Looking for recommendation for vacumms to clean Pellet ash

[DAGME]

Since I am one of the many owners of the ash-producing Maine Woods "Premium" Pellets from the plant in Athens, I pretty much have to clean the ash out once every few days (sometimes once a day). With that much ash, we decided to go with a vacuum. My wife and I are pleased with the Cheetah Ash Vac we bought - pricey, but we will soon have two pellet stoves in the house and we plan on using them (and the Vac) for a long time to come.

If you can get one for a good price (under $200), I'd get a Cheetah. The only downside is that it's noisier than the Cougar style - but the extra noise was not worth the extra $30 in price.

Good luck.

 

[millhouselives]

Groundhog,

Thanks...it is the pellet pail for me. Looks like just want I was thinking of. Still trying to decide on a vacuum. thanks all for the answers and when I decide I will post it.

 

[birdbrown]

Dagme, Thanks for that story cause now I don't feel so bad for buying into the hot ash vac is better debate. We bought ours off ebay and just recently started using it. It has a strong suction that takes the ash right out. Thanks

 

[kbjelka]

Groundhog,

Thanks...it is the pellet pail for me. Looks like just want I was thinking of. Still trying to decide on a vacuum. thanks all for the answers and when I decide I will post it.

No problem, I think you will be very happy with the Pellet Pail. Trick is to give the bag a bump on the ground before dropping it in the pail. This settles the pellets to the bottom and makes the cutter work better. I really like my cricket vacuum too. It's really well designed and solidly built. It's all steel construction. The hose stores right in the side of the vacuum. There's a slot and a revolving metal tray the hose slides into and power cord rewinds into the vacuum too. Mine is the older one where the hose plugs right in the side. Now they seem to have a top mounted hose. Not sure what the advantage of that is. When it's all wound up it looks great next to my stove. I like the fact that is it out and ready to go for my maintenance routine. Cabelas is running a $30 off promotion through 11/17. I had them email me a coupon if you need it just send me a PM.

 

[kyburnr]

how long are the Cougar/Cheetah filters suppose to last? I noticed they are like $43.00 a set.

 

[kbjelka]

Groundhog,

Thanks...it is the pellet pail for me. Looks like just want I was thinking of. Still trying to decide on a vacuum. thanks all for the answers and when I decide I will post it.

Hey millhouselives,

Just found the Cricket Ash Vac on Amazon for 149.00 plus shipping. Cabelas is great on returns but I don't think you can beat the $149 price. I don't worry too much about letting my stove cool with the Cricket. I do my cleanings in between t-stat cycles. Once the convection blower stops after the cool down cycle I'm good to go.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013Z59FC/ref=cm_sw_em_r_dp

Good luck deciding...

 

[kyburnr]

The Cricket's 2.25 HP motor vacuums cold ashes (only) into a large filter bag designed to keep even the finest ash dust from escaping into the room. the Cricket's has two filters and a comfort grip wand to efficiently clean 100% of the ash. the full bag carries easily to a refuse container. One-year warranty.



If it is for "cold ash only" and uses a bag......Don't see why one would not use shop vac w/bag, ..............except for looks

 

[kbjelka]

The Cricket's 2.25 HP motor vacuums cold ashes (only) into a large filter bag designed to keep even the finest ash dust from escaping into the room. the Cricket's has two filters and a comfort grip wand to efficiently clean 100% of the ash. the full bag carries easily to a refuse container. One-year warranty.



If it is for "cold ash only" and uses a bag......Don't see why one would not use shop vac w/bag, ..............except for looks

The bags are foil lined and the whole thing is steel including the bag housing. I would not go sucking up hot coals but it is a lot more fire resistant than a plastic shop vac. I don't really worry about my stove being too cool before giving it a vacuum with the cricket. I think I would be paranoid if I used my shop vac.

 

[DiggerJim]

The bags are foil lined and the whole thing is steel including the bag housing. I would not go sucking up hot coals but it is a lot more fire resistant than a plastic shop vac. I don't really worry about my stove being too cool before giving it a vacuum with the cricket. I think I would be paranoid if I used my shop vac.

I use a plastic 10 gal Shop-Vac with a Hepa filter to clean the stove once it's shut itself off - although I'll usually wait about 10 or 20 minutes for any last pellets to finish burning.. Once I'm done vacuuming the stove I take it outside and dump it into a metal garbage can for ashes. If there are any hot ones, they're going into that can and it lives outside. The vac is empty going into the house so nothing is in there to catch fire. I empty the metal can once a month into the garden before I do one of my stove cleanings so the newest ashes (and possibly embers) are at least a week old. I like this solution because the Shop-Vac has a 5hp motor and makes very short work of the stove cleaning. My stove is offline only for about a half-hour this way and doesn't make much of a difference in the house temp.

I used to overanalyze this stuff (back in the old days in the 70s/80s I was a chimney sweep) and then looked at all the other things that go bang, burn, explode, etc. Most vac fires are caused by igniting stuff that was in the vac before cleaning the stove - like pet hair, lint (really burns well), dust, etc. I wouldn't leave it in the garage full of newly vacuumed ashes & embers, but I don't get all worried about it while I'm cleaning the stove either.

 

[Saltair]

I am stuck with a bunch of the really dirty Athens pellets and this fall when I would only run the stove a few hours day or overnight I had to clean out the burn pot before I could start a new fire. I didn't want to keep bringing my regular shop vac up and down the stairs and I dont need a fine dust filter for that one. I decided given the frequency of use I would go buy a small Shop Vac just for the stove. I wanted the 2.5 gallon one, but they dont make fine dust filters to fit it so I bought the next size up and a pack of fine dust bags. So far so good. I was worried about fire, but leave the stove off all day while at work and then clean it out when i get home. Everything is cold by then and the oil furnace keeps the house warm for the day. I figure I need to let the furnace run from time to time anyway to keep it in working order.

 

[geek]

well, after thinking and thinking on which one to buy, today I finally went to local HD and got this one:

(broken link removed to http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId;=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100638350)

handy, cheap, easy to move around by hand, light weight and has a blue filter which looks to be good to capture fine ash.

will try tomorrow and hope it works well.

So geek...how does the new vac work? I'd like to know, because I may be interested in purchasing as well. I was looking at them tonight at HD.

not too happy with it. Used it last night and fine dust was coming out into the room, I agree with previous poster that instead of this 2.5hp vac we should go with the next level. Went to a HD store and the guy said the blue filter that came with the vac is the only filter I get for it and that "it should work well unless the filter has a hole...", well not exactly true, looks like this filter is not designed to pickup the fine ash.......so this is going back to HD....

 

[Lorilooo]

geek...Thanks for the info. I wondered how it would work. I think we're biting the bullet and getting an ash vac. Safety and peace of mind...

 

[richkorn]

not too happy with it. Used it last night and fine dust was coming out into the room, I agree with previous poster that instead of this 2.5hp vac we should go with the next level. Went to a HD store and the guy said the blue filter that came with the vac is the only filter I get for it and that "it should work well unless the filter has a hole...", well not exactly true, looks like this filter is not designed to pickup the fine ash.......so this is going back to HD....

I had the same one and returned it to HD. I bought the Ridgid 6 gal and added the Hepa Filter Canister. Works great, just don't vacuum hot ashes. The 3 layer fine ash filter would have been fine but I figured for an extra 9 bucks i'll get the 5 layer Hepa.

Vac - (broken link removed to http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId;=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100592175&N=10000003+90010+524502+1600)

Hepa - (broken link removed to http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId;=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100022800&N=10000003+90010+524502)

 

[geek]

so you spent about $75 altogether, not bad.

I really wanted the smaller one due to convenience, size and how easy to maneuver (no wheels).

I have a bigger and bulky 20gal dry/wet vac in the basement that seems to work fine with the filter cartridge that came with it, but it is inconvenient to bring upstairs due to the size.

 

[richkorn]

Yeah, it was like 80 total because that one had to be shipped. It's only 6 gal and really light/portable. It'll do just fine, an ash vac would have been the best, but I had a HD gift card to use.

 

[millhouselives]

Hi, well have been catching up on this forum and this thread. I would like one of the higher price models but cannot buy just now due to our cutting back on our home budget. So I guess I am going to do same as Digger Jim see post above mine in this thread.

DiggerJim question for you. It makes perfect (common) sense to take vacuum outside and dump contents into metal container, but what if an ember is caught and stuck in filter and then slowly starts to burn ( I suspect this is what happened with DAGME and his vacuum catching fire) I mean so we dump the contents of the vacuum into metal can, then bring vacuum back in house and if ember is stuck in filter, then want. How do we reduce that risk other then leaving whole vacuum outside overnight with some type of fireproof cover to protect from possible fire.

Or I wonder if the filter can just be taken out and whacked against ground to be sure nothing is stuck in pleats. I know many years ago when I heated with a Vermont Castings Defiant wood stove, often it would sit over a weekend while I was away and on Sunday when returning stove would have been out but under the ashes in bed of stove were plenty of hot embers even after 48 hours! The ash on top kept them insulated and once the door was opened they would start to glow right away. By the way for it's time (1979) it was a great wood stove. thanks

 

[scruffy]

Gave myself an early Christmas present.

Just bought the Cricket ash vac from Amazon. Searched all the sites for the best price and figured it was the best deal for an ash vacuum. Thanks, Ground Hog for the tip!

My justification was aesthetics and convenience. Should look pretty next to the stove.
Also, the once a ton clean up of the flue and chimney will be easier and cleaner. Still pricey but, what isn't today?

 

[slheinlein]

I use our central vacuum. the setup is great. The central vac is in the basement and has a good filter. So all the ash, clinkers, soot go straight to the basement. No worries about getting anything in the house. The only thing I had to do was buy a garage hose since it gets the hose very dirty. Its a great way to go if you have it as an option.

 

[kbjelka]

Gave myself an early Christmas present.

Just bought the Cricket ash vac from Amazon. Searched all the sites for the best price and figured it was the best deal for an ash vacuum. Thanks, Ground Hog for the tip!

My justification was aesthetics and convenience. Should look pretty next to the stove.
Also, the once a ton clean up of the flue and chimney will be easier and cleaner. Still pricey but, what isn't today?

No problem. You will be happy with the Cricket Vacuum it's really well built and it definitely looks good next to the hearth.

 

[swalz]

I was using a small shop vac but the filter would clog up quickly, picked up a Ridgid 12 Gallon for 29 bucks and a washable hepa filter. Works pretty good and bought a hose adapter so I could use the smaller hose tools. Only problem is that the top of the Ridgid does not use clamps to secure the lid so it is not a tight fit and some dust can come out when picking it up.

 

[hearthtools]

I was using a small shop vac but the filter would clog up quickly, picked up a Ridgid 12 Gallon for 29 bucks and a washable hepa filter. Works pretty good and bought a hose adapter so I could use the smaller hose tools. Only problem is that the top of the Ridgid does not use clamps to secure the lid so it is not a tight fit and some dust can come out when picking it up.

this primary block filter keep the pleated filter from getting heavy ash in it.

no need buy an hose adapt if you have the larger hose to your vac
a Spray paint can lid fits great.
just buy 3 feet of 3/4 poly hose and cut a hole in a spray pant lid and shouve it in.

 

[kbjelka]

Gave myself an early Christmas present.

Just bought the Cricket ash vac from Amazon. Searched all the sites for the best price and figured it was the best deal for an ash vacuum. Thanks, Ground Hog for the tip!

My justification was aesthetics and convenience. Should look pretty next to the stove.
Also, the once a ton clean up of the flue and chimney will be easier and cleaner. Still pricey but, what isn't today?

Here's a look at the Cricket. Mine is the older style with the tube inlet right in the side. Now they are in the top under the lid. Not sure why they changed it.

 

[smaxell1]

I use our central vacuum. the setup is great. The central vac is in the basement and has a good filter. So all the ash, clinkers, soot go straight to the basement. No worries about getting anything in the house. The only thing I had to do was buy a garage hose since it gets the hose very dirty. Its a great way to go if you have it as an option.

Are you kidding?? I hope you shut your stove down for a couple of DAYS before vacuuming. At it will take is one hot ember to get down there and you are going to burn your house down.

 

[LJ4174]

So I'm new to this, only been burning my stove for 4 days so far, but I need a vacuum and read each post here. I think what I'm going to do is, use a shop vac, but build a fire proof building to keep it in...

OK, seriously, I have Quadrafire Mt. Vernan and with my pellets so far, I cleaned the ash pan once, there were hardly any ashes there. It looks like I'll need to clean the inside of the stove 1 or 2 times a week, and I'm just looking for the vacuum to do that, I empty the ash pan in a tin pail in my garage. I understand about the hot embers and stuff, I just don't see where the hot ashes or embers would be in my stove...

Also, that pellet pail thing is cool Hmmm... Might have to pull the trigger on that...

 

[kbjelka]

So I'm new to this, only been burning my stove for 4 days so far, but I need a vacuum and read each post here. I think what I'm going to do is, use a shop vac, but build a fire proof building to keep it in...

OK, seriously, I have Quadrafire Mt. Vernan and with my pellets so far, I cleaned the ash pan once, there were hardly any ashes there. It looks like I'll need to clean the inside of the stove 1 or 2 times a week, and I'm just looking for the vacuum to do that, I empty the ash pan in a tin pail in my garage. I understand about the hot embers and stuff, I just don't see where the hot ashes or embers would be in my stove...

Also, that pellet pail thing is cool Hmmm... Might have to pull the trigger on that...

I have a Quadra-Fire Castile and I agree there is a pretty low risk of hot embers. You can pretty much touch any part of it once the convection and exhaust blowers shut down. I use a small paint brush to sweep the bulk of the ash into the pan through the clean-out sliders between weekly vacuums. Then I dump the ash pan in a small galvanized bin once a week. Not sure if the MT Vernon has the same ash sliders as the Castile. For me the ash vac adds a little piece of mind but there are a few other reasons I like it. It looks decent sitting next to my stove ready to go. It's dedicated to the job so when I want to use the shop vac I don't need to worry about cleaning out ashes. It sucks cleaning my shop vac with regular dirt, I can't imagine the mess with ash. My ash vac uses a bag so you just throw in the provided plug and toss it in the trash. It was a bit pricey but I don't regret the purchase a bit. The Pellet Pail is cool, I love that thing more every time I use it.