First-Rate Fireplace Vacuums You’ll Wish You Had Sooner

Updated October 6, 2021
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Chimney Sweep cleaning fireplace inside of home

With a wood stove or pellet burner, it's pivotal to clean the ash for it to run correctly. You can do this with a shovel and bucket, but buying a fireplace vacuum can make your life easier. To ensure you get the perfect machine, review some pros, cons, and specs about some of the hottest ash vacuum brands on the market.

Top Picks for a Fireplace Ash Vacuum


Top Overall:
PowerSmith Ash Vacuum

This warm ash machine has medium suction power and a low noise level for wood stoves, barbecues, and pellet stoves.
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Most Easy-to-Use:
Pellethead Pro Ash Vac

This easy to use vacuum has a wheel dolly so you can hand carry it if you need to, and it has a simple toggle switch design.
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Best Large Capacity:
Vacmaster Ash Vacuum

Designed with a large canister and 8 amp motor, this vacuum makes big jobs easy.
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Best Filtration System:
Cougar+ Ash Vacuum

This is a quiet, dust-eliminating system that catches even the smallest particles with its patented filter system.
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Best Lightweight:
Snow Joe Ash Vacuum

Fill all 4.8 gallons of heat-resistant metal with cold ash in this lightweight, easy-to-use vacuum.
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Best Wet/Dry Vacuum for Ash:
Dewalt Wet/Dry Vac

A powerful wet/dry vac, Dewalt can clean up any mess you come in contact with including ash.
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Best Multifunction:
BACOENG Vacuum Cleaner

This is a super ash vacuum designed to clean all the messes around your house and garage.
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PowerSmith Ash Vacuum

When looking for a versatile, affordable ash vacuum with good suction power from a 10-amp motor, look no further than the PowerSmith PAVC101. This vacuum cleans up both cool and warm ash. It also has a two-stage filter that keeps even the tiniest of particles located in the canister. Plus, it's easy to use for even novice cleaners of woodstoves, barbeques, and pellet stoves.

According to the manufacturer, it's pretty quiet, sporting a noise level of only 79 decibels. However, the design is a little bulky when you are looking for storage space, and if the machine overheats, you're out of cleaning commission for about 20 minutes for it to cool down.

What We Like
Gets fine particles
Designed for warm ash
Auto shut off
Washable filter
What We Don't
Small canister
Short hose
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Pellethead Pro Ash Vac

When you are looking for an easy-to-use vacuum for cleaning out ovens, wood stoves, and grills, Pellethead Pro Ash Vacuum has a little bit of everything you're looking for. It has multiple attachments and a wheel dolly for big jobs, but you can also detach it and get in those hard-to-reach areas. However, you might need an extension cord if you aren't close to an outlet because the power cord is only 10 feet long.

This unique unit is also known for its strong suction power with a 10-amp motor to tackle all your vacuuming needs, along with a two-filter system to catch all the fine dust particles that might escape. While this powerhouse can suck up warm ash, it's limited to 140 degrees, or it can burn the filter.

What We Like
Detachable wheel dolly
Strong suction
HEPA filtration
5-gallon canister
What We Don't
Mid-length cord
Very hot ash can cause damage to filter
Power consumption
Cost

Vacmaster Ash Vacuum

When you've got a big ash job to clean up, you don't want to be dumping your canister all the time. In this instance, the Vacmaster Ash Vacuum has your fireplace ash vacuuming needs covered. Why? Because it has a roomie six-gallon ash canister along with a triple latch lid.

For ease of use, you can carry or wheel this monster around your home or business. It's versatile too; it can convert into a blower to make sure you get all that ash in one go. However, this vacuum is only designed for cleaning up cold ash, and the hose can be a little short for some, at only four feet.

What We Like
Quiet operation
LED work light
Converts to blower
What We Don't
Short cord and hose
Can overheat
Cold ash only

Cougar+ Ash Vacuum

Cleaning out your fireplace can be brutal when you have allergies or asthma. The soot and ash can quickly lead to breathing problems. However, the Cougar+ uses a patented filtration system that is specifically designed to get fine ash particles. It also includes a gear bag full of accessories that can get you into those hard-to-reach areas.

While this product does have a hefty price tag, it's completely designed, tested, and created within Utah. This model is also good for sucking up cold and warm ash. However, if you do happen to suck up a hot piece, the flame-resistant filters can withstand 1,000 degrees so they won't catch on fire, according to the manufacturer. And if something should happen to your machine, it does have a limited warranty.

What We Like
Made in the USA
Quiet
Double filtration system
What We Don't
Coals can clog machine
Expensive
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Snow Joe Ash Vacuum

Looking for a no-fuss, no-mess machine to clean out your pellet burner? The Snow Joe ASHJ201 is an affordable, entry-level model that will clean small jobs with ease. You don't need to move around a lot when cleaning most stoves; therefore, Snow Joe's lack of a wheel dolly works well for what's needed. Plus, it's pretty lightweight and easy to carry in by the handle.

The 4-amp motor is a bit smaller than the competitors, but it has the perfect sucking power for getting out that fine ash found in your stove. This machine also has a nice size canister, so you can do many cleanings before emptying it. Just make sure to let your ash sit, since the double filter system on the machine isn't designed for those hot particles.

What We Like
Reusable fine dust filter
Blockage indicator
2-year full warranty
What We Don't
No wheel dolly
Less powerful motor

Dewalt Wet/Dry Vac

While not specifically an ash vac, Dewalt DXV10P is a known wet/dry vac in the construction world. It comes with a large-capacity tank and a 5.5-horsepower motor to suck up all the messes you come in contact with. It also has an extra-long cord to help you get to any stove. Since this is a wet/dry vac, it's not designed for any hot ash. This is strictly for cold ash. The filter is good enough to catch any fine dust that could harm the motor. It also has easy-to-use wheels to roll it around to the messes.

Many reviewers also remarked on how quiet this machine is compared to other vacuums on the market. It also has a bigger than average hose. However, some users did note that the suction wasn't as good as they would have expected.

What We Like
Quiet
Cleans up a variety of messes
Large capacity
Large hose
What We Don't
Cold ash only
Less filtration

BACOENG Vacuum Cleaner

There are ash vacs, and then there are ash vacs. BACOENG's ash vacuum is among the best. In addition to offering several attachments, it doubles as a dry vac for all the messes around your house. It's also got a whopping 10-amp motor for all the suction power and a 5.3-gallon canister.

The canister also has a useful indicator light to let you know when this bad boy is full. The double stage filtration system of the BACOENG Vacuum Cleaner keeps ash out of the air and out of the motor. And it does this job well. So well, in fact, that the filter clogs up, leading to a loss of suction power.

What We Like
Multipurpose vacuum
Indicator showing when full
HEPA filter
What We Don't
Clogs easily
Ill-fitting attachments
Loud motor
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Finding the Perfect Fireplace Vacuum

When it comes to using a pellet stove, you want to make sure you give your stove ample time to cool down. While some vacuums can take a few embers, most of the time, they will burn up the filter. Therefore, you want to wait until the ashes are cool to touch, which can take up to 24 hours. For a pellet stove, this time might be a little shorter than a wood burner with a lot of embers. You also want to make sure to check whether your ash vac can be used on wet materials. Most fireplace vacuums are built for dry ashes only. Now that you have the knowledge, it's time to decide which machine is for you.

First-Rate Fireplace Vacuums You’ll Wish You Had Sooner