I am replacing my 30 year old work horse stove with a new EPA rated one... Every stove I see has a glass door, Why??? I am not interested in a glass door and it seems like one more thing to maintain...
Glass Doors .... Why??
- Thread starter jrprusak
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
kjklosek
New Member
It is so you can watch the fire.
The new stoves put on a nice show when they burn.
If your wood is dry and you have a good chimney then you will not have to worry about maintaining the glass too much.
It is nice to see what makes that big metal box in the middle of the room so damn hot.
J.P.
The new stoves put on a nice show when they burn.
If your wood is dry and you have a good chimney then you will not have to worry about maintaining the glass too much.
It is nice to see what makes that big metal box in the middle of the room so damn hot.
J.P.
ColdNH
Minister of Fire
john_alaska said:
Why NOT?
a. You see/enjoy the fire
b. Its easier to see/control how the fire is burning
c. the glass rarely gets dirty if the wood is still moist it may, but it takes no more then 5 seconds to clean the glass with a moist towel
Attachments
I replaced my 30 year old stove last spring and wondered the same thing, it was not long before I fell in love with viewing the fire, like mentioned the glass stays clean with good wood and a well designed stove.john_alaska said:
shawneyboy
Minister of Fire
Why ??? To keep the wifey happy, although I to have enjoyed seeing the Northern Lights. I was more about heat, she wanted a nice looking stove that was attractive both burning and not.
madrone
Minister of Fire
There won't be any maintenance related to the glass, especially if you don't care about the view.
It will, however, help you learn how to burn the new stove correctly. It will operate a little differently than the old one.
It will, however, help you learn how to burn the new stove correctly. It will operate a little differently than the old one.
Lumber-Jack
Minister of Fire
If you have no interest in watching the fire then for sure you won't have to "maintain" the glass.john_alaska said:
Badfish740
Minister of Fire
- Oct 3, 2007
- 1,539
john_alaska said:
Step 1: Buck, split, and stack wood outside on a cold day.
Step 2: Go inside and start a fire.
Step 3: Crack a beer.
Step 4: Sit in front of stove.
Step 5: Enjoy beer and fire.
My Englander is in the basement rather than a cozy living room, but it doesn't stop me from sitting on a folding chair with my feet resting on a round and enjoying a cold one in front of it-at least until the wife yells down the steps "What are you doing down there?"
shawneyboy
Minister of Fire
Badfish740 said:
LOL I think that statement is in the "New Wife's Handbook" under the subheading of things to yell down the steps.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
ChillyGator
New Member
Badfish740
Minister of Fire
- Oct 3, 2007
- 1,539
shawneyboy said:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
The New Wife's Handbook:
Things to yell down the steps
- What are you doing down there?
- What's going on down there?
- What's that smell?
- What's that noise?
- When are you coming up?
madrone
Minister of Fire
BrowningBAR said:
I had the same thought, but I'm guessing it's not enough output for Fairbanks. Depends on the house, I suppose. Blaze King is the obvious choice if you're not going to look at your stove.
john_alaska said:
I'm guessing it's what sells.
Given a choice, ( and I've had both) I'll take the window.
(and a replacement window for a jotul 600 is not cheep and waiting for it hurts even more).
You don't have to maintain it.
Really.
In fact after a while having just the clearish spot in the middle gets to be fairly normal and good enough.
With no glass, you can't see what's happening with the fire. Seeing the fire is the best feedback to know that it's running clean and you're not goobering up your chimney with CREOSOTE.
Ok, Ok, I get it... I'll go with the glass door, wife sits in front of it in the basement, and I get lay on the couch upstairs with a frosty one......
wood-fan-atic
Minister of Fire
!
Two stove household, here. Fireview in the house (his choice). Classic in my workroom (my choice, and questioned repeatedly by you know who).
I've never really cared about watching the fire all that much, guys. I think it's pretty to see the flames, but I don't sit in front of it for any amount of time, nor do I luxuriate in front of it by candlelight. Sorry to disappoint on what so many of you believe is what "women want". Although I'm glad to see the menfolk indulging the fair sex when it comes to aesthetics. (maybe I'd luxuriate more if the old man bought a bear rug).
Aesthetics... I'm big on those! (really big on them, actually). But my own personal taste with respect to the Woodstock stoves is that the Classic is the prettiest stove in their line. Really! I think that model is a wonderful way to showcase the delicate mottling/figuring of the soapstone they use and the intricate castings are the perfect frame for it. I like the simplicity of the stove; it's clean, neat, and is evocative of the handsome, thermal mass, ceramic stoves of northern Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia.
As for using the visible fire as a guideline for an efficient burn, suffice it to say that I manage quite nicely with the stovetop thermometer and the sound of the fire through a barely cracked door (start up), and an open damper on the door (after start up). It took a little practice to get it down "pat", but it didn't take very long, either!
An interesting aside: I work in the interior design field and several of the designers for whom I do work have not "recognized" a woodstove because there is no "window"! On return trips to my workroom, they've been even more surprised to learn the stove is burning because, they've all said, they didn't immediately "feel" the waves of heat. Such is the beauty of soapstone. I'll take mine, "straight up"; no windows, thanks.
I've never really cared about watching the fire all that much, guys. I think it's pretty to see the flames, but I don't sit in front of it for any amount of time, nor do I luxuriate in front of it by candlelight. Sorry to disappoint on what so many of you believe is what "women want". Although I'm glad to see the menfolk indulging the fair sex when it comes to aesthetics. (maybe I'd luxuriate more if the old man bought a bear rug).
Aesthetics... I'm big on those! (really big on them, actually). But my own personal taste with respect to the Woodstock stoves is that the Classic is the prettiest stove in their line. Really! I think that model is a wonderful way to showcase the delicate mottling/figuring of the soapstone they use and the intricate castings are the perfect frame for it. I like the simplicity of the stove; it's clean, neat, and is evocative of the handsome, thermal mass, ceramic stoves of northern Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia.
As for using the visible fire as a guideline for an efficient burn, suffice it to say that I manage quite nicely with the stovetop thermometer and the sound of the fire through a barely cracked door (start up), and an open damper on the door (after start up). It took a little practice to get it down "pat", but it didn't take very long, either!
An interesting aside: I work in the interior design field and several of the designers for whom I do work have not "recognized" a woodstove because there is no "window"! On return trips to my workroom, they've been even more surprised to learn the stove is burning because, they've all said, they didn't immediately "feel" the waves of heat. Such is the beauty of soapstone. I'll take mine, "straight up"; no windows, thanks.
glassmanjpf
Member
To me a woodstove without windows would kinda be like sitting in front of the oil burner. What's the point kinda boring. 
madison
Minister of Fire
If I lived in Alaska like the OP, I would be looking out my picture window, and not at my stove....
Glass., some of us are more interested in heat. And when I'm in my workroom (at work!) I'm paying attention to cutting very expensive fabrics or operating very fast, very powerful sewing machines. No time to watch "the dancing flames", son! 
Doing so could result in pretty serious injury.
Doing so could result in pretty serious injury.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
oldspark said:
Welcome to the forum John from Alaska.
Like oldspark, we replaced our old stove and this is the first one we've ever had with a window so we could see inside. While we don't sit in front of it just watching the fire, we have fell in love with it. I especially like the fact that I know exactly at what point the burn cycle is which helps in knowing exactly when we should be setting the draft at full open (at the coaling stage or just before).
As for keeping the glass clean, most stoves, if you feed them good fuel, will keep the glass pretty clean. You may have to clean off some ash from time to time but rarely should you get any black. If you do get some black glass you'll know something needs to change to stop it from happening. To clean it, a damp newspaper dipped in the ashes will clean that black off like magic. Pretty cheaply too.
Good luck with the new stove and keep us posted.
Rickochet
Member
Because my wife likes to get the blanket out, watch the fire and....... shall we say, "Get comfortable"...............
argus66
Feeling the Heat
just burn some crap wood and let the glass turn black, will be jus as good as a non glass stove.
- Status
Similar threads
