Emptying the ash pan...tricks/tips?

l40knocker · By: **l40knocker** On: Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:59 am

I took a pc of 18 inch spiral duct, which fits over a 10 gallon trash can perfectly, and put a cap on it with a hole for the shop vac hose in the center. I left the bottom open so I can easily lift the whole apparatus over the pail when it gets full or when I put it over a new pail. I then cut a hole in the side of the spiral at the same elevation as the top of a 5 or 10 gallon bucket so I can use all the different size buckets I have available for ashes. Then I turn the shop vac on and use my coal shovel to carefully shovel the ashes out of the ash pan and into the bucket. All of the fly ash is sucked up the hose. Make sure you use the drywall dust bags in the shop vac, they work great. I moved the apparatus out in front of the boiler so I could take a picture for everyone. It really wrks better than I thought it would!

syncmaster · By: **syncmaster** On: Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:48 pm

My way may of emptying the ash may only work with a Harman VF3000.

I did it all last season and it works very well.

here's the link with lots of pictures.
unique way to remove ashes from a VF3000 boiler

joethecoalman · By: **joethecoalman** On: Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:22 pm

from joethecoalman

I buy 3mil large commercial trash bags from lowes or home depot. take ash pan outside. slip trash bag down over top. gather up excess bag and flip over. let set couple minutes. lift up ash pan with trash bag still over. eliminates 90% of dust.

tikigeorge · By: **tikigeorge** On: Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:59 pm

My KA-6 I use a 30 gal garbage bag with the draw string. Slip it over the top, turn the pan upside down and lift the pan out of the bag. don't let it go back down or you will push the dust out of the sides of the bag. Be aware of the wind too.

Oakback · By: **Oakback** On: Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:51 pm

I have dirt trails in my woods, that are slowly looking much better thanks to a nice layer of hardened coal ash.

freetown fred · By: **freetown fred** On: Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:16 pm

Yep,your trails & my driveway

Rob R. · By: **Rob R.** On: Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:40 pm

My method is pretty simple. I shake down the boiler and leave the ashes in the pan until the evening or following morning. By that time the ashes are cool, so I take the entire pan outside and dump it into a metal can next to my garage. The can holds about 3 shakedowns worth of ashes, so when it is full I carry it about 100' and dump it on my "ash mountain" behind the shop. Someday I may have to do something with the ash mountain, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

-Rob

Oakback · By: **Oakback** On: Fri Dec 17, 2010 5:42 pm

freetown fred wrote:Yep,your trails & my driveway

Kinda wished I hadn't paved my driveway about 6 years ago.
The way I figure it, I'll be walking about 100' into my woods every time I dump ashes, before I retire and go south. :cry:

Guess I'll need to come up with a plan B before too long.

freetown fred · By: **freetown fred** On: Fri Dec 17, 2010 7:03 pm

And that's the second big advantage--although--it's at least 100' to the end of my drive--sooooo,we're all doin outstanding

the only goin south I see in the future will consist of somebody sprinkling MY ashes on the south side of the driveway :lol:

Have a Merry Christmas oakback

fastcat · By: **fastcat** On: Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:07 pm

For my Hitzer ash pan that is like a shovel with the open end I made what I call a rollup. It lays down on a leg so it is tilted I open the door slide the ashpan in close the door and roll it up right, finish the tending of the stove and by that time the flyash has settled I open the door take out the ashpan close the door and put the ashpan in the stove, little to no flyash flying and no spilled ash on the floor. It holds 3 to 4 days worth of ash then I dump it out in my pile. Thought about making a few and trying to sell them to other Hitzer owners with the shovel type pan. I did the dumping into a garbage can last year and was not going to do it again.

blrman07 · By: **blrman07** On: Sat Dec 18, 2010 4:32 pm

Dumping into an open top container while you stand over the container is something you will do only once.~!@#$%^&*()_+~@!#

1ton · By: **1ton** On: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:59 pm

Thats why we have gravel driveways, and allways check wind direction first

Keepaeyeonit · By: **Keepaeyeonit** On: Sun Dec 19, 2010 8:53 pm

Since I have to carry the ashpan through the house I made a cover I can hold up to the stove and slide the pan right into,take it into the garage to dump.

lowfog01 · By: **lowfog01** On: Sun Dec 19, 2010 9:24 pm

Me too... rather Freddy made me a lid for my ash pan last year and this year he followed up with a new ash pan. The lid really makes a difference in keeping the amount of ashes down while I walk the full pan out of the house. Having a second ash pan means I no longer have to work with a hot ash pan. I shake the stove, let the flyash settle and then pull the full pan out of the stove, cover it with the lid and set it to the back of the hearth. Then I put the empty pan in the stove. I'll empty the full one the next day when the ashes are cold. Not having to deal with the ashpan more then once a day - What a concept!

Coalfire · By: **Coalfire** On: Sun Dec 19, 2010 9:31 pm

lowfog01 wrote:Me too... rather Freddy made me a lid for my ash pan last year and this year he followed up with a new ash pan. The lid really makes a difference in keeping the amount of ashes down while I walk the full pan out of the house. Having a second ash pan means I no longer have to work with a hot ash pan. I shake the stove, let the flyash settle and then pull the full pan out of the stove, cover it with the lid and set it to the back of the hearth. Then I put the empty pan in the stove. I'll empty the full one the next day when the ashes are cold. Not having to deal with the ashpan more then once a day - What a concept!

Just curious why do you remove the pan after shaking? Why not do it before and not deal with hot ashes? On another note though the lids do help. I got a lid for my pan on the DS and I've noticed I'm gonna say a 98% drop in dust in the house. It is amazing that just covering the pan to walk it outside makes such a differance.

Have a great day, Eric

Emptying the ash pan...tricks/tips?

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Re: Emptying the ash pan...tricks/tips?