Nearly Retired (I am now) Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 What do you do with the ash that you have cleaned out of you fire in the morning?Mods. if this is in the wrong section kindly move it. It just seemed to follow on from other fire questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Well it's a source of posassium, so I spread it on the garden. (not on a windy day, though!If you had access to enough animal fat to render down, you could use it with the ash to make your own soap. Actually, given the way that bar soap is disappearing from the shops, we'll all be reduced to this before long...p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterG Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Mine goes on the garden as well.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1steveuk Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Some on the garden, some into jars, as it's brilliant at cleaning the "glass" of the insert type burners, without scratching, and some I use to soak up oil spills on the drive.We were also told by a local "expert" that you should never clean it out totally, because some ash will make it easier to relight, he also gave me a list of temp outputs for different types of wood, which is very accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 If you leave it in a partially covered bin, it absorbs even more nitrogen from the air and is great for tomatoes!At present, I am using it all to break down a heavy patch of soil alongside the workshop ready for a herb garden.By next year the soil should be ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retread Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 [quote user="f1steveuk"]We were also told by a local "expert" that you should never clean it out totally, because some ash will make it easier to relight, he also gave me a list of temp outputs for different types of wood, which is very accurate.[/quote]We leave as much ash in the bottom as possible so that the logs sink into the ash overnight and only require a 'stir' in the morning. We used to have a problem with excess draft/furious burning and by leaving a copious ash bed are no longer troubled. Yes any excess goes into the soil great for the vegies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 [quote user="f1steveuk"]he also gave me a list of temp outputs for different types of wood, which is very accurate.[/quote]I'd be quite interested to see that as would others I can imagine [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 What do you do with the ash that you have cleaned out of you fire in the morning?Put it around the base of fruit trees and roses. It can be used as a general garden fertilizer but fruit trees particularly like the potassium . It can also be strewn around plants to stop slugs and snails, also good for throwing on ice to make it less slippery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Don't do what these people did:http://tf1.Ici.fr/infos/france/faits-divers/0,,3627930,00-incendie-detruite-hectares-vegetation-.htmlthanks to moonraker for this link, in the thread on sapeurs-pompiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie girl Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 It comes up page cannot be displayed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1steveuk Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 When I get home (Dec 13th) I'll post it. Hornbeam was the hottest, but I'll be blowed if I remember any others! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Anglia Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I rarely, if ever clean the ash out, just relight the fire on top of it.It doesn't seem to build up and very little falls through the grate, so it must be consumed, which is what the stove manufacturers told us would happen if burning solely wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 OH meticulously cleans out both of our poêles every morning and relay everything ready to start off again. Will tell him no need to be too fussy.The ash gets spread around the veg patch.He tells everybody we live like peasants, bringing in the logs and lighting our fires and putting up with the dust. We even have the split finger tips and blackened nails to show for it.On cold days, we burn around 50 short lengths of logs everyday, so there's plenty of lugging and chopping up of kindling and gathering of pine cones to do. I find it very good fun because the dog is out in the garden with me and I get my weight-training in the open air and without having to pay gym fees! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil & Pat Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I hope there is no problem with pasting the list to the right - I don't remember where it came from. Although it does not show actual burning temperature it shows the relative heat output of various types of wood which is probably more relevant.I leave it as an exercise for the reader to do the translation.Regards,Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Sorry the link I gave didn't come up - it's really worth reading. If you look in the French Culture forum in the Sapeurs/ pompiers thread you will find it - it seems to work there for some reason. A salutary tale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1steveuk Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Sapin is pine isn't it? Which I have benn told NEVER burn in an insert! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie girl Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 I know you shouldn't burn pine on your woodburner, but does that mean you can't use it as kindling neither. Our house was full of bright orange pine, we have been using it to start the fire off. [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1steveuk Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 I can't think a little pine can hurt, but I've chosen not to use it at all. I usually just collect all the twigs and small bitd the wind blows off, and keep them in the dry to light the insert.I've heard pine cones make good fire lighters, but never tried it, but I have burnt my hands toasting bread or marshmallows! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie girl Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Well thanks for that f1steveuk. Since coming to france 8 months ago it has been my job to chop sticks from the dismantletation (new word) of the house. I have now piled up a small mountain(with snow on top even) of said sticks,mainly bright orange pine, enough for the next 15 winters. And now you say i can't use them, bl--dy h-ll. looks like a visit to the dechetteire is required. Anybody lend me an articulated truck please?[:D][:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deimos Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Last year I had a massive pile of small offcuts of building softwood. Given how expensive the flue liners are, I thought I would check with the guy who cleans the chimney before using the stuff. He said No, but then maybe the smaller stuff so start the fire. I expect that small offcuts of softwood would be pretty well dried out and thus as good as they could become - hence I decided it was just not worth it for a few small bits to light the fire - so I stick with collecting fallen branches and keep a reasonable amount of the smaller diameter wood for fire starting.Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1steveuk Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Ooooops, sorry!I'm sure it's been covered, but it's the sap from pine, It cools on the inside of the chimmney, but can be easily ignited. So I just thought, "it's not worth the risk". I'd hazard a guess that the odd bit wouldn't create too much of a problem, but how much is "a little bit"??I also have my doubts about these cleaning logs that one is supposed to burn every so often, but my nieghbour swears by them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie girl Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Think its better to be safe than sorry so we'll use firelighters from now. The chimney liner is brand new and not cheap so will have to look after it.Still looking for a truck[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 If you want the calorific values of wood then this site gives them. look about 2/3rds of the way down. Quite interesting.We have a big open fite, more for the cosy look because the under floor heating does the donkey work, not me [8-|]... I wouldn't burn pine on it because I have seen what it can do if it spits molten resin. A friend in the U.K. had resin spat at his leg and when he reacted by trying to pull it off he got bad burns on his hand too!! It's the resin rather than the sap as such that causes the problems with the chimney. Unless it is taken to a very high temprature it doesn' burn properly and really gums up the flue.Pine cones are wonderful as fire lighters and it ain't till you light one that you can really see why pine forest fires are so intense. As far as chopping little sticks as kindling, if you use cones you can put fairly large bits on and they go well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deimos Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 [quote user="Jonzjob"]Pine cones are wonderful as fire lighters and it ain't till you light one that you can really see why pine forest fires are so intense. As far as chopping little sticks as kindling, if you use cones you can put fairly large bits on and they go well.[/quote]Do pine cones contain this nasty resin (or do you use so few as to make no difference ) ?Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 They sure do Ian, but asI only use about 4 to light it I don't think it's tooo bad. And they don't spit, well manered I suppose [8-)]? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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