How hot for air wash to clean glass

[jeffman3]

OK I'm sure this has been answered somewhere on the sight, but I can't seem to find the info I need. I am burning a Hearthstone Tribute and the glass is dirty. :blank: Not really dirty, just what appears as a brownish film. (The top inch or so is clean all the way across the top of the glass)I have the top temp at 400 (maybe not quite) (I am measuring with a stove pipe thermometer laid on the front center stone) with the air wide open, and it just wont clean off. How hot do I need to burn for the air wash to kick in and clean my glass?

 

[Moose]

After the glass gets to a certain point of "dirty" the "air was system" usually won't do the trick. From my experiance once it gets the light brown to white film on the glass it pretty much over. It usually takes care of the black to dark brown with no problems. So what I usually do is wait for some milder weather and let the glass cool all the way down and just spray a bit of glass cleaner on it and it will wipe right off. Just make sure that it is totally cooled or your glass will crack. No matter what I do the glass eventuall gets dirty.....

 

[jeffman3]

Thanks moose.

 

[begreen]

That is a pyroceramic window, not glass. It has a high resistance to thermal shock and unlikely to crack. That said, I agree you don't want to be cleaning a hot door for practical reasons. But if the door is just warm to the touch, it's ok to give the glass a cleaning.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Fine steel wool "number 0" or less will do the trick (use your hearth glove) and you can do it while its hot. Just a couple quick wipes back and forth with medium to light pressure. Been cleaning my glass for the last 3 years this way and not one scratch. When its cool I clean it with a rag and some windex or what ever I have in the cabinet. If it's the tough whitish build up, use glass cooktop cleaner when its cool.

WoodButcher

 

[jeffman3]

Do I need the cleaner made for stove door cleaning or will ordinary glass cleaner work? I know it's not glass, will the ammonia in the glass cleaner hurt the pyroceramic window?

 

[crazy_dan]

regular window cleaner is fine and if that doesn't cut it try oven cleaner like easy off (this is what my FIL uses on his door glass)

 

[BrotherBart]

Most of the time the white coating comes off of mine with just plain water and paper towels.

 

[babalu87]

A damp rag.
For the black/brown around the edges use a little of the ash from inside the stove with the damp rag.

Rinse rag to get gook off and whip clean then lay damp rag on hearth and when its dry again put it in an inconspicuous spot (under the welding gloves) so as not to be seen by the wife

 

[MrBigLog]

i was always told that if you use an ammonina based cleaner it harms the coating on the glass. The glass is quite costly to replace once damaged

 

[jeffman3]

I think I will get some stove door cleaner from the 'Mart. It doesn't cost but maybe a couple of dollars. I might as well use the right product for the right job, if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I just spent several thousand dollars on the stove and install, a couple of dollars to keep it clean shouldn't be a problem.

 

[EddyKilowatt]

I don't think the air wash "cleans" the glass (er, ceramic)... it just helps keep it from getting dirty so quick. What cleans the glass (at least on my Avalon) is the same thing as cleans a self-cleaning oven -- getting it hot enough to burn off the deposits. When THAT process is working, you just wipe off the resulting thin layer of white ash with a dry crumpled newspaper.

I borrowed one of those pistol-shaped infrared thermometers from work for a day and measured the glass at 700-800F during conditions where it was hot enough to clean itself. Said conditions were a hot hardwood fire (flue collar gas temperature 700F) maintained for 30-45 minutes. I believe it's the radiant heat from a firebox full of flame and coals that heats the glass hot enough to clean itself. Pretty interesting process.

Eddy

 

[swestall]

Don't overlook that USE THE ASH recommendation. I noticed that in another thread and tried it: it works like a champ. I wet a paper towel, dip it in the ash, rub it in (like rubbing compound on a car) and then clean with a clean towel. You might have to do that a couple times if its still warm because the water evaporates leaving a white residue, but you can easily wipe that off with a couple of wet/wipe cycles.

 

[jtp10181]

I skimmed, saw some people saying once it gets so bad it wont clean with the air wash. I beg to differ. I wish I had taken pictures. I got to the house and the guy had been scraping the glass with a pocket knife and soapy water for over an hour he said! He only got one door partially cleaned. It was NASTY. I built a ripping hot fire. Both sides cleaned right up on their own, he was awestruck.

He had been burning unseasoned wood, thats where all the buildup came from.

 

[Todd]

More manufactures should use double paned glass like Woodstock. My glass stays very clean for weeks and then developes a thin white fog but never turns brown or black even in the corners.

 

[rdrcr56]

Rutland silicone glass cleaner will clean it off no matter how much gunk is on it.

 

[jeffman3]

I tried the ash on a damp rag and it worked like a dream! I won't bother with the store bought product unless something dramatic changes my mind.

 

[jbrown56]

Hi, Once in a while the glass wiil get real brown when starting a fire. I don't know if it is the newspaper or the splits on the bottom not burning hot enough at first. A fire of 450*- 500* always cleans it up. However, I do get a white film after a few days and after a few weeks or so, it starts to bug me and I let the stove cool, take a pail with a little water, wood ash and a sponge. It's like brand new again.

Jim

 

[jeffman3]

I haven't pushed the stove past 400 top temp yet. (We are having 45 degree days here.) That may cure my dirty glass problem. I have also noticed that the cottonwood dirties the glass allot more then the elm. (Gee....go figure!) We haven't been burning a week yet, so I'm still low on the learning curve. We will get there. My next project for the house is ceiling fan for the living room to move this nice warm air around the house.