Ash vacuum-really needed?

[PCustoms]

What is the benefit to a dedicated ash vacuum?

What makes an ash vacuum a vacuum?

I heat the house with a wood stove upstairs and a pellet stove in the garage/basement.

In the winter I shovel the wood stove ash into a metal 5 gallon bucket about 1x per week. Minimal spillage. I'd for some reason I need to vacuum (more then normal household vacuuming) I put a shopvac in the deck and bring a hose in.

Pellet stove is on a concrete floor and I can sweep a mess up. Again if really needed the exhaust on the shopvac gets routed outside.

Doing a clean right now and questioning if I'm missing something not having a dedicated unit.

 

[65ranchero]

Not having wood heating, my guess is that they filter more of the ash than a regular vac.
And it seems these vacuums can handle warm embers.
Just my guess.
Copied from a article:

• The ash vacuum cleaner, equipped with a metal drum, coated steel flex hose and a special filtering system that captures ash avoiding any irreversible internal damage to the suction motor. The ash vacuum cleaner is usually small, lightweight and easy to carry but can also be equipped with wheels to allow for faster movement. The ash vacuum cleaner can only **** up dust and dry residues;

 

[Walkers]

So long as everything is cold a shop vac works jusst fine. Get a hot coal or two and things around a plastic shop vac can get more interesting.

 

[American Locomotive]

The biggest difference is the steel hose and a filter/bag capable of withstanding hot embers. I too thought the same as you until one day I was cleaning out the wood stove a solid day or two since anything had last burned in it, and then suddenly the plastic hose got very soft and smoke started billowing out. Turns out there was some hot glowing carbon that was insulated under inches of ash. It got sucked up, the rushing air brought it back to life, and then it immediately set the filter inside the vacuum on fire.

Basically, If you can wait a week or whatever before cleaning your pellet or wood stove, it's probably not worth buying an ash vac. If you're shutting the stove down, then cleaning it shortly after - you'll need an ash vac.

 

[PCustoms]

Maybe I just missed it, but other then the metal canister looking at them quick they all appeared to have plastic hoses. Seemed kinda pointless.....

As for filtering, yes I'm sure it's better. But shopvac exhausting outside works for that.

 

[PCustoms]

Basically, If you can wait a week or whatever before cleaning your pellet or wood stove, it's probably not worth buying an ash vac. If you're shutting the stove down, then cleaning it shortly after - you'll need an ash vac.

Sounds like I don't need one then. Weekly cleaning is just dump it into a metal can and go toss it outside.

 

[pcmeiners]

Just retired a coal heating system ( what a pain, 40lbs cinder per week, plenty of dust). Was using a Craftsman shop vac with a HEPA filter

 

[PCustoms]

Was looking at some of the cheaper options again to see materials. Find the translation fail:

 

[SVibs]

Find the translation fail:

Thanks for that--got a good chuckle.

 

[Sumboodie]

Must be a tiny stove to clean it that often? I empty mine maybe 3-4x a winter. (September-May)

 

[Buckgnarly]

I have a small rigid ash vac that I got as an open box at HD.
Biggest plus for me is the size, I can hold it while vacuuming the top where the cat is. Lugging the shop vac would be a PITA for that.
It also has a metal cage around the filter to catch embers. I can also say that even my wife does not complain about dust when I use it, though you gotta blow out thr filter often.

 

[Milton Shaw]

We were eating in a Cracker Barrel and someone had cleaned the fireplace over night. All the tables and chairs in the vicinity had a coating of ashes on them. They had to clean and wipe off just about everything in the room. I guess that is one of the things an ash vacuum is supposed to cover.

 

[WisJim]

We heated solely,with wood from 1977 through 2008 and just shoveled out the ash, and then a month or so after heating season was over and everything was dead cold, I used a shop vac to do a final pre-summer cleanup. For years before shop vac, I just brushed it out.

 

[PCustoms]

We heated solely,with wood from 1977 through 2008 and just shoveled out the ash, and then a month or so after heating season was over and everything was dead cold, I used a shop vac to do a final pre-summer cleanup. For years before shop vac, I just brushed it out.

Essentially all I do. Once every 1-2 weeks let the fire burn low, scoop the ash into the bucket and rekindle a new one. Bucket gets dumped over the bank in the snow or left outside to cool if it's dry out. Only thing that really needs vacuuming is the tray in front of the door.

As others have said a standard vac will blow dust everywhere. Given that I have a door 10' from the stove and 30' of hose this seems like a non issue to me.

Leaning towards saving $100 and continuing to burn without a vac for the 7th season. Wasn't sure if I was missing something.....

 

[P0234]

The biggest advantage is you don't clog up your shop vac. They do have a pre screen that helps a little but you still have to clean it out after 3-4 buckets full. I question if I really need one but it does get used a lot. I have the snow Joe one.

 

[Criss]

I have a WPPO Ash Vacuum (cordered). I bought the vacuum for my smoker and my fireplace. Don't waste your time or money. First use in the fire place AFTER I shoveled it, filter clogged within a minute. Took it outside cleaned the filter and finished the fireplace. They absolutely do not create any dust. But you will be continually cleaning a clogged filter. Now I use an old vacuum with hepa filters and a hepa bag, or my shop vac.