If you’re reading this, then you know how great Breeo fire pits are for creating a smokeless fire. But what do you do when it’s time to clean it? Ash and other debris can build up over time, making your Breeo less efficient and difficult to use. And if you cook with your Breeo, your rim is likely covered with burnt on grease and grime. Today we will show you the right way to remove ash from your Breeo and also clean the dirt and grime.
Why you need to clean your Breeo
It’s important to clean your Breeo because there are air intake slots on the bottom of the pit. Here’s why that matters…
In order for your Breeo to be smokeless, your fire needs to burn hot. And for yout fire to burn hot, it needs oxygen. If ash builds up and covers the air intakes, then your fire will not get enough oxygen.
Less oxygen = Less fire = More smoke
Next let’s talk about how to keep those air intakes clear.
How to clean the ash from your Breeo
Always make sure any fire is burned out and the pit and ashes are completely cooled before cleaning.
There are two recommended tools to clean the ash from the bottom of your Breeo: an ash shovel or a vacuum.
Ash Shovel
Shoveling out the ash is the obvious way to go. The key here is to getting a shovel that works in your Breeo. The typical longer handled ash shovels that you may use for an indoor fireplace won’t work great in a Breeo. The ‘X’ design at the bottom of your Breeo creates four smaller quadrants, which requires a smaller ash shovel.
Breeo sells an ash shovel designed to be used with the X Series fire pits. It’s a study shovel that’s made of the same 304 stainless steel as the fire pits. The Breeo ash shovel works great for two reasons:
1) It has a short handle that extends upwards on an almost 90 degree angle. That allows for the shovel to get into those tighter spaces.
2) The shovel is squared, as opposed to wider toward the edge of the shovel. That ensures the shovel fits into each of the ‘X’ sections and scoops up all that pesky ash.
There are definitely cheaper options out there if you’re looking to save a few bucks. The Remco short handles scooper is cheap and effective. It has a short handle so you can maneuver around the bottom of the pit.
Get the Breeo Ash Shovel for Free
How you ask? If you haven’t already joined, sign up for the Breeo Firemaster Club. You’ll earn points fro purchases, signing up for the email list, reviewing products, and even for having a birthday. You can then redeem those points for an ash shovel. You’ll need 2,000 points to get the shovel, which you can easily get from the following:
- Buy a Breeo fire pit (1 point / $ spent) ~500 points
- Sign up for the email list – 500 points
- Write a review – 500 points
- Have a birthday – 500 points
Free shovel!
Ash Vacuum
An ash vacuum is going to be the easiest and quickest way to clean your Breeo. An ash vacuum is a special type of vacuum that has filters made to not get clogged with ash and not blow ash into the air. Most ash vacs have a metal canister and metal-line hose, so they can be used to pick up hot ash.
A good ash vacuum should have a few key features:
- A filter system to prevent ash from getting inside the vacuum
- At least a 4 horsepower motor for powerful suction
- A metal lined hose and stainless steel canister
One of our favorites is the Porter-Cable 4 Gallon Ash Vacuum. It has all of the features we mentioned above and it’s reasonably priced.
The best part is that you can use that same vacuum for other areas in and around your home, like your fireplace or grill.
How often do you need to clean a Breeo?
The manufacturer recommends that you clean your Breeo every 3-4 uses, but depending on how much ash builds up, you may need to clean it more frequently. We usually clean it every two uses.
Just take a look at the bottom of the fire pit. If the ash is above the ‘X’ shaped air intakes, then you should clean it. Or if you notice that your fire isn’t burning as efficiently or that the fire is smokey, it’s probably time for a cleaning.
Cleaning the outside of a Breeo
Even if you keep your Breeo covered when not in use, it will still get dirty over time. This won’t hurt the stainless steel, but the occasional cleaning will make your fire pit shine like new.
Breeo recommends using stainless steel cleaner and a soft cloth. Our favorite cleaner is Barkeepers Friend. We use it more for the rim than the outside walls, since ours is corten steel. But Barkeepers Friend and steel wool works great to get the built-up grime off of the rim.
Wrapping up
Cleaning a Breeo fire pit is pretty simple and only takes a few minutes. The most important thing is to do it regularly, so your fire pit burns hot and stays smokeless. An ash shovel is a cheaper option that works well. For an easier clean, consider a ash vacuum designed exactly for this task.
Frequently Asked Questions
We wouldn’t recommend using a hose to clean the ash out of your Breeo. The wet ash doesn’t have anywhere to drain, and it can end up clogging the air intake holes. A shovel or vacuum will get out the majority of the ash, and that’s enough to keep the Breeo working efficiently.
A regular shop-vac can be used to clean ash from a Breeo, but we recommend using an ash vacuum for best results. Ash vacuums have filters that prevent ash from blowing out the vacuum’s exhaust and into the air. They also have metal-lined hoses and metal canisters designed for hot ashes.
If you do use a regular shop-vac to suck up your ashes, make sure the ashes are completely cool. We would not recommend using a shop-vac indoors after using it to clean ashes. Since it’s not designed to filter fine ash, you may have residual ash particles blowing out the back.
No, you don’t need to remove all of the ash after each use. Just make sure that the air intakes are clear to ensure your next fires burn hot and smoke-free.
Don’t throw out that leftover ash. Check out the Top 5 Surprising Uses of Wood Fire Pit Ash.
The best way to put out a Breeo is to let it burn out on its own. Just be sure to cover the fire pit with a spark screen if you need to step away. For more info, check out our guide on putting out your Breeo.
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Hi! I’m Tim and I love fire pits, especially the smokeless kind. Fire pits are perfect for gathering friends and family around. My fire pit of choice is the Breeo X Series 24.