Rate Your Stove...Amount of Dust

Cap wrote:...8<...I wonder how Hitzers compare to Harmans? Or Alaska & Keystoker? And some of the other caveman fired stoves.

A partial answer found for one, the Hitzer...

Second answer for Cap's question - Hitzer makes a fitted ash pan, that you can then dump into a covered ash tote of a matched size - there is almost no dust if you dump cold ashes and are careful with the hinged handle on the foto of the ash pan above. My H354 would look like the foto only if I waited a full day, it typically has space when dumped each time b/4 I begin to shake. baldeagle

baldeagle wrote:Second answer for Cap's question - Hitzer makes a fitted ash pan, that you can then dump into a covered ash tote of a matched size - there is almost no dust if you dump cold ashes and are careful with the hinged handle on the foto of the ash pan above. My H354 would look like the foto only if I waited a full day, it typically has space when dumped each time b/4 I begin to shake. baldeagle

As seen on the U-tube clipp, All the ways NOT to tend your HITZER stove. What a joke! Yes, the HITZER has a fitted ash pan. The ash pan is also 3 sided, acting as a shovel when sliding the pan back into the stove. Being 3 sided makes for easy dumping as well. I done away with the round flip up handle on the HITZER ash pan. Works very well. My uncle has a Harman Mark-111, with 4 sided ash pan. We turned it into a 3 sided ash pan, like the HITZER. Works much better.

I voted #1 because shaking down and removing the ashes is no problem. The problem I DO have is when I dump them in the can outside. The ash pan is wider than the barrel. The ash pan from the old stove could fit right in. At least the ash isn't a problem until I get outside.

Now that I can`t tell for sure where my driveway is I just slide the full pan out, put empty in, let the ash cool & take in the garage I have a big plastic bag that takes the whole pan. Just flip it inside the bag, let it settle & get ready for the next time. If I can find my drive again I can start filling in the low spots, thats where the dust comes but it`s outside but who cares.

[quote="Cap"]

The SF250 I use has a very inefficient ash collecting ash pan. I have to shovel out 3 or 4 scoops of hot ash from the area below the grates after I remove the pan for dumping. A lot of ash collects here. But careful collection of the overflow ash is always important.

I gave the Harman SF-250 a "3".
The stove is made very well but, as Cap has pointed out, the ash pan design is very poor.
Under the shaker grate, the inside of the stove is about 18" wide. The ash pan is just over 12" wide.
The ash door opening is 12 5/8" wide.
With 3" of space on each side of the ash pan lots of ash fails to hit the tray.
Even with careful shoveling its hard to keep the dust under control. Each day it takes about 12 shovel fulls to clean out all the ash.
After the heating season is over I plan to make 3 ash pans, just under 6" wide. This will take full advantage of the stoves interior width and improve the dust rating.

RS

Just create a negative preasure area with 2 metal trash cans, little can inside bigger can, a open hood and a shop vac of your choice.
No ash blow back and fireproof as well!

I voted #2. A similar story to other Harman owners, the Mark III misses some ash on either side and I use a flat ash shovel to get it out. If I am not careful it will send dust out. If I turn off the circulation fan and am careful there is no dust. We hang laundry to dry in the basement with the stove, so if there was a dust problem I would have heard about it with both barrels!

I have two ash pans that I alternate, letting the hot one cool next to the stove before taking it outside to dump on the stove driveway or the path in the woods so there is no dust issue there either.

I'm interested in hearing from more Hitzer owners. I am especially curious in hearing how well the Model 82 retains ash in the pan vs the Harmans.

Cap wrote:I'm interested in hearing from more Hitzer owners. I am especially curious in hearing how well the Model 82 retains ash in the pan vs the Harmans.

Hi Cap, A few days ago on "hand fired coal stoves" I asked questions about the Hitzer model 82.
The ash pan was one of the questions. I will try to get the link.

Hitzer Model 82 UL Questions

RS

Cap wrote:I'm interested in hearing from more Hitzer owners. I am especially curious in hearing how well the Model 82 retains ash in the pan vs the Harmans.

Sorry, No experience with the model 82.

I have a Gibraltar LCC and I get some dust from adding coal and taking the ash pan out, but it is very small. I do not clean the room anymore than I do when I ran the heat pump (way back when I have a HIGH electric bill).

Of course there was a brain fart moment when I left the blower on when I pulled the ash pan out, but we all make stupid mistakes like my 1st marriage. lol

Dan

PC 12-47E wrote:

Cap wrote:I'm interested in hearing from more Hitzer owners. I am especially curious in hearing how well the Model 82 retains ash in the pan vs the Harmans.

Hi Cap, A few days ago on "hand fired coal stoves" I asked questions about the Hitzer model 82.
The ash pan was one of the questions. I will try to get the link.

Hitzer Model 82 UL Questions

RS

Thanks, I was following that thread but lost track of it. There are some great images of the Model 82. I think this model would work well in my basement. But I wonder if model 82 would create less dust?

Dust creation is stove operator dependant!

Draft is key to a dustless shakdown. The 'rents 503 insert requires the ash door open to shake the grates and I was concerned about dust entering the living space.
There is no dust due to the strong draft, it just sucks it all back into the stove!
The rest is controlled by the operator, put a lid on it, keep away from fans and do not trip!

Cap, as mentioned by capecoaler as for ash dust "its mostly an operator issue", I am thinking about oliverpower's suggestion to eliminate the "bale" on my Hitzer 354 ash pan. It interferes with dumping into the ash tote .. the pans come with the stove. The fitted ash tote is +/- $20 but worth it. baldeagle