I emptied the ashes out today

[jdinspector]

Below is an image of my ash bucket. I've been burning for the last 3-4 days and thought it might be time to empty the stove. It was actually a bit early, as there were a some larger coals in there. In any case, the image shows how hot the bucket gets when just emptied. KEEP THOSE ASH BUCKETS OFF COMBUSTIBLE SURFACES!

 

[Slow1]

That is a very cool picture of your ash can... now how about some of the stove while it is burning eh?

 

[Frostbit]

Wow.

If we all had a thermal imaging device at our disposal to use!

What's eye-opening is take it outside when its below zero and look and peoples houses. You can tell the well insulated ones from the poorly ones.

 

[jdinspector]

It's 50 degrees outside, so I don't have the stove running. I put a log in before I left for work this morning (8 am) and put it on a low burn. The stove top temps are still around 130 and it's 75 in the house. My wife will kill me if I have it running at 400 degrees when she gets home. It'd be about 80 degrees in the house!

Attached is an image of it with surface temps at 130-ish. I'll get an image when it's running full bore. However, I'll have to use some sort of barrier between the stove and my camera (a plastic bag, or something like that). My camera max's at 212 degrees, so I can't get an image of the stove when it's running full out.

In this image, funny how the bottom of the stove is the hottest. Exactly the opposite of what I would expect.

 

[Slow1]

Well - in that image is it basically after burning up leftover coals? Perhaps that would explain the hotter bottom half of the stove as the coals sit down there radiating heat to the bottom of the stove which is working it's way out there. Since air is brought in through the top of the stove it essentially is cooling the top and front of the stove, bottom only is being cooled by exterior convection currents. Just a theory

 

[kenny chaos]

Cool images except the first one which shows a ash can full of coals, not ash.

 

[PunKid8888]

what type of camera is it?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Cool images except the first one which shows a ash can full of coals, not ash.

My thoughts too. I would have left them right in the stove, but thanks for posting the pictures. Nice!

 

[myzamboni]

what type of camera is it?

Yes, please tell. I now feel inadequate only having and IR Temp Gun. I fell an thermal imaging camera is going to be the trendy must have this season.

 

[kenny chaos]

No doubt for some it will be.
Not even a cell phone for this massive wood hauler. :lol:

 

[jdinspector]

what type of camera is it?

It's a FLIR B-cam. About 2 years old. Decent camera, but there are MANY better cameras out there now. They are quite expensive as you add bells and whistles.

I use mine for work related items. Specifically, I do a great deal of moisture intrusion investigation. I would like to get more involved with energy audits, etc. (where a camera like this really excels). Anyways, it's a fun thing to have and a side benefit is that I can use it for cool images with my stove.

 

[jdinspector]

what type of camera is it?

Yes, please tell. I now feel inadequate only having and IR Temp Gun. I fell an thermal imaging camera is going to be the trendy must have this season.

It might be the trendy thing for this season, but not for those who have a limited pocket book. I paid $4500 two years ago for mine- they're down to about $3000-3500 now. You could get a bottom end unit for $2500. Certainly adequate for images of a wood stove, but not really cost effective! I'll post some in other forums on this site, It's especially useful for missing insulation and finding drafty areas in homes and buildings.

 

[Windy]

.

In this image, funny how the bottom of the stove is the hottest. Exactly the opposite of what I would expect.

Well that explains why my dogs love sleeping under the stove! LOL

 

[keydiver]

We always get a few deck fires every year from 2nd home owners to vacation guests that leave their ash container on a wood deck after they leave.

Mine goes at the foot of the deck stairs on the concrete pad. No problem mon!

 

[keydiver]

And duh! coals can stay hot for a few day after!

 

[woodgeek]

JD,

In your can image, the bright spots correspond closely to the corroded portions of the galvanized. I would expected corroded = much higher emissivity relative to any 'shiny' metal surface. I figure this is why you measured the spot temp there? If it were not a metal can, would it be bright all over?

 

[Bubbavh]

Cool images except the first one which shows a ash can full of coals, not ash.

My thoughts too. I would have left them right in the stove, but thanks for posting the pictures. Nice!

+2 why waste them coals a little heat and away they go heating your house again!

 

[ROYJ24]

Below is an image of my ash bucket. I've been burning for the last 3-4 days and thought it might be time to empty the stove. It was actually a bit early, as there were a some larger coals in there. In any case, the image shows how hot the bucket gets when just emptied. KEEP THOSE ASH BUCKETS OFF COMBUSTIBLE SURFACES!

Looks like predator is checking your ash can. :coolsmirk:

 

[thewoodlands]

Below is an image of my ash bucket. I've been burning for the last 3-4 days and thought it might be time to empty the stove. It was actually a bit early, as there were a some larger coals in there. In any case, the image shows how hot the bucket gets when just emptied. KEEP THOSE ASH BUCKETS OFF COMBUSTIBLE SURFACES!

You need one of these so you only get the ashes.

http://www.koalkeeper.com/

Zap

 

[Slow1]

I think their video just convinced me not to buy one. I can just about taste the plume of ash from shaking the ask out of that shovel full of coals... Yeah, I know hot stove will suck them up the flue, but that is a lot of tossing ash around to expect to all go the right direction. Plus from the looks of it, the size pieces they recovered I could have pretty easily raked aside with my poker.

I want to find something that is more like a wire rack in a shovel shape so the ash will just fall through with minimal shaking etc. I'm thinking of heading over to the kitchen store and see about something perhaps designed for pulling deep fried tidbits out of oil (something in stainless, not bamboo of course!)

 

[SteveKG]

What some folks don't think about is that coals can burn for days if embedded in ashes. Every winter there are stories about someone starting a fire when dumping ashes they'd let sit in a can for a couple days.

 

[firefighterjake]

What some folks don't think about is that coals can burn for days if embedded in ashes. Every winter there are stories about someone starting a fire when dumping ashes they'd let sit in a can for a couple days.

+1

I've often maintained that more homes catch on fire from folks who are improperly disposing of their ashes than from other causes such as improper installs and not maintaining their stove/chimney (i.e. sweeping it when needed.)