Spring Cleaning of Mark III

I had a choice this morning by my wife. Help house clean or find some other "more" important work. Glad my Mark III was standing around doing nothing, so I spent some quality time with it, and no argument from my wife. Good thing. The fly ash was beginning to cake up with moisture. After 6.5 tons of nut, I was very surprised at how little ash I found in the chimney and chambers. I followed a few wise comments that suggested opening the load door while shaking it down. Great suggestion. A few bricks are cracked but aren't buckling (I'm worried my cheap nature will keep me from replacing them and wait another season), however I will buy and keep a spare set on hand. If I'm making a unwise decision please let me know.

Now is the time to clean out your stove and your stovepipe and get her ready for the next heating season.The standard firebrick are inexpensive, only a couple bucks apiece. I would replace them now so you don't have to shut down in the middle of the winter to do it. I have seen some strange things happen through the years. What's the old saying?....... Don't put off until tomorrow...what you can do today!

snuffy wrote: I followed a few wise comments that suggested opening the load door while shaking it down. Great suggestion.

Good morning snuffy,

While I'm glad leaving of your load door open while shaking it down has led to less flyash in your pipes, think about it, that flyash has to go somewhere. The somewhere is out into your living space if your stove is in the "living areas" of your house as mine is. The first thing I read about shaking a stove down on this forum was that you watched the dropping ash until the first tenee, tiny red coal dropped down. With my stove the door has to be open to see that so that's what I did and the amount dust escaping into the room was remarkable! I thought that was just a hindrance you had to put up with for the warmth of coal.

Then I read a posting that suggested closing the door while shaking and finding a different indicator that you have shaken the stove enough; so I did. I started watching how much the coal bed drops as I shake, I can see this through the window with the door closed. Shaking the stove is always the last thing I do during a stove service and I don't empty the ash pan until the start of the next service; giving the flyash 12 hours to settle down. I try to have the shop vac on and in the area of the door when I empty the ash pan. Although, the flyash is still present, the decrease in the amount of it escaping into my family room was dramatic. Most of the flyash is contained in the stove and pipes which I can clean out periodically through the barro using my trusty shop vac while the stove is burning.

I'm glad that what you are doing is working to reduce the amount of flyash in your pipes; it works. During the time I shook the stove with the door open, I had next to no flyash in my pipes. I suspect that the open door/closed door while shaking discussion will continue just like which came first the chicken or the egg. It's all depends on what your ultimate goal is; mine was to reduce the flyash escaping into my room. Lisa

I'm with you on the closed door Lisa,if I left the door on the Hitzer open,all Momma's Native American collectables would be covered in ash by the end of burn season--and then I'd be in for a good ass whoopin--I too watch my coal level through the glass on the 50-93 & then check the ash door to make sure I've got a good line of red ash in the pan

Regarding opening the loading door while shaking down ash.

The idea is to lessen the draft pulling up through the coal bed, thus allowing more fly ash to fall into the ash pan. the ash pan door should be closed while doing this. There should be no fly ash coming out the loading door. If there is, then it is open too much, just open an inch or so. With experience you can usually feel when you have shaken enough as there will be increased resistance when the ash is clear. Sort of a gritty feel. When you then open the ash door you can confirm the red glow reflected in the ash pan.

Doing this will dramatically reduce fly ash deposit throughout the stove and chimney. The only fly ash I get into the room is when removing the ash pan to empty or replace it. The slightest jar to the pan is enough to release ash into the room. If you can lift the pan and slide it out or in without touching the stove then very little ash will result.

Hi Franko B, Lisa and everyone else

I followed franko b's advice this past year as stated above and remarkably, I didn't have dust entering the room (basement). In fact, I usually shook it down while the morning sun was blazing above the door which makes it easy to see floating dust and there was absolutely no dust coming out of the door. That with virtually no ash in the stove pipe or the clean out door when I shut down for the season. I highly recommend this procedure. Thanks all for your input.

Snuffy

I agree with franco b and snuffy. By leaving the feed door open a few inches while shaking down the stove I don't get as much flyash settling in the stovepipe. The draft doesn't let it escape out of the stove. Also, my glass on the stove stays cleaner longer.