Wood stove grate ?

Jerry in MN · #1 12/21/08, 07:48 PM

Anybody here add a grate to their wood stove? Did it help much?
I have a furnace type stove without a grate. When the bottom of the fire box fills up with ash etc. there are still lots of coals in it. So maybe I should look at getting/making a grate? Thanks.

KnightFire · #2 12/21/08, 10:30 PM

I grew up with wood stoves and they always had a grate. I just think its safer that way, But if you have it under control I don't see a problem, but I think it would still be a good idea to have one. Even if you don't use it. You may find a need for it one day.

mdharris68 · #3 12/22/08, 04:40 AM

I have a buck stove insert in my masonry chimney, and I think the stove was supposed to come with a grate. But I never have used one. I always end up with a pile of ashes, but I also always manage it by removing the ash and shaking off the coals, leaving them for the next fire. I realize you said yours was a furnace type of stove though and the wood furnace I used to have had grates so the ash could fall through to a cleanout tray. It might make it easier for you to remove ash if you can get below the grate that you would install without removing it. Did your furnace come new without grates or did you get it used?

Jerry in MN · #4 12/22/08, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdharris68

Did your furnace come new without grates or did you get it used?

I got it used as it was already here in the basement when I got the place. There's no ash drawer. I suppose you could say it has an ash pit because the bottom is about 6" below the bottom of the door. So probably a removable grate would fit the bill. By the way, the fire box is about 14" wide and 22" from front to back.

Bearfootfarm · #5 12/22/08, 10:21 PM

I think a grate would be just one more hot, messy thing to move when it was time to clean it out. I cant see any real benefit to having it in a stove

Cheribelle · #6 12/23/08, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

I think a grate would be just one more hot, messy thing to move when it was time to clean it out. I cant see any real benefit to having it in a stove

I agree. Our stove has a good 6 inches below the door, and at first it seems a grate would be handy, but actually the air inlet is low, we are always scraping ashes away from it to keep the draw going. We "rake" things from side to side, trying to get ashes out and leave the most coals in. What I would like to find would be like a shovel, only a sifter, that I can move coals with, then shovel out the ash. Is there such a thing?

mdharris68 · #7 12/23/08, 06:45 AM

Cheribelle,

Go to www.lehmans.com and search for a coal keeper. I made one from expanded metal and it is actually a good tool to have around. I shovel all ash and coals to one side, then pick out the coals with my homemade coal keeper and then shovel out the ash. Kinda handy.

Cheribelle · #8 12/23/08, 07:19 AM

Fantastic! I just ordered one!

**Cabin Fever** · #9 12/24/08, 08:35 AM

I'm not sure what kind of advantage you think a grate would give you in a woodstove. Are you thinking the ashes would fall thru the grate and the grate would hold the coals...that way you could clean out ash while not removing coals? (I would think that the grate would be in the way when you'd clean the ash out!)

To me, it would seem that a grate would take up "valuable space" when I want to fill the woodbox for a long overnight burn....which would be a disadvantage. Also, it would seem that a grate would cause the wood to burn faster because it would allow air to circulate into the firewood from below...another disadvantage.

If a grate in a woodstove was a big advantage to the user, I would think that the manufacturers would design them into their stoves.

Jerry in MN · #10 12/24/08, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

Are you thinking the ashes would fall thru the grate and the grate would hold the coals...that way you could clean out ash while not removing coals?

Yes, that's what I was hoping. So there would be less weight of coals to take out as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

Also, it would seem that a grate would cause the wood to burn faster because it would allow air to circulate into the firewood from below...another disadvantage.?

That seems correct. So the fire would burn too big and too hot. Yet an advantage would seem to be that the wood would burn cleaner, with less smoke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

If a grate in a woodstove was a big advantage to the user, I would think that the manufacturers would design them into their stoves.

Yea, so maybe a grate wouldn't be the answer. Maybe a grate would work better in a coal burning stove. I know of a parlor stove that has a built-in shaker grate, but that stove is designed to burn either coal or wood.

To use a tool to separate the coals might be a better solution.

roy g · #11 02/03/14, 08:58 AM

Hi. I used my wood stove w/o a grate for years but recently the propane prices went sky high so I shut my furnace off and put in a grate to get more heat out of my wood stove. The results are: I've been able to heat with the wood stove only. I easily get to 400-500 degrees. I haven't been in overfire according to my thermometer. It's easier to get a fire started and to clean the ash I just slide the poker under and lift up to scoop it out. I don't have to wait for the fire to burn down. I love it !