Coalpail.com Forum

ok now, been using the efm 520 now for 2 months, going nice and warm. but taking out the ash pan, there got to be a better way, read some thread about auger, not a bad idea, but more work and money, then saw about using some kind of shop vac, ummmm, that may work. Look at Harbor Frieght about Industrial Portable Dust Collector for $125, that a doable, thinking put it outside, run hose thru basement window, then another hose from the unit into a metal trash can, some kind of filter or filter bag like you have for your table saw for it so it can breath, there be no ash pan in boiler, there be a stop inside of ash door, this way the ash wont spill out when opening the door. No dust in the house, and boiler get clean good every 2-3 days
Any comment?
Thank, Gerard

Gerald,
I have been thinking about your idea. I know a few guys in the area that use a leaf blower mounted on a box outside. This works like a dust collector.
I am not sure about the filter idea. I know when I u8se my shop vac to clean out the filter clogs almost immediately.

A few members here report no plugging of their filters by using a cyclone device inline before the vac. Search...dust deputy...but there are other brands cyclones out there as well. There are even a few discussions online at the woodworkers sites for a DIY version you could build yourself too.

A cyclone would Definitely work. I have a large one in my woodworking shop and I clean my filter bags every 2-3 years.
The Dust Deputy ,from Onedia, is plastic so you might not want to vac hot ash with it.

Kungur wrote:A cyclone would Definitely work. I have a large one in my woodworking shop and I clean my filter bags every 2-3 years.
The Dust Deputy ,from Onedia, is plastic so you might not want to vac hot ash with it.

They also make an Industrial Steel version...more $$$

This ebay seller provides a great product at a fair price...and has sold 92 of them already!!!

Cyclone Separator for Shop Vacuum

I like this one better, I could make it at work next week, using the computer that make all kind of ductwork, then burn the pcs and roll em up, heck that way too easy to make, but gonna do it anyway, lol. thank you for showing me from ebay Anything I should know before I make it? it there anything inside of it that I should know?

Thanks again, Gerard

Here's one...

DIY Cyclone Dust Collector

I use the plastic dust deputy dumping into a plastic bucket. I don't vacuum out the ash pan, only what may fall out into the bottom of the boiler and onto the floor. I use a plastic bag in my ash pan per the recomendation of a forum member.

Unique Way to Remove Ashes From a VF3000 Boiler

If your stoker is running as it should, no live coal will ever be in your ash pan. The ash may me very warm from being inside the boiler but not hot enough to cause a problem with the plastic. I use a 42 gallon black plastic contractor bag in the pan. Just grab it and close and hardly any dust escapes. Then use the shop vac with dust deputy to clean up the spillage from the ash pan and floor. I don't know if the plastic bag trick will work in other stokers but it works great in the vf3000. One thing though. You'll need to place a piece of fiberglas insulation against the inside of the boiler where the flue comes down.

ok people, here the scoope.
made the cyclone as seen from ebay out of metal
And it WORK! I use a 5 gal bucket for this test, now need a metal trash can, then dump the ash out behind the shead
now need a more powerfull shop vac and have the whole setup outside with a hose thru the basement window, my goal is not to more ash pan from inside, just clean out the ash and be done with it,
the good part, I made it for free from work, man, I love my job! lol

Way cool!

Next, wire a switch for outside shop vac back to inside and then you only need to roll the trash can to the curb once a week.

Are you taking orders for purchase of fabricated cyclones?

We ever gonna see a pix of this system?? A pix is worth a thousand words. I mean, you can't really patent it being you swiped materials & possibly built it at work, plus you got paid for all that.

coalkirk wrote:I use the plastic dust deputy dumping into a plastic bucket. I don't vacuum out the ash pan, only what may fall out into the bottom of the boiler and onto the floor. I use a plastic bag in my ash pan per the recomendation of a forum member.

Unique Way to Remove Ashes From a VF3000 Boiler

If your stoker is running as it should, no live coal will ever be in your ash pan. The ash may me very warm from being inside the boiler but not hot enough to cause a problem with the plastic. I use a 42 gallon black plastic contractor bag in the pan. Just grab it and close and hardly any dust escapes. Then use the shop vac with dust deputy to clean up the spillage from the ash pan and floor. I don't know if the plastic bag trick will work in other stokers but it works great in the vf3000. One thing though. You'll need to place a piece of fiberglas insulation against the inside of the boiler where the flue comes down.

Man, I wish I could put a contractors bag in my ash pan. But I'd probably have a fire.

I'm On Fire wrote:

coalkirk wrote:I use the plastic dust deputy dumping into a plastic bucket. I don't vacuum out the ash pan, only what may fall out into the bottom of the boiler and onto the floor. I use a plastic bag in my ash pan per the recomendation of a forum member.

Unique Way to Remove Ashes From a VF3000 Boiler

If your stoker is running as it should, no live coal will ever be in your ash pan. The ash may me very warm from being inside the boiler but not hot enough to cause a problem with the plastic. I use a 42 gallon black plastic contractor bag in the pan. Just grab it and close and hardly any dust escapes. Then use the shop vac with dust deputy to clean up the spillage from the ash pan and floor. I don't know if the plastic bag trick will work in other stokers but it works great in the vf3000. One thing though. You'll need to place a piece of fiberglas insulation against the inside of the boiler where the flue comes down.

Man, I wish I could put a contractors bag in my ash pan. But I'd probably have a fire.

Yeah I think its only going to work with certain boilers. I would never try it in a stove.

Kungur wrote:Gerald,
I have been thinking about your idea. I know a few guys in the area that use a leaf blower mounted on a box outside. This works like a dust collector.
I am not sure about the filter idea. I know when I u8se my shop vac to clean out the filter clogs almost immediately.

Homemade Ash Vacuum System

ok, here the pics for the cyclone, that sound better then dust collector.lol