How to limit ash dust when cleaning

[DanCorcoran]

I just close the blinds, turn off the lights, and scoop away. Haven't seen any dust yet...

 

[tcassavaugh]

I just close the blinds, turn off the lights, and scoop away. Haven't seen any dust yet...

i love that answer. come to think of it, the area where my stove is, is kind of dim......lol

 

[Squisher]

Yah burning wood my whole life I've never even considered that it was a problem if a little ash flew while cleaning out the stove? Also I burn fir, 95%. So I have very little ash compared to hardwood burners.

 

[Dix]

What dust????

 

[DanCorcoran]

What dust????

Only slightly off the subject, Dix...

 

[mminor]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions - super helpful!

Matt

 

[Dix]

Only slightly off the subject, Dix...


View attachment 170625

You made my day !!

 

[brenndatomu]

no dust...

 

[gyrfalcon]

If your stove is in a spot where direct sun shines across the door of your stove, you'll see exactly how much dust can be created. I can tell how well I'm doing by looking around at various surfaces, dark ones in particular.
In the middle of winter? You sweeping more than once a year? How dry is your wood?

Yes, actually, the sunlight does shine directly across the stove door in the morning (if the sun is out). And no, I've never seen an ash cloud in the air unless I bobble the shovel, or particularly noticeable ash "dust" on surfaces until towards the end of the heating season, when I finally get around to bother dusting the furniture. And it isn't much.

 

[begreen]

I'm with Dix. I just cleaned out a month's worth of ash and then cleaned the chimney with a slit plastic shield. The dust was minimal.

 

[Dix]

I'm with Dix. I just cleaned out a month's worth of ash and then cleaned the chimney with a slit plastic shield. The dust was minimal.

Dust is minimal if the fan isn't blowing on the PE. Other wise, all bets are off

Honestly, I just deal with the dust. I got over my OCD about dust a few years ago when oil was 4 $ a gallon and this 2000 SF abode needs 200 gallonsa month of Dino juice from December to March.

 

[Woody Stover]

I've never seen an ash cloud in the air...or particularly noticeable ash "dust" on surfaces

Sounds like you are doing well. I don't like to see more than one or two particles floating, so my definition of a "cloud" may be different than yours. Besides good technique, a lot depends on how good your draft is and the design of your stove. I imagine that certain stoves just draw in the ash better than others. If I had to shovel the ash out of my little side-loaders, there's no room to speak of to get a pan in there, I would have to try to get it to draft into the stove through the small side door.

I just cleaned out a month's worth of ash

OK, I wouldn't have too big a problem shoveling 'em out just once a month but the time invested might be about the same as me carrying out the pan every few days...that's gotta be a lot of shoveling. Maybe not, though...you have shoulder weather all winter and a heat pump. I might think an ash pan was over-rated, too. How much wood do you toast in a season?
They didn't slide off that old, rusty shovel too well; Kinda came out in a clump.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

Our stove has a big pan underneath that you slide out and dump outside. Works great and I don't miss shovelling out that lopi one bit.

 

[GeHmTS]

I would recommend wearing a particle mask while you moving around ash and while performing generally cleaning on your stove. Particularly if you have asthma or some other breathing problem.