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peachboot828 OP t1_iwwabf2 wrote

Reply to comment by Romanovs_Penguin in What do you do with significant amounts of wood ash? by peachboot828

Well, it’s that much between ash and charcoal. Not sure of an efficient way to sift the charcoal out for further burning, so that combination adds up pretty quickly. And I did overestimate a bit, but not much…we fill that can every 14 days.

How are you generating so little ash?! Our stove is marketed as one of the most efficient ones on the market. Maybe we’re not burning our fires hot enough? I see that someone else said wet wood…the wood is seasoned but has only been stacked for a month, so it may still be a bit damp.

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Romanovs_Penguin t1_iwwc7j8 wrote

If you're generating that much, something is very wrong. And you certainly are not burning as efficiently as you think you are. I'm concerned that whatever you're doing is creating a lot of creosote buildup in your chimney. This is the cause of a lot of chimney fires.

95% of what you scoop out of your stove should be very fine ash dust. There should be very little charcoal.

Charcoal is simply wood that hasn't burned completely.

What is the moisture content of your wood? It should be below 20%. You can buy a moisture meter or you can borrow them from many local Vermont libraries.

Perhaps you're not burning hot enough. It's hard to know. I'd definitely find a knowledgeable friend or neighbor who can come to your place and see what you're doing in person.

20 gallons of ash and charcoal every 14 days is really concerning.

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MeanFluffyBunny t1_ix8jrel wrote

I have the same stove, just one step down size wise. I also generate tons of ash, and I have minimal creosote buildup. I mean, these stoves reburn all the smoke produced to the point there’s 0 smoke coming out the chimney.

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