When cleaning out my woodstove, I use a scoop and metal bucket while holding a shop vac hose to suck up the dust. I think how fast and less dusty it would be to just use the vac but obviously I don't want to suck up an ember and possibly catch fire to my vac. Are those shop vac that are made specifically for ashes worth it? I seen one at Tractor Supply and am interested in getting one.
Shop vac for ashes
- Thread starter NCPT
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merc_man
Addicted to ArboristSite
I looked at those shop vacs. They say that it has to be all cooled down befor you can use it. For me this didnt work so i built a temporary scoop from scrap metal and scoop up ashs and sometime cools when too full cary them directly outside and dump into a metal pail out the door . (My door is only like 15 feet from my stove so works for me. )
I have cut down the ash mess in the house by at least 90 percent.( Enough the wife dont say much anymore). Heres a pic.
Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Tapatalk
I have cut down the ash mess in the house by at least 90 percent.( Enough the wife dont say much anymore). Heres a pic.
Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Tapatalk
I looked at those shop vacs. They say that it has to be all cooled down befor you can use it. For me this didnt work so i built a temporary scoop from scrap metal and scoop up ashs and sometime cools when too full cary them directly outside and dump into a metal pail out the door . (My door is only like 15 feet from my stove so works for me. )
I have cut down the ash mess in the house by at least 90 percent.( Enough the wife dont say much anymore). Heres a pic.
Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Tapatalk
That is a good idea. I'm interested to hear what/how others get rid of their ashes.
We have a Vermont Casting wood stove. It has an ash pan that swings out, and then is lifted out to empty. If the ash pan becomes full then emptying it gets messy around the stove. In part because there is a heat shield an inch or so below the stove, that becomes an ash catcher and is difficult to clean, being only an inch or so gap. If the pan is full of ash it can get behind it when opening and that needs to be shoveled out of vacuumed as closing the ash door pushes it back and packs it. So the vac is very handy for that small space.
So when the stove is completely out and no embers, once or twice a week, I use the ash vac after emptying the pan and cleaning up with a stove shovel and broom any large amount that may have dropped on the tile.
The reason I do not suck everything up with the ash vac is that it is very messy to dump and clean the filter on it. A windy day is preferred with nothing around, as it is obviously a very fine ash. That being said it is a great tool for tidying up and a good inside the stove, seasonal cleaning, that I used to do by setting a shop vac outside and running a long hose through a window.
homemade
Certified Chainsaw Tester
Buy enough vac hose to put the shop vac outside.
ChoppyChoppy
Tree Freak
I just let the stove go cold a couple days and shovel it out. Holds 5-6 gallons worth.
Have do empty it maybe 3 or 4 times a winter.
Big Red Oaks 4 me
Fun with flying wood chips
That's what I do. I only use my shop vac when I brush the chimney once or twice a year. I set the vac on the front porch, run the long hose through the window(with window opening"chocked" with towels) then vacuum out all the creosote at bottom of flue. I only scoop out ashes from heater into a metal bucket about twice a week during the burning season. Having a shop vac inside the home will result in lightly sooted walls and things. When you move a picture on the wall, you will see when you have screwed-up. And it doesn't take much ashes to make a mess.
I use the bags in the shop vac made for drywall dust. I shovel the ashes into an ash bucket, but use the shop vac to suck in the dust that comes off the top of the bucket.
Same thing I do, I use high efficiency bag and filter so everything should be contained. I also hover the end of the hose around my scoop lol, the vac draws in a lot of the fine dust that looks like smoke. I guess this is the best solution. It would be nice to have a "fire safe" vac for sucking up ashes with a few embers in it....like an all metal hose and container.
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I just open the ash pan door and take the pan outside and empty, put the pan back in and close the door, don't have to let it cool or bother the fire at all, and no ash dust all over the house.
Nick Kent
ArboristSite Member
How about the metal dust deputy with a vacuum that had a bag. The embers should end up in the dust deputy and not the vac. Who’s gonna give it a try.
homemade
Certified Chainsaw Tester
They do make a cyclone style dust collector that mounts on a 5 gallon pail. If you put some water in the pail, it would grab the finer dust better. If your skilled, you could make your own with some pvc pieces.
I have used a shop vac for removing ashes after they have gone out. It works great except it will make a tremendous amount of static and it can zap the pee out of you. 
panolo
Seldom right...Always opinionated!
I have two ash vacs. The name brand shop vac one and a cheaper one. I don't suck straight coals in there but I have sucked embers up and never had an issue. The shop vac one has a very fine filter and I don't get dust in the house. Works very well.
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
I've been using a dedicated ash vac with metal canister for heavy cleanup, but I also use a trusty old bucket and scoop. If there's not a lot of ash after a burn, I'll just scoop into the shaker grates and build the next fire. After a few fires the ash buildup can get pretty bad, I'll empty the ash bin and take the vacuum to it. Works well with warm ashes, but I try not to suck up any embers. Been using this one for about 2 years now, very happy with it:
https://www.amazon.com/PowerSmith-P...+for+ashes&dpPl=1&dpID=510xGBcfYNL&ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/PowerSmith-P...+for+ashes&dpPl=1&dpID=510xGBcfYNL&ref=plSrch
