Cleaning Out a Stove - Vacuum?

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Tue. Dec. 27, 2011 10:17 am

I find that thoroughly getting all of the ash out of my stove is a painful task. I usually wait until spring to give the stove a good cleaning, but I've only been burning wood and find wood ash much easier to control than coal ash! This is my first year burning coal and the ash seems to clog the stove much easier, not to mention get everywhere! Can I use a shop vac on the stove once it cools down or do I need a vacuum with a hepa filter? Since my stove is located near my back door I usually set a shop vac outside and stretch the hose inside to clean the stove, this way any ash that gets through the filter won't blow back into my house...not something I prefer to do in the chill of winter. Any suggestions?


 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Tue. Dec. 27, 2011 10:46 am

Yes, get a dust deputy. Otherwise your shop vac filter will clog very quickly.
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franco b
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Post by franco b » Tue. Dec. 27, 2011 11:10 am

There are large disposable bags for the Shop Vac that are made for fine dust. The bags are in addition to the standard filter and being large they take a very much longer time to clog than the standard filter.

 
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I'm On Fire
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Post by I'm On Fire » Tue. Dec. 27, 2011 1:16 pm

I find those bags that go into the Shop Vac a real PITA to take out. They tend to tear then you have a huge mess on your hands. Not fun. :(

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Tue. Dec. 27, 2011 4:36 pm

I'm On Fire wrote:I find those bags that go into the Shop Vac a real PITA to take out. They tend to tear then you have a huge mess on your hands. Not fun. :(
Try another make.There are several, some heavier.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Dec. 27, 2011 4:46 pm

I've got a RIGID shop vac--10 gallons--foam sleeve goes over paper filter. I've been useing it for damn near 20 yrs. on sheet rock dust, wood stoves, coal stoves, anything & everything. She's never blown out on me & suction wise will make your belly button an outy. I clean it every time I use it--never replaced the paper filter or foam sleeve. I blow the paper & foam out & on occassion wash the foam. Plus it don't look like Robby the Robot. :lol:

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heartofcoal
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Post by heartofcoal » Tue. Dec. 27, 2011 5:46 pm

Hey Fred.....be careful where you put that hose buddy! :lol:

Yea, I have the same setup in an old Craftsman, and it works great on everything.


 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Wed. Dec. 28, 2011 9:41 pm

freetown fred wrote:I've got a RIGID shop vac--10 gallons--foam sleeve goes over paper filter. I've been useing it for damn near 20 yrs. on sheet rock dust, wood stoves, coal stoves, anything & everything. She's never blown out on me & suction wise will make your belly button an outy. I clean it every time I use it--never replaced the paper filter or foam sleeve. I blow the paper & foam out & on occassion wash the foam. Plus it don't look like Robby the Robot. :lol:
Just picked up a 6 gallon craftsman shop vac and hepa filter through sears, all on sale :D ! Cleaned out my stove, filled her up and am now enjoying a warm fire on a crisp night. Shop vac worked great, filter caught everything without blowing it back out. Thanks Fred for the shop vac idea, looked into a Ridgid at home depot but none of their shop vacs were on sale :( . I was getting concerned about the dust with my little girl in the house.

 
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009to090
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Post by 009to090 » Wed. Dec. 28, 2011 10:00 pm

Yep, I use a Dewalt shop vac that came with a hepa filter. It vacuums up sheetrock dust as well as flyash with ease. I keep it by my stove for touching up, every time I take the ash pan out.
It also runs on a dewalt 18v battery, so you are not limited by the length of the cord.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Dec. 28, 2011 10:15 pm

You guys will luv this one lol... For my wood pellet stove in the other part of the house that I use for spring and fall heating. One day while vacuuming the pellet stove I turned around and couldn't see the other side of the room thru the dust in the air. The filter had "malfunctioned" and blew every bit of ash out into the room into a thick cloud. I was so mad!!!! I opened every door and window, exchanged all the air in the house before the dust could settle.

IN my rage I evasively cut a one inch hole in the wall, ran the hose thru the wall outside, where I had relocated the shop vac. I made a tin shelter for the vac outside and I turn it on and off with the light switch that runs my porch light. Talk about hillbilly ingenuity lol!! So now while I vac out the pellet stove, the porch light is on AND the shop vac is outside where that sucker can throw out all the dust and ash it wants to, I don't give a s***!!! and of course with the negative pressure on the hose inside, I have absolutely no dust or ash flying around the house.. Works awesome and my friends think I'm a genius... :idea:

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Wed. Dec. 28, 2011 10:45 pm

Lightning, that is classic! That has got to be one of the funniest stories I have ever heard! Glad it all worked out for you. Stay clean bud :)

 
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SteveZee
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Post by SteveZee » Thu. Dec. 29, 2011 7:57 am

Lightning wrote:You guys will luv this one lol... For my wood pellet stove in the other part of the house that I use for spring and fall heating. One day while vacuuming the pellet stove I turned around and couldn't see the other side of the room thru the dust in the air. The filter had "malfunctioned" and blew every bit of ash out into the room into a thick cloud. I was so mad!!!! I opened every door and window, exchanged all the air in the house before the dust could settle.

IN my rage I evasively cut a one inch hole in the wall, ran the hose thru the wall outside, where I had relocated the shop vac. I made a tin shelter for the vac outside and I turn it on and off with the light switch that runs my porch light. Talk about hillbilly ingenuity lol!! So now while I vac out the pellet stove, the porch light is on AND the shop vac is outside where that sucker can throw out all the dust and ash it wants to, I don't give a s***!!! and of course with the negative pressure on the hose inside, I have absolutely no dust or ash flying around the house.. Works awesome and my friends think I'm a genius... :idea:
Ha,ha,ha,ha...very funny NOT! :mad: I have the same "direct" experiance as you and what was worse is I didn't see it right off! What a disaster. Since then, I have gotten some shop vac drywall bags that work like a champ! Home Depot, $12 for 4. Generic but sized for my shop vac, these things hold allot of debris and not a bit of "blow by".

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Thu. Dec. 29, 2011 8:35 am

Thanks Tcalo and SteveZee :D With my set up in the basement for the coal furnace, I have another idea that uses the outdoor shop vac (described in my post above). When I dump my ash pan for the coal furnace into my galvanized 30 gallon ash can, I get a plume of fly ash in the air. SO, what if I cut the lid on the ash can in half and put hinges on it, so when dumping the ash pan I would just swing half the lid open. Then on the other half of the lid (that would remain attached to the ash can) - I would cut another one inch hole and mount the shop vac hose to it. With this arrangement, any plume of fly ash would be pulled thru the shop vac and now I have my cake and I can eat it too..

The only thing that bugs me is the possibilty of a hot ember getting pulled up thru the hose, but I suppose anything heavier than the fly ash would simply fall to the bottom of the ash can.

 
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Dennis
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Post by Dennis » Thu. Dec. 29, 2011 10:54 am

when I shop vac the boiler out I have another hose and install it in the blower side and stick that hose out the window and no dust in the basement. Dennis

 
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Tim
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Post by Tim » Thu. Dec. 29, 2011 1:35 pm

I use the blue heppa filter in my shop vac at the shop for touching up any spill from the Glenwood and it works great.
now at the house for the Pellet stove I used the outside air kit that came with it to attach the exhaust of my dedicated little 6 gallon shop vac to and let any of the fine dust just blow outside when I clean it.


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