PDA

View Full Version : Disposal of Woodstove Ashes


upthesaukee
01-24-2015, 02:00 PM
With today's snow, I was once again reminded how important it is to properly dispose of my woodstove ashes. Before the storm started, I took the bucket that is in the photo, and moved it close to the tree from about 10 or 15 feet out into the driveway. I last emptied the ashes yesterday morning, and the temperatures have been in the teens and twenties since then.

The snow started this morning around 7 or 730, and as it winding on down now at nearly 200PM, as you can see there is no snow on top of the bucket. It has melted as the snow fell, and there is only water, standing water, on the top of the bucket. The bucket is still warm to the touch, not hot, but warm to the touch.

Here in the lakes region, I would estimate there is a house fire each week, or at least every two weeks caused by improper disposal of woodstove ashes, either by newspaper account, TV or radio reports, or via the scanner.

Just a good visual indication of how important it is to carefully dispose of woodstove ashes. They will stay dangerously hot for many hours. Keep the lid securely fastened.

tis
01-24-2015, 03:16 PM
Careful of those trees, up. Don't want to burn them down!
:D

bclaker
01-24-2015, 03:22 PM
My friend and his wife were visiting us at our camp on Mousam Lake one weekend. We had a fire in the fireplace and the next morning I took the bucket out and dumped it over the banking and he and I went hunting. When we got Back, our wives said, when they got up, shortly after we left, they smelled smoke and were able to put the fire out with the nearby hose. If they had not been there, it would have been good by camp. The bucket may seem cool, but I think the outer ashes act like insulation for the hot core.

upthesaukee
01-24-2015, 03:36 PM
Careful of those trees, up. Don't want to burn them down!
:D

You are right. Woodpile is under the blue tarp and the bucket is a couple of feet from the tree.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk

Slickcraft
01-24-2015, 04:12 PM
Thanks to upthesaukee for the reminder on disposal of ashes.

I use the same type of galvanized bucket and have but one thing to add. A few years ago a strong wind took the cover off. I had a chunk of broken cement block laying around and now it sits on top of the bucket cover.