Cleaning an outdoor wood burner.

Just got through my first year with the outdoor wood burner and loved it. I am now in the process of cleaning it, ect. Anyone know of a better way other than a shovel/broom? What do I use to keep the inside from rusting and what's its application?

Thanks,

Bryan

After I clean the ashes out w/a shovel I scrape the creosote off w/a drywall knife. I then use an old string mop and coat the inside with old motor oil. Some spray the inside with WD-40 but I'm cheap and the old oil works just as well. Clean the stovepipe and put a 5 gal bucket over it to keep the rain out. I also run my pump for 24 hrs every month. Dealer recommended it.

In my third year so am less than an expert but I worry a LOT about keeping it dry inside. I also worry quite a bit about the ashes so I spend some time getting all of them out but I dont worry a whole lot about creosote. This is because the second year I had mine I noticed that when scraping the creosote the metal was bright under it, so I quit scraping it off other than what is loose or thick. Cap that chimney, blow out the last of the ash and oil it down. I use whatever is cheap and handy thined with diesel so it will spray out of a garden sprayer. This year it is ATF. Last year it was Dollar General 10W-30. As Laird said it is good practice to run the pumps now and then but I dont let them run 24 hrs, just a few minutes to keep things limbered up.