Coal Ash

2001Sierra wrote:Just do not put in on concrete, it will eat it away.

We used to use in on concrete all the time when it was icy. Never had any issues.

There was a wall behind the neighbors house next to my Grandmothers that must have been 100 years old made with ash that looked in great shape until the excavator got to it . Fly ash is also used in concrete because it adds a lot of strength....

I empty the ash pan into a metal ash can and the next day dump it into my almost full kitchen garbage bag.Tie it up and put it in the trash can.I put it in the ash can over night to make sure there's no hot coals to burn thru the plastic garbage bag.(or burn down the garbage truck ) Chris

If the ash is not corrosive why is refractory cement recommended at all chimney tile joints,and a thin layer prior to setting the first tile on the footing, when setting a chimney ?

2001Sierra wrote:If the ash is not corrosive why is refractory cement recommended at all chimney tile joints,and a thin layer prior to setting the first tile on the footing, when setting a chimney ?

As I understand the reason behind requirement for refractory mortar is because the very high flue temperatures that can be reached with wood fires. You are unlikely to have such a high flue temperature with coal, hence Type S mortar will be perfectly fine. The typical building code does not make such a distinction however, requiring refractory cement on all solid fuel flues including coal. The refractory cement requirement is interesting because when you look a the manufacture's specs on the refractory cement it must be pre-fired to be cured. At temperatures and durations that would almost be impossible to do in a residential flue.