How Often Do You Clean Out?
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I'm know there was some talk of this but I can't seem to find it . This is my 2nd yr burning coal and I have noticed some things about my energy max 160 . It seems the stove gets to much ash built up after a while . I was getting dead spots but use a rod to kinda scrape the grate with a few lines trying not to mix up the fire but bust some ash loose, that seems to help for a while. I have had a fire going for about 2 months and notice I was not getting much heat and losing my fire . I shut it down yesterday cleaned out and started over . What a huge difference that makes. My question - is this a normal thing? Do experienced coal burners have to clean out a few times a season ? Also am I correct to say it's an ash issue in my stove that's causing low heat and dead spots? This is a hand fed stove and I shake and fill 2x a day .
- lowfog01
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I get the same thing with the Marks Brothers. You shouldn't have to start over, though. I went to the local Hardware store and got a 2 ft piece of 1/4 steel rod and put a handle on it. I use it to poke holes in the ash build up. I try not to stir the coal bed but rather poke holes though it. That's all it needs for the ash to drop when I shake it. It doesn't have to be done every time you shake, just when you see the need.Waswood wrote:... It seems the stove gets to much ash built up after a while . I was getting dead spots but use a rod to kinda scrape the grate with a few lines trying not to mix up the fire but bust some ash loose, that seems to help for a while. .
Some of the guys put a 90* turn on the end of the rod and poke from below. I guess it depends on your grates. I know I can't get to my grates from below.
You'll be surprised how much ash comes down. Lisa
- Keepaeyeonit
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I did the same thing with my Hitzer as Lisa does with the Marks Bros except I would do It once a day that way I would always stay ahead of the problem, also try to get the glow as even as possible while poking the coal bed across the entire grate area, that will ensure a even burn. I never had to shut down and do a clean out because of ash build up just keep up with Itlowfog01 wrote: You shouldn't have to start over, though. I went to the local Hardware store and got a 2 ft piece of 1/4 steel rod and put a handle on it. I use it to poke holes in the ash build up. I try not to stir the coal bed but rather poke holes though it. That's all it needs for the ash to drop when I shake it. It doesn't have to be done every time you shake, just when you see the need.
Some of the guys put a 90* turn on the end of the rod and poke from below. I guess it depends on your grates. I know I can't get to my grates from below.
You'll be surprised how much ash comes down. Lisa
With the hand fed I would shut down and clean out around 6 weeks. It was probably the coal I was burning but the clinkers would accumulate by then and cut down on the amount of coal that could be banked in the firebox. They wouldn't break up into ash that could fall through the grates. I would do it when we had a winter break warm day or two - sometimes earlier than the 6 week mark sometimes later. I also cleaned out the flue pipes then and the top of the baffle plate in the stove. If there was a real polar blast coming and the clean out hadn't happened yet I made time to do it because as you said it makes a big difference in stove performance.
As mentioned every few days I would also scrape along the sides and front with a poker to clear the ash better than the grates could alone.
As mentioned every few days I would also scrape along the sides and front with a poker to clear the ash better than the grates could alone.
- freetown fred
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About once a month, the HITZER will get ash build up along the sides & ya can really tell she's not putting out like she should. Soooo, I made up a weapon of mass destruction for the task--lotsa space between me & the hot coal bed. Drag & poke the sides from the top & she's good to go for another month or so.
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- windyhill4.2
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3rd heating season for my Crane 404,i don't even clean out when the fire dies in the spring & I just start the fire in the fall with whatever is still in there. So I guess my answer to how often do I clean out is that I never do. I never have problems keeping the fire going either & I do not poke or disturb the coals from above. I shake & then poke & slice from below. When I poke/slice , I always work for getting a very bright glow evenly from front to back & side to side of the grates. EASY
Just to clarify ...
I tend to my stove 2 times per day..
Same routine both times.
Just to clarify ...
I tend to my stove 2 times per day..
Same routine both times.
Last edited by windyhill4.2 on Tue. Dec. 27, 2016 1:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- freetown fred
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Just more confirmation that each stove/setting plus a persons maintenance schedule is a separate entity. Thanx for sharin WH.
- Lightning
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I'll add this, it depends on the coal. One year I was using red ash and it would clinker badly. I finally learned how to fish the clinkers out without shutting down and cleaning out but until then I had to clean out every few weeks. Then another year I had white ash coal that had a lot of shale in it. I was forced to shut down and clean out with every ton of coal burned. Otherwise the shale would just collect on top the grates and take up space.
Last year I had good clean coal and never shut down, it was a one match Club year lol.
As far as ash build up is concerned, I take a 4 foot section of rebar and lift the coal bed at each tending. This agitates and provides room for ash to fall towards the grates so it can be shaken out and keeps my fuel bed very happy and healthy.
Last year I had good clean coal and never shut down, it was a one match Club year lol.
As far as ash build up is concerned, I take a 4 foot section of rebar and lift the coal bed at each tending. This agitates and provides room for ash to fall towards the grates so it can be shaken out and keeps my fuel bed very happy and healthy.
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Thanks for the replies , I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that has this issue . I guess I'll keep poking and busting up the ash until it gets to bad then I'll do a clean out . If a clean out is every 2 months I think I can deal with that. Actually it gives me a reason to sit in basement a couple hours and drink a beer.... or 2 .
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You should never have to start over with good coal. It's just a matter of developing a technique for your particular stove. That's pretty much what those who have answered have done.
- warminmn
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i just get a real hot fire and then work the crap out of it every day or two with industrial equipment and never have a problem with it going out. Mine doesnt have a shaker though, and thats why I have to work it that often. Its a slicer. the Chubby I have to poke from underneath sometimes to get more ash out. It depends on how its acting as to how often.
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It seems the ash builds up to thick and then when I'm trying to get it loosened up to fall through grates I can lose my fire if I'm not careful . This may be because I need to be more proactive on working more ash out sooner rather than later . This stove is not supposed to see glowing in the ash pan I was told by manufacturer. They said just shake and fill that the air will get up through to keep fire going . Although it burns a lot better when I can see that glow in Ashland when after a clean out .
- warminmn
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Yes, you probably need to shake a little more. Also if you get your fire burning hotter before you work it over that will help. You could also add 5-10 pounds of fresh coal and let that get burning good before working it over. Any or all of the 3 will help you keep from losing the fire. Note: I am unfamiliar with your stove and your results may vary from mine.Waswood wrote:It seems the ash builds up to thick and then when I'm trying to get it loosened up to fall through grates I can lose my fire if I'm not careful . This may be because I need to be more proactive on working more ash out sooner rather than later . This stove is not supposed to see glowing in the ash pan I was told by manufacturer. They said just shake and fill that the air will get up through to keep fire going . Although it burns a lot better when I can see that glow in Ashland when after a clean out .
- Lightning
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I agree with warminmn, shake ash until you see a few red embers fall and some orange glow radiating down thru the grates. Also, you may want to try a double shake routine where you shake some out first, then using a section of rebar jab and lift the coal bed throughout, then shake again. Just rev the fire up good before all that torment, which brings me to another point. You'll need to learn the limits of how far down it burns before a double shake and heave. If it burns down too far you won't get a good rev up which could lead to injuring the fire and result in a very slow recovery or no recovery at all.
If it does burn down pretty far, what I do is a two step process. Shake down a little just to clear the way for combustion air, add a layer of fresh and let it get burning good, then do the jab and lift, and shake it out again. The two step is a bit time consuming but will save a dying fire.
Be patient with it, give it time to react to what your doing. You'll figure out just what it needs over trial and error and soon you'll see that you don't need to shut it down anymore.
Be the fire.....
Franco summed it up well,
If it does burn down pretty far, what I do is a two step process. Shake down a little just to clear the way for combustion air, add a layer of fresh and let it get burning good, then do the jab and lift, and shake it out again. The two step is a bit time consuming but will save a dying fire.
Be patient with it, give it time to react to what your doing. You'll figure out just what it needs over trial and error and soon you'll see that you don't need to shut it down anymore.
Be the fire.....
Franco summed it up well,
franco b wrote:You should never have to start over with good coal. It's just a matter of developing a technique for your particular stove. That's pretty much what those who have answered have done.
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all very well put guys and may be you could call DS them syour self and see about that or maybe its just the coal and or the way the stove burns each and all set upps are all completely different no matter what and then you have your enviroment you live at // hills trees etc . don't worry to much you will get it but to me it the coal and the nature of the stove .