My new Harman P68 glass has residue that won't come off - glass was replaced this week and is formin

[Deesla]

My husband and I purchased a brand new Harman P68 in June, started it up in October. Upon the first cleaning, I noticed that the glass started to form a thick residue on the top of the glass. I used the glass cleaner purchased from the dealer. Of course, when I called the dealer I was told I wasn't cleaning it correctly and made to feel stupid. After insisting there was a defect in the glass or the stove, the dealer came out. He said he never saw anything like it and he contacted Harman, and the glass was repaced this week. This morning, we cleaned the stove and I cleaned the glass. Once again, there's a thick residue on the glass that won't come off. The best way to describe it is picture a sticker on an item and when you remove it, there's that thick residue. However, nothing will take it off. It can't be rubbed off with my finger either, nor scraped off. It's stuck on the glass.
We are now contributing this to some type of defect in the stove; whether it be the installation or who knows what. I've called the dealer this am and emailed him.
Does anyone know what this could be?
It has been an ongoing issue since we purchased the stove.
Thanks for all your help, knowlege, and time.
Dianac

 

[Wet1]

Have you tried another brand of pellets? Other than that, it sounds like an A/F mixture issue and the dealer should be able to help you with that.

My guess is the glass should come clean when firmly scraped with e sharp razor blade.

 

[crausch]

Not sure what could be your problem that is causing this residue. Some residue on the glass is normal over time. Maybe post a pic of the glass. There should be an air flow (air wash) that aids in keeping the glass clean. If something is blocking the flow, your glass may become dirty much quicker.

As for getting it off, well my stove gets some residue along the corners that seems to be resistant to cleaners, so I take a razor blade and scrape it off.

[Edit] Sorry WET1, I didn't mean to post at the same time as you. Your are also right about the air/fuel mixture maybe not being as efficient as it could be. And that could be a pellet problem as you mentioned.

 

[Deesla]

Hi all, I took two pics this morning, but I don't know how to upload them onto this website. If you can email me at [email protected] I would like for you to see the pictures.
I only use New England Wood Pellets so I don't think it's the pellets. No razor will get this thick sticky residue off, nothing is blocking the flow, and it's not "dirt". It's a really thick residue
which looks like the after math of a sticker. I have a call into the dealer and emailed him the pics. I really think it's a manufacturer defect and am waiting to see, but I want you all to know it's not "dirt".
Could there be a defect in the way the flame hits the window? I spent a lot of $ on this beauty and it started from the very beginning. The pellets that were used to fire up the stove weren't NEWP and it happened with them too so it's definitely something to do with the stove, and it was installed by the dealer.
Dianac

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Doubtful it'd be a defect in the glass.

It could be a problem with the cement that was used to seat the glass gasket seal, or it is a normal combustion byproduct from the pellets you are burning.

Glass and wood fires aren't exactly compatible when it comes to staying clean. While most of the mess will come off easily some of it is far more stubborn than the rest.

If the stove is off and cold, you could try a product called Goof Off, just be certain that you try it on a small spot to start with and keep it away from any sealant cement used to secure the gaskets on your stove. It is flammable and should only be used with plenty of ventilation. Oh before you try it and get mad at me it also smells bad for awhile.

I've used Goof Off to remove paint, glue, adhesives, caulk, and silicon sealant.

Good luck.

 

[GVA]

I think it's the cleaner... seen this on an accentra (my brother in laws)...... he used that speedy white or white somthin-or-other.....and got a haze that the blade wouldn't scrape off...
I believe it only happens if the flames actually are licking the glass almost kinda etches the cleaner residue into the glass.....that back wall in the accentra leans toward the glass and once the stove starts to get dirty the flames tend to touch the glass... he also wouldn't clean it as often as he should have..
does your flame pattern lean towards and touch the glass?
if so I would suspect that you're draft may be part of the problem too, Ie: dirty stove, poor venting setup, weak combustion blower.......

FWIW cerama bryte cleaner always worked for me, it now comes in those disposable wipe form now too.

EDIT********************
Did you use a cleaner on the glass, (I thought I saw that you did)

 

[Lousyweather]

Diana:

Is the residue a tarry black residue that is water-soluble? If so, thats creosote, most likely from incomplete combustion. Scrape a bit off the glass, pop it in water and see if it starts to dissolve somewhat. If it does, theres a few things to look for: A damper stuck partially closed, an ash plug, if theres an OAK installed, make sure the intake port ON THE THIMBLE has had the insualtion membrane cut away, a faulty ESP probe, poor pellets (unlikely), elevated moisture content in pellets, etc. Id definitely check the airpath though....sounds to me like the combustion air has been restricted (if the residue is water soluble).

If the residue isnt water soluble, its just flyash.......the airwash system might be funky. I dont think its the glass at all. Could also be the pellet, but I doubt that as well......

As far as cleaners go, get the heavy stuff off with Windex or whatever, then use the paste cleaners that they sell in the supermarkets for glasstop ranges

 

[rbchimp]

pics, click the thumbnails for the full size images

 

[Deesla]

Hi all, The pics on so everyone can see. I'm getting emails that I might have a defective door as the gasket doesn't look right in the damaged area.
It's definitely have nothing to do with the glass cleaner. I purchased glass cleaner from the dealer. The glass is so burnt in that top area that it can't even be scraped off. There's nothing to scrape off. I hope I'm explaning this ok. The dealer is working with us and wanted more pictures to send to the Harman rep. We think there's a defect somewhere and I'm hoping that all you mechinically inclined people can help solve this problem. Is the burn pot tilted ever so slightly from the manufacturing process?
Again, it's not a "cleaning problem" as we clean the stove every 4-5 days. This started immediately when we got the stove and again this week as the glass was replaced by the dealer Wednesday and it's Saturday and the glass is already burnt.
Diana

 

[Deesla]

I forgot to mention that I only use the hardwood New England Wood Pellets.

 

[Deesla]

I forgot to mention that the dealer changed the gasket this wednesday, so that's why it's all white.
I'm hopeful you board members can help solve this issue.
Diana

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I forgot to mention that I only use the hardwood New England Wood Pellets.

All wood in any form produces many combustion byproducts that will deposit on any surface that the exhaust air reaches that is cool enough for them to condense on.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

That looks like nice grey/white fly ash, it even streaks like it would if you use a liquid or paste type of cleaner to remove it.

Try dipping a slightly damp piece of newspaper in some of the ash on the fake "firebrick" at the back of the stove and using that to wipe the top of your glass.

However glass in the presence of a wood fire doesn't stay clean long.

 

[Lousyweather]

Diana:

How about a component problem......? Possible dipswitch settings wrong? Im looking at that flame guide, and that things pretty deviated and red from the heat....seems premature in a stove this young. What are the control board settings?

 

[Deesla]

I believe we have the temperature set at 70 degrees. The dealer told us to turn it up this week.

The flame doesn't look good? We would never have known as we're not experts in this field.
Thanks!
Diane

 

[Lousyweather]

the flame seems to be small-ish and burning far back in the auger, but I was talking about the flame GUIDE...feed settings are what?

 

[Deesla]

Feed rate is set at 3; sensor is set at 65. I just got the accurate numbers from my husband.

 

[Lousyweather]

they all sound good....read my PM

 

[krooser]

A whiteish-grey "dusty" deposit indicates normal combustion.

Black, sooty deposits mean your stove is running rich.

A brown, sticky film means your stove is running lean... too much air. Close your intake damper then open it the diameter of a pencil... that should put you in the ballpark. Also use Windex on a cold window to keep your glass clean. A single edged razor blade will help you scrape off the window deposits....

 

[Lousyweather]

good info again, from krooser......except the P68 has no adjustable damper. DO NOT restrict the intake air on this unit. ive been looking at those pictures, and its hard to tell what the deposits are, since Diana has cleaned them. I dont like single-edged blades, prefer glass rangetop cleaner myself....a little less aggressive. Im not sure you can have too much air....it all comes down to what the limiting reagent is......and with a pellet unit, I beleive that limiting reagent should be the pellets, not the air. With the P68, the air is limited by the capacity of the combustion blower......howza bout pics of the venting system? I had a stove awhile ago whci had the intake system packed with oak leaves!

 

[timjk69]

Like someone else said, you can't adjust the intake air on this stove. It looks like a pretty typical flame and burn pot deposits for a Harman. Mine's about the same.
Does this stubborn deposit start after you've cleaned the new glass for the first time? I wonder if the cleaner is actually etching the glass?

Tim

 

[flamegrabber]

I had problems like this on my Big E. Glass was very tough to coean.

Then I tried this:

Firstly take a DRY paper towel and fold it in half. Then make a few firm passes across the glass. This will take off the hard to remove stuff because of the slight coarseness of the paper towel.

Get as much off as you can with dry paper towels before using a wet paper towel with an ammonia base cleaner, Windex, etc.

Try that.

FG.

My husband and I purchased a brand new Harman P68 in June, started it up in October. Upon the first cleaning, I noticed that the glass started to form a thick residue on the top of the glass. I used the glass cleaner purchased from the dealer. Of course, when I called the dealer I was told I wasn't cleaning it correctly and made to feel stupid. After insisting there was a defect in the glass or the stove, the dealer came out. He said he never saw anything like it and he contacted Harman, and the glass was repaced this week. This morning, we cleaned the stove and I cleaned the glass. Once again, there's a thick residue on the glass that won't come off. The best way to describe it is picture a sticker on an item and when you remove it, there's that thick residue. However, nothing will take it off. It can't be rubbed off with my finger either, nor scraped off. It's stuck on the glass.
We are now contributing this to some type of defect in the stove; whether it be the installation or who knows what. I've called the dealer this am and emailed him.
Does anyone know what this could be?
It has been an ongoing issue since we purchased the stove.
Thanks for all your help, knowlege, and time.
Dianac

 

[cantman]

When you clean the glass with the cleaner you bought from your dealer, did you just wipe off the soot/ash residue?
Did you leave the cleaner residue on the glass or did you wash the glass cleaner off with water to remove the glass cleaner residue?
I wonder if it could be a reaction from the glass cleaner residue not being fully neutralized when subjected to heat. The hottest part of my
stove happens to be in that area of glass/door.

 

[Deesla]

Thanks for your post but it has nothing to do with the products purchased. You see, the glass was replaced this week, and the window got burnt within a couple of days with no cleaning products used. With the help of all you posters, I'm hearing it could be the door, flame guide and I really appreciate all the answers I'm getting.
Again, not a "cleaning" problem but a stove problem.

 

[GVA]

It looks like a woodstove that was overfired inside hh:
Dianac correct me if i'm wrong here........
This is something that can't be scraped off or cleaned from the stove glass AT ALL.....

I don't know the particulars of pyroceram.... but wonder if something in the pellets while being combusted is etching the glass (like my brother in laws I assumed it was his glass cleaner)...
do you have pics of the stove running at more of a full on fire?
Do the flames touch the glass while running?
is it possible that the glass was cleaned after it was installed in the stove?