I have used my shop vac to suck ashes out of my chiminea. Before you do this remember the shop vac has two places to attach the hose. One is suck, one is blow. Check before you start in case you used the vac on the blow mode last time and forgot to move the hose. Also make sure your wife is not standing nearby to witness the carnage and get ashes all over her. I didn't know a genteel Southern lady knew words like that.