals nicely, so when I come home from work or wake up I can stir through the ash and find enough hot coals to start it right back up again.

Just thought I'd see how long everyone else might go before cleaning some out. Just thought I'd have a lot more ash in the stove by now.


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## thewoodlands (Nov 28, 2010)

RnG17 said:
			
		

> I have been burning for 4 straight days now, and I still have not cleaned any ash out.
> 
> Its roughly 2-3" deep and seems to insulate the coals nicely, so when I come home from work or wake up I can stir through the ash and find enough hot coals to start it right back up again.
> 
> Just thought I'd see how long everyone else might go before cleaning some out. Just thought I'd have a lot more ash in the stove by now.



Lately I've been cleaning it out once a week usually on Sunday. I leave about 2 inches of ash in the stove.


zap


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## HotCoals (Nov 28, 2010)

2 weeks of 24/7 burning and expect to go at least another 2 before cleaning out some ash.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 28, 2010)

It depends... I clean out the ashes before they start spilling out the door or blocking the zipper air.  When it is milder out I leave the ashes in and shove them to the back of the stove.  When it gets colder I remove them sooner so that I get more heat from the stove.


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## PapaDave (Nov 28, 2010)

I only do it when it's needed. 
By that, I mean I don't really have a schedule, so I might empty every 4 days, or every 8 days. Depends on wood usage, type of wood, blah, blah, blah.
I like to keep at least an inch of ash in the stove though, since it does a nice job of keeping the coals around a bit longer than cleaning all the ash out daily. 
Cleaned about 2 quarts out this am, and if I can think about it next time, I'll pay attention to how long it's been.
I started burning a little early this year....middle of September. Partly due to temps, and partly due to getting the stove back from repairs and wanting to see how it burns.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 28, 2010)

I use a coal hod and generally take out at least a half pail at a time.  It's been mild enough today that the insulation provided by the ashes lets me keep the fire going without it becoming a sauna in the house.  I can go longer between reloads too since the coals are preserved in the ashes.  I'll let the fire go out this evening and remove all the ashes tomorrow after work before starting a new fire.  It's expected to get colder then so the timing should be perfect.

In really cold weather I take a small amount of hot ashes out almost every day by raking the coals to one side.  I made myself a combination ash hoe/coal rake for that express purpose.  Fewer ashes in the stove means less of a coaling problem and more heat from the stove.


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## corey21 (Nov 28, 2010)

I was cleaning ot the stove every two days. But Here recently i found out that get better burn if left alone. Also i push the hot coals to the back of the firebox and take the ash and cover the coals.

That's to hold the heat in when it gets warm in the house.


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## Hanko (Nov 28, 2010)

I empty my ash pan daily


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## raybonz (Nov 28, 2010)

I always leave an inch or two in the stove and leave my ash bin full as this stove runs better that way.. I know it sounds crazy but it's what works best for me.. A layer of ash makes the stove run better and helps protect the bottom of the firebox.. 

Ray


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## Dune (Nov 28, 2010)

I am incredibly lazy. I empty the ashes when I don't have room for enough wood for an overnight burn. Usualy three times a year. I do have a big stove though, 5 cubic feet, and it's a toploader.


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## nate379 (Nov 28, 2010)

When it starts coming out of the door, ends up being about once a month or so it seems.

The stove my folks have we emptied 2-3 times over the winter.  Big stove though, would fill 2-3 5 gal metal pails with ash each time.


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## Pine Knot (Nov 28, 2010)

Daily, in the morning before I disturb the firebox.


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## joshlaugh (Nov 28, 2010)

Once a week or when ash is falling out the side door.  I burn one of my stoves 24/7.  The little guy gets emptied 1-2x a month right now.  I only burn that one if the temp dips below 32.


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## Rickochet (Nov 28, 2010)

My Napoleon 1900 likes to have 1"-2" of ash on the fire bricks to heat the best.  In heavy burning season, we empty the ash pan weekly.  Again, it depends upon the type of wood and temps.  I have a hard time understanding why some of you are emptying ashes daily.  The stove must be really, really small.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 29, 2010)

You're not the first to mention that the stove runs better with some ash buildup and I'm sure that is true with some stoves.  Some however may equate longer burn times and greater coal retention as running better.  My stove however puts out considerably more heat with fewer ashes and builds up fewer coals too.  When it gets down to -40, it can be a challenge to keep the house above 72 if I let the ashes build up.

The other way that some stoves burn differently is WRT the amount of air they are given.  My stove has a sweet spot below half throttle above which I burn more wood but actually net less heat.  At -40 if the stove is struggling, the wife will open it full throttle thinking it will put out more heat but dialing it back actually increases the heat.  Sounds counter-intuitive and may even defy logic but it is what I've found over the years.

There has also been debates about higher fan speeds on stoves so equipped reducing actual heat output.  There is anecdotal evidence of this although I have never personally witnessed this.  It may well be that pulling too much of the heat away from the base of the fire takes the stove out of the sweet spot.  This seems to align with the concept of some ash buildup improving heat output.

As usual, YMMV.


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## Dune (Nov 29, 2010)

LLigetfa, is it safe to asume you don't have a pipe damper? I don't either, and experience the same thing. Lately I am wondering if a damper would help.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 29, 2010)

Correct, my stove has no flue damper and no place to actually install one.  It is a built-in fireplace.


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## grommal (Nov 29, 2010)

My Oslo has an ash pan.  I empty it when it is full, but not so full that ash spills into the chamber where the pan lives.  That's about every 5-8 days of round-the-clock burning.


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## billb3 (Nov 29, 2010)

I used to push the ashes  towards the back away from the door.
After a while it would get like Mount Washington in there though so the inevitable inevitably happened.
I let the fire  burn down on the weekend and slowly scoop most of it out.

Now I just  scoop out a coffee can's worth slowly  from the middle  near where the air comes in whenever  there's a can's worth.
I can do that slowly  maybe twice a week without making a mess.

Scoop, plastic lid, tap can, go for walk.


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## Ken45 (Nov 29, 2010)

Wow, I'm amazed at some of the extended periods!

Ours usually needs it about every 3 days.   I get a galvanized bucket full.   If I let it build up more it reduces the wood capacity and also blocks the lower front air outlet.


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## joefrompa (Nov 29, 2010)

I find my fires get healthier faster and burn hotter after a new cleaning, which I imagine is due to better air flow around the base of the wood. I don't yet know about burn time, though yes I figure a thick ash bed will protect the coals.

That being said, after a single day of round the clock burning I can easily have 1/2-1" of ash built up around where the coals fall naturally.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 29, 2010)

1-2 times a week I empty the Oslo's ash pan . . . assuming we're talking about burning 24/7 in the winter and not during the shoulder season.


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## logger (Nov 29, 2010)

RnG17 said:
			
		

> I have been burning for 4 straight days now, and I still have not cleaned any ash out.
> 
> Its roughly 2-3" deep and seems to insulate the coals nicely, so when I come home from work or wake up I can stir through the ash and find enough hot coals to start it right back up again.
> 
> Just thought I'd see how long everyone else might go before cleaning some out. Just thought I'd have a lot more ash in the stove by now.


About once every 3 weeks for us.  My ashes serve good purpose, as they help my embers burn longer for reloads, especially overnighters.  Your embers will go out much sooner with a clean stove.


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## kathyfitz (Dec 1, 2010)

I am still new to burning in a wood stove and learning what mine likes, but I have come to the conclusion that mine prefers less ash than others.  I was letting it build up more and was struggling to get the heat I was expecting and was having a problem with coals building up.  We had a warm spell so the stove wasn't being used as much and we cleaned out most of the ash, leaving about an inch.  The next fire burned hotter, longer and burned down the coals better too.  I wondered if that was coincidence or in fact related to less ash.  Well, it happened again tonight - cleaned the ash out and the stove burned much better for me.  So now I will expect I will be cleaning it out every other day or so.

What is different for me from my old inefficient fireplace is that when I clean out the ash, it is still hot.  I am not taking out any measurable coals, but there are still a lot of small embers.  Just makes a little more work for me, but demonstrates how proficient the stove is.


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## modo (Dec 1, 2010)

I clean out every other day usually, but could go 3-5 days if i had to.  A little ash does insulate your coals, so i do leave a little along w/ my good hot coal bed in case i can't get home as soon as i would like.  Type of wood you're burning, size of firebox, etc. all make a difference though.  I burn 24/7 so i just try and stay ahead of the game and clean out a little every other day.


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 1, 2010)

We like to leave plenty of ash in the stove. As to how often we clean the ashes, it is too variable to set a limit. During the coldest part of winter we will empty ashes maybe every 4th day. So far this fall I think we've done it twice. Probably if I had to guess an average for the heating season it would be weekly.

Most folks empty their ashes way too often and most also do not leave enough ash in the stove. We hear a lot about them being dirty so they want them out of the house and they also make such a mess, etc, etc. Well, they are not dirty (you can even use them to clean the black off the glass) and they need not be a mess. You can handle the ashes do you get no dust.....but not if you hurry. Do it slow and never drop the ashes off the shovel into the container. Gently lower the shovel down and then gently slide the shovel out from under the ashes. No dust, no mess.


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## Dune (Dec 1, 2010)

Because of this thread, I decided to empty my ashes this morning. That should get me into the January thaw, without having too small a firebox some cold night before then. I will and always do, leave a couple inches in the bottom to protect the stove.


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## basswidow (Dec 1, 2010)

I am guilty of removing the ash daily for the most part.  Sometimes I'll let it go for a few days.  When I travel,  my wife burns 24/7 without removing the ash or cleaning the glass for 2 weeks at a time.  

My morning routine is " I stir up the coals and move them to the side of the fire box.  Take a sponge with ash to wipe the dust off the glass, and scoop out the ash.  Put the coals to the center of the box and load in more wood with the air opened up".   I thought this was the right way to do things? 

What is the benefit of leaving alot of ash in the stove to inulate the coals?  

Some of the ash is white and fluffy.  In the core of the stove the ash is dark gray and like fine powder.  That dark stuff has a ton of heat coming off it.  Maybe I should leave it?  When it's in my ash pail,  I will leave it on the hearth for awhile - since it's giving off some really good heat.


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## raybonz (Dec 1, 2010)

basswidow said:
			
		

> I am guilty of removing the ash daily for the most part.  Sometimes I'll let it go for a few days.  When I travel,  my wife burns 24/7 without removing the ash or cleaning the glass for 2 weeks at a time.
> 
> My morning routine is " I stir up the coals and move them to the side of the fire box.  Take a sponge with ash to wipe the dust off the glass, and scoop out the ash.  Put the coals to the center of the box and load in more wood with the air opened up".   I thought this was the right way to do things?
> 
> ...



A layer of ash helps the stove run better for some reason and also is a good insulator to help protect the bottom of the stove.. I just removed some ash and left maybe an inch behind since the stove is cold and it is warm out here today.. Right now it's 56 degrees here which is amazing for Dec. 1st.. I leave my ash bin on the hearth for a week minimum to ensure it's cold before dumping it and then I like to dump in the woods in front of my house onto wet or snow covered ground.. 

Ray


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## firefighterjake (Dec 1, 2010)

basswidow said:
			
		

> I am guilty of removing the ash daily for the most part.  Sometimes I'll let it go for a few days.  When I travel,  my wife burns 24/7 without removing the ash or cleaning the glass for 2 weeks at a time.
> 
> My morning routine is " I stir up the coals and move them to the side of the fire box.  Take a sponge with ash to wipe the dust off the glass, and scoop out the ash.  Put the coals to the center of the box and load in more wood with the air opened up".   I thought this was the right way to do things?
> 
> ...


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## Dune (Dec 1, 2010)

Metal garbage cans are perfect for ashes. With a tight fitting cover one will last for many years, even outside.


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## basswidow (Dec 1, 2010)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> *Uh . . . not a big fan of leaving hot coals/ash inside the home . . . even if it is in a covered ash pail . . . I would be a bit concerned on the fire/CO hazard possibilities . . . maybe it's just me going overboard with safety, but there is no way I want hot coals inside my house*.


[/quote]

Thanks - because I wondered about that (fumes) and I respect your input being a fireman.  

I use a small galvanized trash can and when I say awhile,  it's mostly no more then 10-15 minutes - while I finish my chores.  The heat coming off it seems a shame to waste (perhaps thats why I should leave the ash in the stove).   I have a 5 year old, so I also don't want something that HOT where he could touch it - so it's monitored (I would never leave the room while the ash bucket is there). The bucket is sitting on the stone hearth while I get the fire going and then it  goes outside onto my porch away from the siding.  When the house is cold in the morning from the fire running down,  it's nice to warm up to that bucket while I get the fire roaring again!  

I only scoop out the fluffy white ash and the gray fine powder into the bucket.  I keep the coals in the stove.  But I will take your advise to heart.  Thanks.


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## Kenster (Dec 1, 2010)

On recommendations from this forum, I started letting my ashes really build up this year.   Several burns of half loads in the evening then fill-it-to-the-gills for an overnight burn.  The ash is really thick now.  I've been burning really big splits of well seasoned hickory, topped with smaller splits of some fantastic water oak.  In the morning I'm finding very large and plentiful hickory coals and a stove top temp of 300 or better, where, in the past, the stove would be barely warm with hardly any coals at all.

A thicker ash bed is working for me!


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## joefrompa (Dec 1, 2010)

Another member on here had a CO detector go off recently for leaving ashes in an uncovered area for 15 minutes inside his house.

Since reading that, I don't mess around. All ashes go outside on a masonry area.


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## basswidow (Dec 1, 2010)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> Another member on here had a CO detector go off recently for leaving ashes in an uncovered area for 15 minutes inside his house.
> 
> Since reading that, I don't mess around. All ashes go outside on a masonry area.



Damn,  

See this is why I love this place.  Good info I didn't know.  

Guess I'll be taking a break on the ash removal,  and when I do - they'll go straight out.


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## Flatbedford (Dec 1, 2010)

I empty the Fireview weekly or so. More often in the colder weather, less in the milder weather. I leave an inch or so in the stove. I scoop the ashes into a steel bucket and dump them in a steel trash can with a tight fitting lid that is outside sitting on bricks. If there is snow on the ground, I dump the ashes on the snow drift at the end of the driveway. I empty the trash can when it is full and I have not added to it for a week or so, and if possible, I dump those ashes on snow too.
In the colder months, I have been known to dump a bucket full of coals in the outside can to make room for more wood in the stove. My drafty old house is just beyond the heating capabilities of the Fireview during a good cold snap, and excess coaling is a problem for us.


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## SWNH (Dec 2, 2010)

Hanko said:
			
		

> I empty my ash pan daily



+1

If I wait for 2 days, it's overflowing.


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## joefrompa (Dec 2, 2010)

I wanted to share that I ran a fire Tuesday morning and went to clean it out wednesday night (about 36 hours). I had some air flow going into the firebox and the damper was closed - basically, it was setup for an overnight burn that didn't actually last overnight.

Anyway, I hadn't touched the stove since that Tuesday morning. It had a solid 3" of ash throughout.

When I went over to the stove to clean it, I felt the top - still very warm! That's 400 pounds of steel sitting in an exterior masonry chimney at about 100-125 degrees after that long. Very nice.

Then I go to clean out the ash - Holy moly! I've got huge chunks of coals everywhere underneath all that ash. When I uncovered it all, the inside of my stove was radiating HEAT outwards. I couldn't believe this - all buried in ash. If I raked it all together, it probably would've been enough for a hot start using some quality small kindling. That's after 36 hours since the last load.

I attribute this to a very serious ash bed of a few inches, which I will now be allowing more often 

Joe

Edit: And just in case you think I've got some sort of super dense ultra wood - I haven't been able to consistently achieve an 8 hour burn time. Usually after 8 hours my stove is at 150 degrees with pretty mild coals leftover.


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## shawneyboy (Dec 2, 2010)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> Anyway, I hadn't touched the stove since that Tuesday morning. It had a solid 3" of ass throughout.
> Joe



Man solid 3" of ass???  I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing.


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## SWNH (Dec 2, 2010)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> Anyway, I hadn't touched the stove since that Tuesday morning. It had a solid 3" of ass throughout.



That is just wrong on so many levels...


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## joefrompa (Dec 2, 2010)

Nothing insulates as well as that...

Fixed it.


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