Fireplace Cleanup And Wood Stove Cleanup

How to clean your fireplace

 

Some fireplaces have a small, cast iron door called an ash dump door inside the fireplace in the center of the fireplace floor, or inner hearth. This door leads to the ash pit, an open cavity below the fireplace. This is a good place to being your fireplace cleanup. If you have an ash dump door, you probably also have a cleanout door in the cellar or outside, at the base of the chimney. 

Once the ashes are completely cold – which can take well over 24 hours – you can push them down into the ash pit, saving you the hassle of carting them over the white Persian rug. Later, if you feel so inclined, you can open the cleanout door and shovel out the ash pit. 

Note: This is a very dusty job. Wear a respirator. Or better yet, hire your chimney professional to do the job, using a high-powered vacuum designed to filter out very small particles. And since the average ash pit is big enough that you can dump ashes down there for decades without filling it, don’t feel that you have to rush to clean it out. 

Don’t shovel live coals into the ash pit, as combustible materials like plywood and 2×4’s are often left in the ash pit during construction of the house.  

Additional information about how to use your fireplace.

Fireplace cleanup without an ashpit – Cleaning a Wood Stove

 

fireplace cleanup: coal hod - CHIMNEYS.COMCarry the ashes outside in a metal container, usually called a “coal hod” or “coal scuttle” and store them in a metal can with a tight lid, on a non-combustible surface (like dirt or concrete).

Many home fires are caused each year by hot ashes, from cleaning a fireplace or cleaning a wood stove, left on the back porch or in the garage – even if they are in a metal can! Ashes stay hot for an incredibly long time. So store them outside, away from anything combustible.

~ Todd Woofenden

~ Asking for Chimney Information ~

After reading an article, you can ask a question about that article. Replies will come from Chimney Professionals, and sometimes from homeowners, who are giving their answer based on the information you provide. Remember that they are providing answers SIGHT and SITE unseen! 

CHIMNEYS.COM recommends that you use these comments to better inform yourself to discuss your chimney and venting issues with a professional whom you call to your home to evaluate the issue.

To read more like the article above, click on the topic below...

0 0 votes
Total
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Looking for a Chimney Sweep?

Click to find…

Your Chimney Pro

Scroll to Top