Having a fireplace provides a warm and cozy ambiance to your home while giving extra heat in wintertime. Therefore it’s important to keep it clean of dust, ash and general debris during the heating season. So, you have to know what the best vacuum cleaner will be specifically for fireplace ash.
But, understanding what would be the best vacuum for fireplace ash, will be dependent on your budget, the size of your fireplace and how often you use it. Plus, when making a decision, it’s a good idea to devise a picture of how you’re going to clean it. This will help narrow your choices at finding the best vacuum cleaner for fireplace ash.
Can Fireplace Ashes Be Vacuumed?
Yes, you can vacuum fireplace ashes. It reduces the powdery mess that’s sure to happen, sprinkling ash around the immediate vicinity.
Can You Use A Regular Vacuum For Ash?
Never use a regular vacuum for fireplace ash. Vacuums designed for fireplaces are different than regular ones. This is because ash vacs comprise mostly metal parts that help withstand particles, chunks and heat. Using a regular vacuum will destroy the machine, motor and filter.
Using an average vacuum to clean a fireplace will reduce the overall performance of the vacuum and its lifespan. Plus, you’ll increase the chance of a fire hazard and ash particles will escape into the surrounding environment. Also, learn about the common types of mold that grow in homes to make sure your house is properly cleaned to avoid health risks.
How Do You Clean Ashe From a Fireplace?
Cleaning ashes from a fireplace is pretty simple and straightforward. It’s just a little messy. You could hire someone else to clean it, but this gets expensive. Besides, if you plan on reusing the ashes for other things, it will be more practical to clean it yourself.
Items You’ll Need
- Ash vacuum
- Broom and shovel
- Paper towels
- Poker
- Metal Trash Can or Similar Receptacle
- Fireplace-safe cleaner
- Scrub brush
Steps to Clean
- Allow at least a ½ day (about 12 hours) or more to pass after the last fire.
- Lay wet paper towels in front of the fireplace. This will trap some of the debris, ash and dust that flies around.
- With a poker or other similar implement, sort through the pile of ashes to ensure there aren’t any live embers still smoldering. If so, remove or extinguish them.
- Then take a metal shovel to scoop out large piles of ash and put these into a metal receptacle. Then put it outside away from combustible materials and chemicals.
- Use the ash vacuum to remove a great portion of the remaining debris.
- Use the broom and dustpan to sweep up anything else trapped in corners and other narrow areas.
- Use the vacuum one last time to ensure you have everything clean and clear.
- If there are any filthy, gritty spots, use a fireplace-safe cleaner and a scrub brush to remove it.
- Wipe or rinse off any scrubbed areas and allow it to dry before lighting another fire.
How often should you vacuum ash from your fireplace?
The frequency with which to vacuum ash from a fireplace will be contingent upon how often you use it. On average, however, once per week should be sufficient. But, if you use the fireplace as a main heat source, you may want to consider doing it two to three times per week.
Alternatively, if you only burn a fire occasionally, vacuuming it every other week or so will probably be more ideal. But, remember, it’s not necessary to remove the ashes after each use. That said, you don’t want to allow too much ash to buildup either.
Also, regardless of frequency, it’s advisable to clean the fireplace well at the end of each heating season. Many people suggest making it part of your spring cleaning regimen. This will keep everything in good condition and in top working order.
5 Best Vacuum Cleaners for Fireplace Ash
PowerSmith PAVC101
This three-gallon all-in-one ash vacuum by PowerSmith offers a convenient and handy machine. It has a blower with a metal-lined hose, metal nozzle and two extension wands. This model also comes with a brush nozzle and a turbo nozzle. It’s made of wood and metal along with wheels for easy transport.
This machine is green and black, measuring 14 inches long by 14 inches wide and 15 inches tall. It has a replaceable fire-resistant filter that’s specific for cleaning warm or cool ashes out of wood stoves, fireplaces and grills. It weighs 13 lbs.
This vacuum is heat-resistant and washable while also being very quiet and powerful. It has a 10 amp motor that never gets louder than 79 decibels. The 16-foot cord makes it easy to wheel it around wherever you need it to go. The hose is 50 inches long with a handle on the top of the device. The easy-to-operate toggle switch turns the vacuum on and off.
Benefits
- Comes with a two-year warranty.
- Compact size with wheels makes it portable and easily stored.
- Powerful and quiet.
- Long hose and power cord with attachments makes for ease of use and cleaning.
Disadvantages
- The motor tends to burn out immediately after the warranty date.
- Some users say the plastic bottom gives out after a few uses.
Inno Stage Ash Vacuum Cleaner
Inno Stage’s five-gallon ash vacuum cleaner has a robust metal body that’s solid. Even the interior of the ash tube comprises metal, making it resistant to heat while sucking up hot ashes. But, the temperature cannot exceed 104°F (40°C).
The 1200-watt motor provides good suction with a compact and lightweight design, so it won’t take up too much room in storage. It has a durable handle that makes the vacuum very portable. Use it to clean a wood stove, log burner, fireplace, grill or fire pit.
The double-stage filtration system prevents particles from escaping into the immediate environment. This also protects the motor from damage while guaranteeing efficiency. There are two sturdy locks on each side of the bucket to protect ash from spurting.
It’s very also easy to clean. You can hose it down or wash it in the sink. It comes with an instruction manual, a metal hose, an aluminum nozzle and a non-woven fabric HEPA filter. To clean the air filter, use an air compressor to blow away dust and debris. Shake off the filter after each use.
When it’s really dirty, rinse it from the inside out with lukewarm water.
Benefits
- Five-gallon capacity is good for larger fireplaces or for those who leave ash to linger a little too long.
- Double-stage HEPA filtration reduces the amount of dust and debris that escapes into the vicinity.
- Washable filter.
- Easy to clean and store.
- Can handle temperatures up to 104°F (40°C).
Disadvantages
- The hose is short and clogs too easily.
- Overheats and shuts off quickly.
- Doesn’t contain ash and dust as advertised.
- Suction isn’t very strong.
US Stove AV15E
The ash vacuum offered by US Stove gives an overall basic machine that’s good for the value. It’s black and red that comes with a 3¼ foot suction hose and eight inch aluminum wand. This vacuum also has a three-layer dust filter with a mesh cage and a plastic crevice tool.
This makes cleaning your fireplace a breeze with a two-horsepower peak motor and six-gallon capacity. It has an eight-foot power cord with integrated storage. Use it on warm or cold ashes. The machine itself is 12 inches long by 12 inches wide and 18 inches high. It weighs 10 lbs and great for tight corners and narrow spaces.
Benefits
- It comes with a two-year warranty.
- Makes cleaning a cinch with good, powerful suction.
- Easy to setup and store.
Disadvantages
- You have to assemble the machine before you can use it.
- It’s not very quiet.
- Not enough attachments for the narrowest of spaces.
Snow Joe ASHJ201
The black metal tank on Snow Joe’s ash vacuum has a dual filtration system. The pleated filter cleans ashes while minimizing dust escaping into the immediate environment. It’s incredibly easy to clean the filter and reuse it too, which means you’ll save money on buying filters.
Snow Joe’s model has a four-amp motor with up to 500 watts of suction power. It’s good for cold ash from all kinds of burning spaces like fireplaces, grills and wood stoves.
The cord is 8½ feet and the hose can suck up 42.4 cubic feet per minute of airflow. The canister holds up to 4.8 gallons and weighs about 8.8 lbs. It’s 14.8 inches long by 12.7 inches wide and 12.4 inches high.
Benefits
- Has a two-year warranty.
- Has a washable HEPA filter.
- Small, compact and convenient.
- Low mess and dust because of the filter.
- Cost-effective
- Excellent for pellet stoves.
Disadvantages
- There’s only one nozzle.
- Suction isn’t very good.
- Less than desirable overall quality.
- Company will not honor returns.
BACOENG Ash Vacuum Cleaner
BACOENG’s ash vacuum cleaner is excellent for cold-ash suction in wood stoves, fireplaces and grills. It comes equipped with a reusable HEPA filter and washable filter bag. This traps the fine debris and dust particles so that they don’t infiltrate the air.
The high-speed motor helps to ensure a reduced instance of clogging and damage that dust and ash have the potential to leave behind. However, superfine ash tends to clog the filter quickly. The whole device has a good design with solid engineering.
It has a 5.3 gallon tank with 10 amps of suction, providing a powerful cleanup job while preventing excess dust and debris from escaping. The power cord is 15 feet long and the metal hose is five feet. It weighs 12.17 lbs and is 18¼ inches long by 11½ inches wide and 11.3 inches high.
Integrated storage wells allow for convenience of keeping all the attachments and accessories together. It comes with an aluminum suction tube, a Dacron-type filter bag and wheels. The more advanced version of this vacuum features a floor attachment, crevice tool, brush nozzle and extension wands.
Benefits
- Has a HEPA filter with double-stage filtration.
- Indicator light turns red when the tank is full and the filter is beyond capacity.
- Large tank with a convenient design.
- Storage for accessories and attachments.
Disadvantages
- The ashes must be cold, they cannot be hot or warm in any way.
- The hose doesn’t fit on some models.
- Indicator light turns on quickly.
Conclusion
Cleaning your fireplace is essential. A vacuum goes a long way to help reduce dust while keeping things functional and in good condition. Some models are less expensive than others and yet certain brands offer a limited number of features. To know which is best, will be contingent on what’s important to you, you’ll want to make sure that you purchase the best vacuum for fireplace ash specifically if it for this sole purpose, this will save you money and time in the long run.
