Thermal Glass Breakage in second season of use?

[dkw45]

Mid-season last year, I purchased a Pacific Energy True North TN19. I've been loving it, so far. It's a nice, simple, easy to operate stove. It works perfect for our 1700 square foot farmhouse.

On to my question; I got up about 3:30 this morning and put 3 sticks of wood in the stove on a small bed of coals. I sat on the couch and slowly adjusted the air intake as needed. About 5 minutes after I'd adjusted the air to where I normally leave it, I heard a pop similar to a .22 Long Rifle being fired. I looked over at the stove and noticed a cracked near one side running slightly diagonal form top to bottom. It runs from a clamp on the top to an open area on the bottom. I immediately checked to see if a stick of wood had somehow fallen against the glass(unlikely in a N/S load). There was at least 1.5" clearance in the area where it cracked.
The stove top was 525 degrees when this happened, right in the middle of where I normally run it.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? The stove is still under warranty, but I wonder if they'll believe this wasn't impact related.

 

[begreen]

This doesn't sound like an impact issue unless the door was closed up against a split. It could be from an over-tightened glass clamp on the door.

 

[Swedishchef]

Perhaps it would be worth checking with the company regarding glass replacement?

It has never happened to me before. My stove is 4 years old and I have never had a cracked brick or glass.

Andrew

 

[dkw45]

Thanks for the input, guys.

I do plan on checking with the company and the dealer. Today being Sunday kind of postpones that, though.

I wondered about an overtightened clamp. Searching the forum shows that to be an issue at times. From what I've read, I would have thought that problem would have manifested itself earlier than the second season of use.

I've been burning for over 20 years in a multitude of stoves. This is a new issue to me.

 

[begreen]

Yes, fortunately is it relatively uncommon.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I wondered about an overtightened clamp. Searching the forum shows that to be an issue at times. From what I've read, I would have thought that problem would have manifested itself earlier than the second season of use.

Just last night I put a thread on here about stove glass, and said that after about 14 years I got a crack in the glass in my stove, and that was about 7 years ago, and that the dealer said "it still shouldn't have cracked" even though a log fell into it. And to crack after that many years is a mystery!

I would also think that the clamp might've been tightened down a little too tight, that's my guess.