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[lugnut]

Yeah, its me again.  So I was talking with my Orkin guy.  He has an Empire OWB and I was inquiring about the ashes.  He told me to let them go and get a good amount in the ash drawer, of course I don't have an ash drawer, but I knew what he meant.

Any one out here let their ashes go for longer than a week?  Another question...I place my spent ashes in a galvanized trash can and let them set for a couple days before I dump them out onto the gravel driveway.  What do you fellas do with yours?

Okay, I'll sit back for a while and see what kind of replies I receive.  Again, thanks in advance.

Lugnut

[martyinmi]

One of my friends has a CB 6048 and he only takes about 1 or 2 gravel shovels full out per week. He and I are both big fans of incorporating our spent ashes into the soil in our gardens.

[willieG]

i stir them around and wait until they flow like water before taking them out. i only take out the ones that flow like water (there is no more heat in them then) i too throw them out in the garden

[lugnut]

Great ideas from both Marty and Willie.  I never thought about throwing the ashes out in the garden.  I really hate to dump them on the gravel driveway as some of my kindling had nails in it last night.   

Thanks guys.

Lugnut

[R W Ohio]

I started using the stove the last week of September this year and have not taken any ashes out yet. This is only the 6th. year of using this OWB, but in the past years I have taken them out 3 times a year.The 1st. in late December, the 2nd. in March and the last in May when I shut down for the summer.
RW

[Bull]

My ashes go to the garden also

[beeman]

mine go to the holler unless snow on the ground use the ash insted of salt at least the ash dont kill the grass

[JBG]

I try to clean my ashes out every two weeks.  I spread my ashes out behind my barn so
the dog can walk all over it and track in the house.

[Ridgekid]

I was going for once a week but the ashes seem to have a lot of heat left in them. To avoid starting a fire in the woods I put it in my trash burning barrel.

I like the idea of leaving them in longer until the ashes seems to float like water. I'll see how much longer I can get out of the ashes before I have to pull some out. So far it's been over a week.

[Scott7m]

I take my ash pan and dump it every 10 days.  Be careful not to. Let your ashes get to deep.  Ash is an excellent insulator, I've built rocket stoves and put ash around the pipe and it does great.   

Ash will be hot inside your stove because it's hot in there, not because it's still making heat.  Sooo,if they start piling up on the sides your simply limiting the area from which ur stove can absorb heat.  Ash is not coals that are glowing red so please understand the difference. 

If yoiu don't beleive me, watch The video from portage and main and the problems they've seen with ashes getting to deep in the firebox.

[willieG]

I take my ash pan and dump it every 10 days.  Be careful not to. Let your ashes get to deep.  Ash is an excellent insulator, I've built rocket stoves and put ash around the pipe and it does great.   

Ash will be hot inside your stove because it's hot in there, not because it's still making heat.  Sooo,if they start piling up on the sides your simply limiting the area from which ur stove can absorb heat.  Ash is not coals that are glowing red so please understand the difference. 

If yoiu don't beleive me, watch The video from portage and main and the problems they've seen with ashes getting to deep in the firebox.

you are right about ashes insulating scott. i have no grates in my tank in a tank style stove. i let the ashes build up to the bottom of my door and i think that helps my fire as the ashes do insulate the bottom of the stove from the fire...this in turn helps my fire burn hotter as the water under the fire now does not cool the fire and lets the hot embers actually burn down to that fine (run like water) state.  we all pass on teh info that we seem to think help our stoves burn better (or at least what we think) and others add thier own beliefs on subjects (as you have on this one) and it makes for very good discussions so that people can think about their own situation and make  (what you and i both hope) an informed decission that works for them

rock on everyone

[Scott7m]

Ashes under the bottom is different than having them going 10" up the sides though.  Plus each stove is different,  stoves with no grate and water directly under the coals is different than a stove with shakers.   A lot of times it's a live and learn trial and error to see what works best for you.  I know my natures comfort stove last year when ashes started piling up on the sides it seemed to use a little more wood.

[BoilerHouse]

I remove ashes every week -  put them in a 15 gallon metal pail.  When the pail is full it gets dumped onto a pile.  In the spring the ash pile is mixed with the chain saw chips that I get from blocking up 9 cords of logs and this concoction is used around the yard to fill in any low spots.

[lugnut]

I try to clean my ashes out every two weeks.  I spread my ashes out behind my barn so
the dog can walk all over it and track in the house.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

[yoderheating]

 I have 2 acres of lawn so about every two weeks I normally just pull my ash pan out and walk out and spread it directly on the lawn. I try and do this right after a rain or when there is frost on the yard so I don't have to worry about starting a fire. I'm the training officer on the local volunteer fire department, it wouldn't look very good if I started a fire in my lawn. If I'm burning coal I have a separate pile on the edge of the woods where I dump it.