Cleaning Stove While on

jrn8265 · Post by **jrn8265** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2009 7:46 am

Couple quick questions; (Keystoker koker)

1. Is it ok to open the ash door, take out the ash pan and vacume with a shop vac the bottom inside of the stove while it is on idle?

2. Can the TEE on my flue be taken off and can I stick a shop vac hose in there a few feet to suck up the ash while the stove is on?

Won't both of the above cause CO problems or a large smell in the house..or worse yet...melt my shop vac hose? Anybody doing the above? Just hate to take the fire out for a quick clean in the middle of the season. Appreciate your thoughts and experiences!

hophead · Post by **hophead** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2009 8:03 am

I give my EFM a quick clean at least once a winter. I wait until the fire is died down and turn the power off.Now when I say quickie I mean do it as fast as possible. A few hits with a brush and vac and put it back together. Opening a window a little would be wise.

WNY · Post by **WNY** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2009 8:57 am

I can open my ash door, remove the ash pan and clean all around the bottom and up into the pipe a ways. I do it about once a month or so. Yes, you get some CO leaking out, but just open a window or do it quick.

Make sure you have a good Filter on your shop vac (drywall filter type) otherwise the dust/fines will just blow thru the vacuum. it will clog up quickly too.

I should

arcticcatmatt · Post by **arcticcatmatt** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2009 10:16 am

I do your number one once every 3 weeks.

I would not do your number two. Shut the stove off and do it real quick then turn the stove back on.

I melted a shop vac hose. I now know to do it all fast then suck room air to let it cool down then do it again fast.

jrn8265 · Post by **jrn8265** » Tue. Feb. 03, 2009 10:31 am

Yeah, think I am only comfortable with #1!

Horace · Post by **Horace** » Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 11:53 am

I'm probably an idiot for doing this, and I'm certainly not recommending that anyone follow my lead, but I always leave the stove on when cleaning. I'll wait until a warmish day and let it idle for most of the day so that it's cooler and presumably not making as much gas. I vacuum the inside, the top where the ash settles, and the stove pipe. Granted, I do so in stages; I do not disassemble everything at the same time, but I'm surely getting some CO in the house. I open a window and a door. I've never gotten a reading on the CO detector that sits three feet from the stove.