Cleaning Hot Glass?

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Todd

Minister of Fire
Nov 19, 2005
10,323
NW Wisconsin
How many of you guys and gals clean your glass while its still hot? I woke up this morning and I had that yucky white film on my glass from the previous nights low burn. It doesn't seem to always burn off with a hot fire. Sometimes I will wet a rag with windex and wipe it off, but only if the glass is not too hot. How hot is too hot? When I have a good bed of coals in there my glass is still very hot. I'd hate to risk cracking the glass. Can ceramic glass crack from the exstream temp shock from a wet rag? Any other ideas to clean hot glass. I heard of using ash, but that sound like it could possibly scratch?

It usually doesn't bother me but da wife likes a clear view of the fire.
 
If its just that light white haze, I'll wake up in the morning and use one or two sheets of dry paper towel on the door glass, then throw it inside the stove. Gets most of the haze off, and doesn't use a liquid. I won't use a liquid while the stove is hot for 2 reasons, first, it evaporates too quickly to do any good, and second, it might harm the glass.

-- MW
 
Hi Todd:

I won't clean my glass if it's too hot to touch with a bare hand (over 180* F ?). Ceramic glass will crack and break; it is glass afterall.

I've used fire ash when the glass is warm to the hand on a damp rag followed by a damp clean rag for 3 years on a coal/wood stove door, which is what the Mfg recommends.

And, you can't beat the price.

Stay warm.

Aye,
Marty
 
I guess it depends on what your definition of "hot" is. I have occasionally dusted off my glass in the morning as you mention because of the white film. (maybe 150F) But have never attempted to clean it (or really needed to) while the stove is under full fire (maybe 500-600F).

If your glass is true "Pyroceram" - transparent ceramic. It has almost zero thermal expansion, so "in theory" you could splash water on it while hot and not shatter. This data sheet claims that "...thermal shock resistance...limited only by maximum operating temperature"

http://www.jmcglass.com/down/pyroceram.pdf

At some point in time I remember seeing an ad with a propane torch heating one side of the glass red hot and a stream of water boiling off the other. Would I do that to my stove?? Probably not!

Corey
 
I have been using wood that isnt quite right in my Morso 3610 and not that I have some of the dry wood split for use we started running a hot fire
The glass was pretty sooted up and the HOT fire cleaned it right up
 
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