Powder

Any ideas on reducing the powder that is covering everything within 20 feet of my stove? I never thought it would be this bad!

Are all your flue pipe joints sealed and door gaskets tight to keep any ash from floating around during the shake down process? I assume you are talking about ash powder rather than coal dust from loading?

I get very little coal dust from the buckets of coal I bring in since I am shoveling from the 5 gallon buckets directly into the stove and not dumping the bucket into a hopper. Also the coal I am bringing in is usually damp from being outside in the semi covered pile.

Mine is in an unfinished basement so maybe I don't notice the ash dust as much as some would in a living space, but still, I keep the dust down by being slow and careful when cleaning out the ash. I turn off the blower fan first and pull out the ash pan. In my Harman there is ash that misses the ash pan along the sides, I use a small flat ash shovel to get it out. Carefully place the ash on the shovel into the ash pan so it doesn't create a cloud of dust. I then set the pan to the side to cool off and replace it with a second ash pan. It takes less than 5 minutes, I usually do this at night and then take the full pan outside to be dumped the next day. We hang laundry in the basement and SWMBO has never complained about dust on the clothes hanging up (and believe me, it would have been pointed out to me if there had).

I did trip over a cat one time carrying the pan outside, that made quite a cloud and took a while to clean up!

Be careful shaking and loading coal and removing ashes

Vacuum with a magnetic arm and hood from wood working shop.

I am pretty careful. There is a plate that covers the opening when I shake too.
Its just that fine gray powder pretty much everywhere down here!

Thats the problem with having a coal stove in your main living space. I have same type of issue that requires alot of dusting in the area that my hand fired stove is in (gibraltar). After trying dust reduction techniques, If the dust is still bad, consider putting the stove in your basement.

I only shake down with a good hot fire when possible,all the powder seem's to go up the chimney

hugg wrote:Thats the problem with having a coal stove in your main living space. I have same type of issue that requires alot of dusting in the area that my hand fired stove is in (gibraltar). After trying dust reduction techniques, If the dust is still bad, consider putting the stove in your basement.

Its in the basement, but its finished and I have my computer and 10k in sign making machines down here so its really starting to get on my nerves. That pic of your gibraltar look like the same one I have.. SCR

Its strange because when I shake I really don't "see" anything getting airborn.

I don't either. But its there. I think your stove has a blower. When you are shaking down or filling up do you shut the blower off. Maybe that will help a bit.

Are you opening your fill door a crack when you shake? Most fly ash will leave with your draft. I keep a small air cleaner running in the room. All of the air in your home is turning over at the heat source as the cool air drops and the hot rises.

Are you sure it is dust from the flyash? Or is it just dust from the house? When the air gets changed from that room it carries house dust with it. The reason you notice it is because it is not filtered and begins to collect on surfaces.

Im just thinking about it more. for the past 2 weeks I have been wood working in the garage. I leave the door open from the house with a fan blowing into the gargage. I was assuming the dust from the wood would not blow into the house with the fan blowing the opposite dir. but I think about 50% if from that.

MidnightMadman wrote:Im just thinking about it more. for the past 2 weeks I have been wood working in the garage. I leave the door open from the house with a fan blowing into the gargage. I was assuming the dust from the wood would not blow into the house with the fan blowing the opposite dir. but I think about 50% if from that.

If you are blowing air into the garage there has to be air coming out of the garage and it will be carrying dust with it if you are woodworking.

gambler wrote:

MidnightMadman wrote:Im just thinking about it more. for the past 2 weeks I have been wood working in the garage. I leave the door open from the house with a fan blowing into the gargage. I was assuming the dust from the wood would not blow into the house with the fan blowing the opposite dir. but I think about 50% if from that.

If you are blowing air into the garage there has to be air coming out of the garage and it will be carrying dust with it if you are woodworking.

HEHEHE! Thats the part where I went wrong!

Does anyone make a covered shovel? Like with a hinged cover to hold the ash in while shoveling. That's the key hold your ash while shoveling!