Cleaning ashes from your stove...

[WES999]

I do it like this, rake the ashes to one side and put the pan in stove, shovel ashes into the pan, cover pan with slitghtly ,
larger pan and take outside. Works great no mess.

 

[velvetfoot]

I use this:
(broken link removed to http://hearthhelpers.com/product-1/)

 

[bill2500hd]

...looking for your experiences with various methods of cleaning out ashes from your stove. Already discovering that the built in ash pan beneath my Equinox is going to create quite a mess once we are burning 24/7. I still need to buy a good set of hearth tools that includes a rake...but if I try to shovel ashes into an ash can inside, won't that create quite a dust plume? I've currently been taking the ash pan outside to dump but if it is at all windy it's still messy. Figuring this winter will be even worse with the winds howling outside. If I get an ash vacuum, can I just vacuum everything up straight from inside the stove?

Who has an ash vacuum and please give me the pros and cons?

Best ash vacuum? I see several on Amazon which are very reasonably priced, but not sure if they're crap??

Or, if you don't use an ash vacuum, easiest method you've found to clean your ashes?

Thank you!

Nicole

HI, I like to play with metal. So I made what I refer to as a side shovel & sifter. Before I restart the stove, I slide the ashes to the left, sift them put them to the right. than use the shovel to empty ashes. Made a can with cover, that sits on a tile stand to keep it off the rug. The bottom of the can is recessed not flat. Works for me

 

[OK_Bill]

Being that nobody else here mentioned a vac - I just bought a Powersmith PAVC101 from Amazon. Love it. But, as was said, there's no way this thing should be used to suck up hot or even warm ash.

I let the stove cool down, then open the doors and feel for heat before I use the vac. Its great! No mess at all - NONE. Plus its great to use for cleaning up all the debris that drops off the logs I bring in for the stove. So far, this vac has been superb. I was concerned about it spraying ash dust all over the place but the filter system stops everything.

 

[Oregon aloha]

I remove the ash while the stove is still hot so the ash sucks into the stove. I move the hot coals to one side lean the bucket into the stove and shovel the ash slowly. Then move the hot coals to the clean side and repeat. Then slowly remove the bucket and take it outside. Yes there is still a little ash, but less then any other method I've tried.