Turning Off Stoker During Ash Removal, Helps With Dust?

When you guys remove the ash pan from your stoker stoves do you turn off all blowers on the stove to prevent ash from becoming air born? and if so when you have your stoker hooked to a coal-trol thermostat how is this done?

I turn ours off but not because of the ashes. It's so I don't get a face full of fumes.

I don't have a problem, just pull it out gently, the draft usually pull most of the airborn ash from the door.

I flip the emergency switch off when changing out the ash bins to avoid pushing ash off the grate when there's no bin to catch it. No other reason. But I do wear a dust mask when handling both ash and fuel.

BTW, I'm averaging about 45# of ash out for each 250# of rice fuel in.

I just turn off the blower that washes the hot air off the stove. I found that if I use a bag each time I empty the ash that it's less messy than when I was dumping the pan into a garbage can.

traderfjp wrote:I just turn off the blower that washes the hot air off the stove. I found that if I use a bag each time I empty the ash that it's less messy than when I was dumping the pan into a garbage can.

Agreed on the bags. I've found that slipping a contractor's bag over the ash bins is, by far, the best way to get rid of the ashes. No mushroom cloud.

gambler wrote:.......... and if so when you have your stoker hooked to a coal-trol thermostat how is this done?

Just simply turn off the switch on the Coal-Trol, this will kill everything for the minute or so it will take to remove the ash pan and empty it outside. Turn it back on while you leave if it is going to be a while. The set time on the unit will require adjustment every week or so to keep it close to actual time.

This procedure can be used weekly/monthly while you vacuum the fly ash out of the inside of your stove. It usually takes me about five to ten minutes each week to vacuum the stove and clean the glass.

Hope this helps.

My instructions say to unplug the unit, I have done that twice. Most of the time I open the ash pan door when the circulating blower is off, my little vac is next to the stove, I clean out any ash that is in front of the ash pan, then remove the pan. I then set my coal bucket in the stove to catch the ashes while I am dumping the bucket into a 30 gal grease can, that is out side. I do need to get some more dust mask, it can get messy.