by Kimberly Hill
When it comes to cleaning up dirty areas around your house, the chores at hand can rarely, if ever, be completed with only one cleaning tool.
Indeed, even if you've got one of the cutting edge vacuum cleaners with a bazillion of attachments for this and that, there are some messes that just need to be approached differently. For example, if your windows are dirty, a vacuum cleaner won't really help all that much. Instead, you might want to try using a more appropriate contraption such as a squeegee and some detergent. A steam-based cleaner can also be a great option for this purpose.
One of the often overlooked dirty messes that also need taking care of, especially if you've got a wood furnace or a stove, would be ash. The tricky part here is that vacuum cleaners aren't really built to be able to suck in an ash-like substance ( because they'll get clogged ), so even though they may seem like a perfect tool for this type of job, they're pretty much useless, really.
Luckily for those folks who do need to take care of their ash messes, there is a solution on the horizon. The contraption that can help you do this business is called an ash vacuum and it looks very much like your regular vacuum cleaner.
Today, we'll talk about what makes this particular contraption so useful and what features to look for if you're planning on buying one. Also, we've compiled a list of the best 10 ash vacuums currently available on the market!
Right then, without further ado, here's the deal.
Contents
One of the main differences between a conventional vacuum cleaner and one dedicated to ash removal, in particular, is the fact that the ash vacuum cleaners are much more heat-resistant, generally speaking. This is a crucial feature as ash is often hot and contains tiny pieces of hot charcoal, or whatever it is you've burnt.
To make this happen, the manufacturers of these machines are opting to make their cleaning appliances stronger by strengthening the core build. Usually, they achieve this by adding metal reinforcements, which are much better for tackling the heat of the ash.
Fireplaces and other areas of your home that house ash and other dirt particles in them tend to be hard-to-reach by just a regular vacuum cleaner. If the fireplace is built a certain way, you might even need to build it down in order to get to the charcoal remains and the ash underneath.
To avoid this, what you'll need is a long and reliable vacuum hose. Even though the length of the hose does mean losing some small amount of the suction power in the process, a long hose also means you'll have more reach, which is essential for ensuring you'll be able to pick up all the itsy-bitsy pieces of ash and whatever else it is that you want to clean up.
Also, due to its nature, ash tends to dig itself up and lodge in funny places, so a long reach is practically a must if you wish to clean a whole fireplace area, for example, in one swoop!
Unlike the hose, a large canister won't in any way threaten to impair the power output of your ash vacuum cleaner. Therefore, there's really no limit on how big these containers can get, so you should try to find a model with as big a canister as possible.
The dustbin, canister, or container ( all meaning one and the same thing ) are used for storing the dirt and, in this case, the ash you pick up with your vacuum cleaner. So, the equation is quite simple here, really. The bigger the canister, the easier it will be for you to have longer cleaning sessions, so to speak.
If you have a vacuum with a small canister, you'll need to empty it out more often, which can be annoying if you're in the middle of a cleaning process. To sum it up, as far as vacuum cleaner canisters are concerned - the bigger the better!
The suction power of your vacuum cleaner directly correlates with the power of the motor. And the more suction power you have, the easier your cleaning machine be able to, well, suck up the ash and dust! Simple as that.
Now, a big and powerful motor does mean you'll have to spend more money on the whole thing, but the investment might be well worth it in the long run. It all depends on your needs, really. If you have a big house with a mighty fireplace, for example, an ash vacuum with a big motor might be just what you've been looking for.
On the other hand, if you only need to do some cleaning every now and again, investing in a vacuum cleaner with a big motor might be a bit of an overkill and waste of money.
Similarly to regular vacuum cleaners, ash vacuum cleaners also need proper filters to run smoothly. Typically, ash vacuums have a three-stage filtration system. This is to ensure the exhausts are refined enough to be let into the room you're doing the vacuuming in.
The first stage usually consists of some metal straps that make sure the bigger chunks and pieces of the ash don't get through to the finer filtration barrier at stage number two. Now, at the stage number two, the filter comes in the shape of a cloth bag and it serves to capture some of the finer particles that made it past stage one.
At the stage number three, there's usually the more sophisticated HEPA filter, which serves to refine the tiniest and most elusive dust and ash particles and catch them before they can reenter the breathing space in the room. So, to get the most out of filtration for your ash vacuum cleaner, make sure to get a model with a HEPA filter, as these are some of the most advanced ones currently on the market.
Bulky, green, and featuring a long hose with special protective lining, this PowerSmith ash vacuum can be a perfect choice for a user who demands reliability and ease of use. With this particular model, the folks at PowerSmith have attempted to make a well-rounded ash cleaner that can tackle a wide variety of ash messes in different places.
To achieve this, they've made sure their ash cleaner can take care of fireplaces, barbeque grills, wood stoves, and pellet stoves. So, any domestic contraption that burns wood is pretty much covered here. Since ash vacuums need to deal with ash in its many forms, hot and cold alike, the manufacturers made sure the canister and the vacuum hose are metal lined and thus heat-resistant.
So, whether you're dealing with an ash heap a couple of days old, or the fire's gone out only a couple of hours ago, one of these mean machines can easily take care of the remaining mess!
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Encompassing pretty much all the same types of fire pit where ash can be accumulated as the model from above, this Snow Joe ash vacuum differs from its cousin at number 1 in one key aspect. The ability to work with hot and cold ash. The thing is, this model can only pick up cold ash, so trying to using it on still smoldering ash will likely ruin it.
Powering up this bulky ash vacuum is a large 500-Watt motor, so you'll have plenty of suction power to work with. Even if the ash has somehow managed to get stuck on the surface, you won't have a tough time breaking it up and sucking it all up again.
Other than the powerful engine, this ash vacuum also comes with an excellent filtration system. It has two stages ensuring a thorough filtering process and it also possesses another cartridge filter, which is reusable and washable.
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Made out of high-quality stainless steel, this Shop-Vac ash vacuum cleaner can be an interesting solution for a person in need of a powerful ash-sucking contraption for a wide variety of uses. This model will easily pick up ash from fireplaces, wood and pellet stoves, barbeque grills - you name it! If it burns wood or charcoal, this cleaning contraption can remove the remaining ash from it.
One of the downsides to this model, in particular, would be that it only works on cold ash. Using it on hot ash can cause deformation on the hose, so make sure to only start vacuuming with this device after the ashes have cooled down sufficiently.
In the department of filtration, this model comes with a hefty HEPA filter, which is well-known for its ability to remove even the tiniest of ash and dust particles that attempt to pass through its fences, so to speak.
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With a company name that pretty much proclaims its lack of affinity for ash ( and who's to blame them ), this Cougar ash vacuum cleaner possesses both the looks and the key properties of a tough 'n' ready ash remover!
Even though this model isn't really built to deal with hot ashy messes, the folks at Love-less Ash do assert that their Cougar model can do wonders to battle cold to warm ash piles. Also, when using this contraption, you'd need to pay attention to avoid big and hot coal chunks, as these can clog up the filtration system.
Even though it's predominantly made for tackling cold ash, this vacuum cleaner is nevertheless well-protected against excess heat. The entire build of this model is made out of metal so that it can have excellent heat-resistance properties. Also, there is a patented filtration system for fine dust and ash particles, so you don't have to worry about breathing in harmful exhaust fumes.
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Designed to suck up large quantities of cold and lukewarm ash, this COSTWAY Ash Vacuum Cleaner is a tough and reliable cleaning contraption that can take care of a wide variety of ash-producing metal contraptions, so to speak.
Whether it's a good ole wood stove, a barbeque grill, a fireplace, or any similar form of place where wood and charcoal gets burned, you can use this tool to get it rid of any excess ash. ( As long as you've allowed it cool off previously, of course. )
The department in which this cleaning utensil truly shines is its filtration. The HEPA filter that's installed somewhere in the bowels of this contraption is additionally reinforced to be fire-resistant, so you won't have to worry about it succumbing to the effects of some mildly warm ash finding its way to the filter at the back. ( If the ash you've sucked in is scorching hot, however, there are no guarantees the filter won't get destroyed. )
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Compact and featuring a stylish build that will not only help you pick up excess ash from your fireplace easily, but also make you look stylish doing it, this model from WORKSHOP is a great solution for a user in need of a small but plucky ash-vacuuming contraption.
The main purpose of this ash vacuum cleaner, according to the manufacturers themselves, is to pick up ash piles and dust heaps that are under 122° Fahrenheit. Any higher than that and you can cause damage to the build of this cleaner and also probably ruin the hose. ( And by probably, we mean - very likely, indeed. )
Here's an interesting bend on the well-accepted design for these ash vacuum cleaners. Since ash is usually found in dark places where there's not much light, the clever designers at WORKSHOP have decided to incorporate an LED light on the vacuum's hose. This way, you can not only vacuum clean the ash-filled places to your heart's content but also see what you're doing, as well!
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If you fancy obtaining an ash-eating contraption that looks like a barrel from the Half-Life computer game series with a hose sticking out of it, this here model from BACOENG can be an excellent choice for you!
One of its best feet forward, so to speak, is the fact that this model wields an incredible 1200 Watts of suction power, which is more than enough for the majority of your ash-picking needs. For safety's sake, it'd be important to note here that this model here can tackle only warm ash. Hot ash can damage the 'intestines' of this contraption, so you better steer clear of such a cleaning attempt, so to speak.
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With a design that pretty much represents a smallish black barrel with a sticker on the side of it, this Meeco ash vacuum is a simple and rugged ash collector that can easily tackle all sorts of ash in a wide variety of settings, so to speak. Whether it's a hearth, fireplace, a barbeque grill, or something else, this contraption makes for an excellent cleaning tool even if it's handled by a complete rookie!
To increase its durability and overall toughness, this model from Meeco has been treated with a special black powder coating. This additional layer makes it resilient to heat, scratches and other sorts of harm that can come its way.
When overall reach is in question, the folks at Meeco have installed a mighty 5-foot aluminum super flexible hose, which will grant you easy access into some of the tough-to-reach areas around your grill, barbeque, and other spots around your house.
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Representing probably the most well-rounded tool on this list, the VACMASTER 8 Amp ash vacuum is a contraption that can take care of ash piles everywhere and anywhere. Whether it's a good ole barbeque grill just sitting in the wide open, or more of a difficult location, thanks to its flexible hose and its useful attachments, this suction machine will do an excellent job every time!
Unlike many other types of vacuum cleaners, the manufacturers at VACMASTER have built this particular model with one fairly surprising feature in mind - the level of noise. ( Or rather lack thereof. ) The thing is, thanks to the design of the canister itself, as well as the motor, this model is considerably quieter than its peers, so to speak.
This unit also fares pretty well in the mobility department, as its base is stuck on four different wheels. This means that you'll be able to move it about easily, even though it's quite heavy on the whole.
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Featuring a sturdy, barrel-like body and a powerful 800-Watt motor, this TACKLIFE wet & dry vacuum is a beast of a cleaning machine that will make all sorts of ash disappear as soon as you can say 'Jack Robinson'. Whether it's leftovers after a particularly hot barbeque grilling session or some fireplace residue, this TACKLIFE ash vacuum can easily take on any sort of mess and get rid of it for you within minutes.
To ensure this thing runs without interruptions and is able to take care of large amounts of ash without any damage to its build, the folks at TACKLIFE have chosen metal as their material of choice for both the canister and the hose. ( The canister's made out of stainless steel while the hose is made out of aluminum. )
The flexibility of the hose on this particular machine makes it possible to reach tough spots and hard-to-reach areas. This can come in particularly handy for those scenarios where remnants of charcoal and ash have got stuck in spots you can't reach that easily. ( In the corners of the fireplace, for example. )
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No products found.
All things considered, ash vacuums are an important part of the vacuum cleaner family. Where regular vacuums get stuck with their hoses clogged, these machines just continue soldiering on until every last bit of ash has been removed from your fireplace, barbeque grill, or wherever. We hope this article helped you understand the utility of these machines and wish you a merry and hassle-free purchase!
PowerSmith PAVC101 10 Amp Ash Vacuum - Walmart Link
ASHJ201 4.8 Gallon 4 Amp Ash Vacuum - Walmart Link
Shop-Vac 4041200 Ash Vacuum Cleaner - Corded - Walmart Link
WORKSHOP Wet/Dry Vacs Ash Vacuum Cleaner WS0500ASH, 5-Gallon Ash Vac For Fireplaces, - Walmart Link
BACOENG 5.3-Gallon Ash Vacuum Cleaner with Double Stage Filtration System. Standard Ash - Walmart Link
PowerSmith PAVC101 10 Amp Ash Vacuum - eBay Link
ASHJ201 4.8 Gallon 4 Amp Ash Vacuum - eBay Link
Shop-Vac 4041200 Ash Vacuum Cleaner - Corded - eBay Link
WORKSHOP Wet/Dry Vacs Ash Vacuum Cleaner WS0500ASH, 5-Gallon Ash Vac For Fireplaces, - eBay Link
BACOENG 5.3-Gallon Ash Vacuum Cleaner with Double Stage Filtration System. Standard Ash - eBay Link
About Kimberly Hill
Now it is just me, Kimberly Hill living in New York city, N.Y.
Loves to blog about various aspects of life that matter most.
Received the BA degree in Art History from Stanford University of California.
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