Cougar Ash Vac Just Arrived
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Eatonpcat
Minister of Fire
That is a pretty stove...As for the vac, I ordered some popcorn from the Boy Scouts and it came in that tin!!
lol. Harsh dude harsh. I like it.
![[Hearth.com] Cougar Ash Vac Just Arrived](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/88/88685-94181be6485d55f9545230b482136079.jpg?hash=-ANqSB5sGt "[Hearth.com] Cougar Ash Vac Just Arrived")
Craftsman slightly sharpened on a grind stone. Works like a charm.
I just know I have seen that stove somewhere... just can't place it ...
Great stove man, Enjoy!
If you are looking for the real deal in soot vacs, this is what we use every day.
(broken link removed to http://www.mastercraftusa.com/products/Furnace-Boiler-Soot-Vacuums/Mastercraft-Sootmaster-Vacuum-Boiler-Furnace-Dry-Steel-Soot-Cleaner-660M-344192.php)
You can find them on Amazon and E-Bay once in a while.
(broken link removed to http://www.mastercraftusa.com/products/Furnace-Boiler-Soot-Vacuums/Mastercraft-Sootmaster-Vacuum-Boiler-Furnace-Dry-Steel-Soot-Cleaner-660M-344192.php)
You can find them on Amazon and E-Bay once in a while.
I had one (came with stove) used it 2 times the third time it found a glowing ember. Bad deal, house full of putrid smelling smoke and the end of the vac, not to mention the missus seemed somewhat paniced and pissed. Then I switched to a hepa shop vac and would never go back, way more vac power.
Must know...is this your experaince with the Cougar?
But will it Blend?
I am a sucker for quality and if the price tag is any indication...
Noticed it uses a cloth bag. Can you suck up hot ashes in that thing?
P38X2
Minister of Fire
I look at the vacuum being "capable" of sucking up hot ashes as more of an accident insurance sort of thing, rather than there's definitely still a few glowing ashes in there, I think I'll vacuum now. Does that make any sense?
NO Ash Vac is rated for Hit embers or Ashes. Read the manual. Only Warm ashes..
Please make sure your stove is cool before vacuuming.
I used one pellet stove (Quad) for my Main heat for several yrs. Overshoot the needed temp, to give the stove proper cool down time.
No need to get in a hurry. Read some of Don2222's posts and find out what happens to those in a hurry with Hot ash.
whlago
Feeling the Heat
So true...I try to relax a little as my stove goes through shutdown (read a book...do another chore) and open the door to let things cool after shutdown for a bit. Then I brush as much as possible down into the ash pan so the ash that I actually vac is miniimum, mostly use it to catch any escaping dust/ash and to get the nooks and cranny's. By the time I'm getting at the nooks and crannys things have cooled down quite a bit.
Sure does.
Just kinda figured at the price point ($900.00) of that ash vac mentioned by the poster maybe you get a little more bang for your buck? It was more a poke of sorts.
If I have given you or any body else the impression that they should suck hot glowing embers into a vacuum...NEVER EVER DO THAT.
With my shopvac I have found I can go 5-6 cleanings before the suction starts to drop. I have 2 HEPA filters that I rotate between.
How do you think your plastic Shop Vac would handle that same glowing ember as you sucked it up and then put the vacuum back in the basement? Call the fire department???? I have an Ash Vac and yes, it has less vacuum but enough to handle the job without fear of burning the house down. This same discussion goes round and round every few weeks for the years that I've been here. Two sides like Hatfields and McCoys will never give an inch.I had one (came with stove) used it 2 times the third time it found a glowing ember. Bad deal, house full of putrid smelling smoke and the end of the vac, not to mention the missus seemed somewhat paniced and pissed
tjnamtiw, for this reason I still think about a quality, bona fide ash vac. Under "Maintenance, Daily (whenever using the heater) Cleaning the Burn Pot" our owner's manual says, "Warning: Make certain the heater is fully cooled (approximately 25 minutes) before opening the door and conducting service." Given the risk of vacuuming up embers, 25 minutes doesn't seem long enough to me. Earlier in the same section, the owner's manual speaks of holding ash in fire proof containers until all embers are extinguished.
I suppose that best practices live somewhere in between these two sets of instructions. While I hate having the stove down for very long on cold days, I do wait hours after the stove shuts down, not minutes, before I vacuum with the Shop Vac. And even then, I harbor some doubt and I worry.
On the other hand, I cannot deny that the Shop Vac has awesome suction. Cleaning the stove is a snap. It also has a long enough hose, such that I can take it outside to our direct vent, remove the 45' end cap, and feed the Shop Vac's hose all the way up into the stove to clean the exhaust vent from that side. I cleaned the stove yesterday in this manner: vacuumed the firebox and the heat exchange tubes, emptied the ash bin, cleaned the glass, then took the Shop Vac outside and vacuumed the exhaust vent pipe from the external terminus all the way up into the stove itself. The entire procedure took no more than 10 minutes, and the stove was very clean when I was done. We bought the brush attachment for the Shop Vac. It cleans soot and ash off of the walls of the fire box and the heat exchange tubes like nothing else we've tried, including our sorry experience with our cheaper ash vac.
If I could replicate this experience with a quality ash vac, it would be worth the $$$ to me, if for nothing more than the peace of mind.
Has anyone yet determined a safe cooling interval before cleaning a pellet stove with a Shop Vac?
I suppose that best practices live somewhere in between these two sets of instructions. While I hate having the stove down for very long on cold days, I do wait hours after the stove shuts down, not minutes, before I vacuum with the Shop Vac. And even then, I harbor some doubt and I worry.
On the other hand, I cannot deny that the Shop Vac has awesome suction. Cleaning the stove is a snap. It also has a long enough hose, such that I can take it outside to our direct vent, remove the 45' end cap, and feed the Shop Vac's hose all the way up into the stove to clean the exhaust vent from that side. I cleaned the stove yesterday in this manner: vacuumed the firebox and the heat exchange tubes, emptied the ash bin, cleaned the glass, then took the Shop Vac outside and vacuumed the exhaust vent pipe from the external terminus all the way up into the stove itself. The entire procedure took no more than 10 minutes, and the stove was very clean when I was done. We bought the brush attachment for the Shop Vac. It cleans soot and ash off of the walls of the fire box and the heat exchange tubes like nothing else we've tried, including our sorry experience with our cheaper ash vac.
If I could replicate this experience with a quality ash vac, it would be worth the $$$ to me, if for nothing more than the peace of mind.
Has anyone yet determined a safe cooling interval before cleaning a pellet stove with a Shop Vac?
P38X2
Minister of Fire
Maybe my Powersmith vac has more suction than other ash vacs but how much suction do you really need? If it had half the amount it has, it would work fine. I mean, were not talking nails and rocks here. IMO, all you need is the proper attachment, store bought or DIY, and you may not even need anything. It's ash guys n gals.
P38X2, our ash vacuum was not the greatest. Performance wise, the Shop Vac cleans up the stove soooo much better. The combination of the vacuum power and the soft bristle brush removes just about *all* of the soot and ash, thus limiting creosote accumulation. Our ash vacuum would vacuum up most of the fine ash out of the pellet stove, but it left soot and ash clinging to walls and heat exchange tubes behind, unless we brushed that ash and soot off manually and, for all practical purposes, fed it to the vacuum. I would not be surprised if other, better quality ash vacs do a better job. It wouldn't be difficult to do a better job than the ash vac we had.
P38X2
Minister of Fire
I look at it from a safety point as well. It's far from a fail safe but it certainly provides a much greater level of protection in the event glowing ash is introduced.
I use brushes and a plastic scraper everywhere except the burnpot, the area under and to the sides of the ash pan and cleanup of the general area when it's time to button her up. After brushing, I use the plastic scraper to pick up whatever ash accumulates on any flat areas in the stove and carefully toss it in the ash pan. Saves unnecessary ash buildup in the vac.
It's like if someone said get ALL the sand out of a sandbox, and you had a shovel and a vacuum....and didn't use the shovel first. Idk, works for me. Maybe that's why there's so many peeps complaining about their ash vac suction. It's easy to forget it's not a shop vac.
I use brushes and a plastic scraper everywhere except the burnpot, the area under and to the sides of the ash pan and cleanup of the general area when it's time to button her up. After brushing, I use the plastic scraper to pick up whatever ash accumulates on any flat areas in the stove and carefully toss it in the ash pan. Saves unnecessary ash buildup in the vac.
It's like if someone said get ALL the sand out of a sandbox, and you had a shovel and a vacuum....and didn't use the shovel first. Idk, works for me. Maybe that's why there's so many peeps complaining about their ash vac suction. It's easy to forget it's not a shop vac.
Well in my case I needed something with a small foot print. Up to this point I have used our Kenmore (bag model), which also served to clean the house, and it has done the job admirably. I will note here now : The stove has always been off for at least 3 hours after cool down cycle and confirmed completely out! I am sucking ashes into a paper bag with dog hair after all. That would smell something wicked no?
So it looks like i will be keeping the cougar pretty picture and all. I cannot for the life of me find the receipt so 1 ton cleaning first, black krypton will follow. Maybe I will get fancy and put a Hylian crest on it.
If anyone is interested I will pass along my experience although it seems most have cast your votes.
So it looks like i will be keeping the cougar pretty picture and all. I cannot for the life of me find the receipt so 1 ton cleaning first, black krypton will follow. Maybe I will get fancy and put a Hylian crest on it.
If anyone is interested I will pass along my experience although it seems most have cast your votes.
You'll like the vac. They are, as you probably have found out, noisy as HELL! I turn off my hearing aid when I use mine (a black oneWell in my case I needed something with a small foot print. Up to this point I have used our Kenmore (bag model), which also served to clean the house, and it has done the job admirably. I will note here now : The stove has always been off for at least 3 hours after cool down cycle and confirmed completely out! I am sucking ashes into a paper bag with dog hair after all. That would smell something wicked no?
So it looks like i will be keeping the cougar pretty picture and all. I cannot for the life of me find the receipt so 1 ton cleaning first, black krypton will follow. Maybe I will get fancy and put a Hylian crest on it.
If anyone is interested I will pass along my experience although it seems most have cast your votes.
). I also find that it really helps to give the filter a good shaking by removing the brass cover before each use.
P38X2
Minister of Fire
Well in my case I needed something with a small foot print. Up to this point I have used our Kenmore (bag model), which also served to clean the house, and it has done the job admirably. I will note here now : The stove has always been off for at least 3 hours after cool down cycle and confirmed completely out! I am sucking ashes into a paper bag with dog hair after all. That would smell something wicked no?
So it looks like i will be keeping the cougar pretty picture and all. I cannot for the life of me find the receipt so 1 ton cleaning first, black krypton will follow. Maybe I will get fancy and put a Hylian crest on it.
If anyone is interested I will pass along my experience although it seems most have cast your votes.
Ya, you wanna skip the burning dog hair smell, lol.
You'll like the vac.
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