Tipping Ash Into The Canal

[Gippy]

I give all my ash from fireplace at home to the local allotments they love it, find someone with a nice garden near by and offer it to them

[carlt]

I give all my ash from fireplace at home to the local allotments they love it, find someone with a nice garden near by and offer it to them

The list of nasties in ash that I posted was taken from a gardening site whose advice, after consulting solid fuel suppliers and soil analysts) is not to put it on the garden unless it is wood ash.

[Gippy]

The list of nasties in ash that I posted was taken from a gardening site whose advice, after consulting solid fuel suppliers and soil analysts) is not to put it on the garden unless it is wood ash.

Ohhh better mention this to guys on allotment see if they still want to us it

[Grace and Favour]

Ash contains significant concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, iron, lead, nickle, sodium, selenium, vanadium and zinc which, in my opinion, >>>

That could well be a product endorsement for any well-known and premium brand of cosmetics!!

[Naughty Cal]

Ohhh better mention this to guys on allotment see if they still want to us it

Quite often developers we work with are shocked to find that the nice "greenfield" allotment (i.e not previously developed site not designated greenbelt) site is highly contaminated and needing a regime of remediation to make it suitable for reuse in a residential setting. They never seem to think about the amount of ash that has been spread on the site over the years.

 

Im rather glad we have clean diesel heating, non of this pratting around disposing of all the waste, no storing of fuel on the roof or in the cratch. Just press a button and hey presto, warmth

[Guest]

Quite often developers we work with are shocked to find that the nice "greenfield" allotment (i.e not previously developed site not designated greenbelt) site is highly contaminated and needing a regime of remediation to make it suitable for reuse in a residential setting. They never seem to think about the amount of ash that has been spread on the site over the years.

 

Im rather glad we have clean diesel heating, non of this pratting around disposing of all the waste, no storing of fuel on the roof or in the cratch. Just press a button and hey presto, warmth

 

Yes but you can't beat sitting in front of a glowing stove on a cold winters evening....we are actually toying with the idea of ripping the power flue gas fire out at home and replacing it with a multi fuel stove.

 

It gives a nice flame but it's a noisy blighter.

Edited October 29, 2013 by The Dog House

[Naughty Cal]

 

Yes but you can't beat sitting in front of a glowing stove on a cold winters evening....we are actually toying with the idea of ripping the power flue gas fire out at home and replacing it with a multi fuel stove.

 

It gives a nice flame but it's a noisy blighter.

I can go to the pub for that glow. Leave them to clear up the resulting mess, of the fire that is .........

[Guest]

I can go to the pub for that glow. Leave them to clear up the resulting mess, of the fire that is .........

 

Of course but that rather depends on where you are moored.

 

We love our Morso and it's not really a huge amount of work TBH, as I say we have looked into having one at home. If this gas fire goes belly up and becomes to expensive to fix we will almost certainly be replacing it with something similar at home.

 

A quick shake of the griddle into the pan and the ash is sorted.10 mins every now and then to sweep the flue is no big deal either.

 

Besides Dennis wouldn't appreciate trying to get warm in front of a Diesel heater.

 

 

Obviously if we had a boat like yours we wouldn't have a lot of choice but because we do have the flexibility and the ability to chose we go with what suits us and what we like.

Edited October 29, 2013 by The Dog House

[Naughty Cal]

 

Of course but that rather depends on where you are moored.

 

We love our Morso and it's not really a huge amount of work TBH, as I say we have looked into having one at home. If this gas fire goes belly up and becomes to expensive to fix we will almost certainly be replacing it with something similar at home.

 

A quick shake of the griddle into the pan and the ash is sorted.10 mins every now and then to sweep the flue is no big deal either.

 

Besides Dennis wouldn't appreciate trying to get warm in front of a Diesel heater.

 

 

Obviously if we had a boat like yours we wouldn't have a lot of choice but because we do have the flexibility and the ability to chose we go with what suits us and what we like.

Whatever boat we have it is having diesel heating.

 

Solid fuel is far too messy for our liking.

[FadeToScarlet]

I read somewhere that CRT collect ash from a preserved steam railway to tip into the cut and seal lock gates on certain flights.

[Guest]

Whatever boat we have it is having diesel heating.

 

Solid fuel is far too messy for our liking.

 

As I said each to their own.

 

Sometimes though I do think the 'messiness' aspect of having a solid fuel stove is overplayed.

 

We actually do have diesel heating on our boat too and we use this when it gets really cold to provide some additional heat in the rear of the boat as being 60ft and having an ineffectafan on the stove means all the heat generated by the Morso doesn't make it's way all the way to the back of the boat.

 

It also heats the radiator in the bathroom which is nice in winter too.

[pophops]

Wood ash is a very different thing from coal ash which contains a lot of nasties. Morso advise that wood ash from a woodburner is of no use as a fertiliser because it has been so thoroughly burned it contains no useful nutrients. If as has been claimed it is alkaline, then it may go some way to counteract the effects of acid rain on the environment. Chuck it in the cut. It's safer and will do no harm at all. Oh, and make sure you are upwind of it.

[Rob@BSSOffice]

At the very least, tipping it into the canal will mean more silt on the bottom, and therefore less navigation eventually... Ash is also very alkaline, so if everyone did that, it would change the pH of the canal, which will harm wildlife, flora and fauna etc..

 

Cool it and put it in the bin. Leave it at least a day in a metal bucket before putting it in the bin. Surprising how long it stays hot.

We asked the BW (now CRT) scientists and the answer was unequivocal, as FD says above, let it cool, put it in the public waste. Do not throw it in the cut.

 

The metal bucket with a lid is a good idea. Stove waste can cause carbon monoxide fumes in boats. Cooling stove waste on decks have caused fires, so take care what the bucket is on and the lid is important in case the wind starts blowing embers around.

[matty40s]

We asked the BW (now CRT) scientists and the answer was unequivocal, as FD says above, let it cool, put it in the public waste.

was that the scientists who administer the summer/winter moorings without error, or the scientists who allow sunken vessels to pollute the cut for more than 6 months Rob??

[carlt]

We asked the BW (now CRT) scientists and the answer was unequivocal, as FD says above, let it cool, put it in the public waste. Do not throw it in the cut.

Did they cite research that brings them to this conclusion or was it just a "Give the problem to somebody else regardless of whether it is the correct solution." response?

[Jerra]

Whether the ash is toxic or not I fail to see how, given the desperate need for dredging in many areas, anyone can contemplate making it worse. Throwing ash in the canal would undoubtedly be easy,you wouldn't need to wait for it to cool. This, if it became common place must make the silting problem worse.

 

If it won't can somebody explain to me how that would work.

[matty40s]

I can't,so I won't,. mine doesn't go in the cut, however, it doesn't answer the question of who RoBBss CRT scientologists are.

[PhilR]

I wonder if the OP has heard stories about working boatmen chucking hot ashes into the water, in an attempt to seal the seams on leaking wooden boats?

[Coelum Ruat]

The list of nasties in ash that I posted was taken from a gardening site whose advice, after consulting solid fuel suppliers and soil analysts) is not to put it on the garden unless it is wood ash.

Wood is the best fuel for this reason. I burn logs from my trees, the co2 feeds the trees, the ash goes into my veg plot and my onions swell. - No fossils.

Burning coal pollutes the air with sulphur and leaves ash which must be disposed of where it can do no harm.

How anyone (Naughty Cal) can describe diesel heating as 'clean'... well, what do I know about particulate air pollution and the sins of the petrochemical industry? Nothing.

[mark99]

Why not apply the neighbour test?

 

Would you like your neighbour to walk up to your front garden and place the material in your garden?

 

If no then do with it what you expect your neighbour to do with it.

[onionbargee]

leaving piles of ash in the towpath hedge, is just fly tipping, plain and simple.

[carlt]

leaving piles of ash in the towpath hedge, is just fly tipping, plain and simple.

Actually the residue from your stove is "bottom ash".

 

"Fly ash" is the stuff that goes up the chimney.

 

I wonder if the OP has heard stories about working boatmen chucking hot ashes into the water, in an attempt to seal the seams on leaking wooden boats?

 

Not just "working boatmen"...From post #10:

 

My order of preference for disposal is: Down the side of the (wooden) boat if it's leaking; in potholes in the towpath if there are any; in the hedge if available; straight in the cut.

Edited to add: Never hot, though, it spits back.

 

Cooled, mixed with water and sawdust, squeezed into balls and thrown at the leaks on the sides.

Edited November 2, 2013 by carlt

[mark99]

Actually the residue from your stove is "bottom ash".

 

"Fly ash" is the stuff that goes up the chimney.

 

 

Not just "working boatmen"...From post #10:

 

Edited to add: Never hot, though, it spits back.

 

Cooled, mixed with water and sawdust, squeezed into balls and thrown at the leaks on the sides.

I think it was used on stop-planks too?

[FadeToScarlet]

I think it was used on stop-planks too?

And CRT use it on lock gates on IIRC the K&A.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Quite often developers we work with are shocked to find that the nice "greenfield" allotment (i.e not previously developed site not designated greenbelt) site is highly contaminated and needing a regime of remediation to make it suitable for reuse in a residential setting. They never seem to think about the amount of ash that has been spread on the site over the years.

 

Im rather glad we have clean diesel heating, non of this pratting around disposing of all the waste, no storing of fuel on the roof or in the cratch. Just press a button and hey presto, warmth

Oh how I miss humping Bags of coal Walked or in my case many a time rowed back to the boat.Hosing down the tender so I don't ge coal stains on my clothes in next use then having to find a lowdown storeage place (roof not good ,to top heavy at sea) for heavy bags of power & slurry coated fuel,Bags of Kindle,Paper,Firelighters,Matches,Logs,Wood,Flue cleaning Brushes,metal Bucket,Grate cleaning stuff . Then have the worries of how to safety & greenly despose of the end by product. Then have the worry of what direction my smoke & or sparks/embers are being blowen in the wind,hoping it not straight into someone else's cabin or canopies. Or house especially if by a Marina,pub or similar

No,,for me its Gravity fed Diesel heating every time.

I must admit,miss the crackle hiss & dancing of the flames though.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Paul's Nulife4-2