How to clean door glass

[firefighterjake]

As others have mentioned . . . you can do a few things differently if you're looking for heat, but don't want to blow yourself out of your home . . .

Smaller loads . . . definitely helps . . . or use your "junk" wood -- wood that is not especially high in BTUs.

You may also not want to close the air control all the way . . . for example sometimes during this time of year I'll leave the air control open more than normal . . . this has the effect of allowing more of the heated air to go up the chimney . . . and the wood will burn up a bit quicker (I don't leave the air all the way open incidentally since that would waste too much wood and send too much heat up the chimney) . . . but this has the result of heating up the house enough to keep warm, it keeps the chimney warm enough to not produce creosote and the glass stays clean.

Burn when you need the heat . . . not hours before you need the heat. In other words, if it's cool in the morning this is when you should light your fire. Granted it may take a while to get the knack of lighting a fire, but in time you will learn how to get the stove up and cruising in less than an hour . . . it will take some time and practice though . . . which means right now it may be best to either get up a bit earlier to get the fire going . . . or bite the bullet like some folks and run the central heating system until you start the serious heating season . . . more than a few members do just that . . . run their central heating system until they begin heating 24/7.

Finally . . . lots of people will offer suggestions for cleaning the glass . . . and they work . . . but I still subscribe to the cheap and easy method . . . damp newspaper and wood ash . . . free and easy . . . and it works.

 

[sixman]

Some really good advice in your post Jake as always. As for junk wood, all I have is post oak and mesquite and both are pretty good hardwoods. What about burning the stove with the bypass open? This would let the heat go straight up the pipe and might make for a cooler stove for this time of year. Most everyone is up by 5:30 or 6:00 and we are gone by 7:15 so not much time to get a fire going unless good ole me gets up pretty early. Damn I sound lazy but I would rather get up early than light the gas stove so it may be that I am cheaper than I am lazy!!

 

[firefighterjake]

Some really good advice in your post Jake as always. As for junk wood, all I have is post oak and mesquite and both are pretty good hardwoods. What about burning the stove with the bypass open? This would let the heat go straight up the pipe and might make for a cooler stove for this time of year. Most everyone is up by 5:30 or 6:00 and we are gone by 7:15 so not much time to get a fire going unless good ole me gets up pretty early. Damn I sound lazy but I would rather get up early than light the gas stove so it may be that I am cheaper than I am lazy!!

I don't have a stove with a by-pass, but I can tell you that in my own stove with a secondary burn I will typically let the stove and pipe warm up with the air control open all the way for a while . . . and then as the stove warms up I will slowly close the air control . . . but as mentioned . . . during this time of year . . . especially on days when the draft may be a bit weak . . . I don't close the air all the way . . . sometimes I leave it open as much as halfway . . . always monitoring the stove and flue temps though . . . sure I lose some heat up the chimney, but as long as I am warm and as long as I have a secondary so I'm burning cleanly I'm happy.

Up by 5:30 and out the door by 7:15 . . . plenty of time to get a fire going . . . with practice. In the winter it will be easier since you'll be burning more often and you'll have coals and the stove will be warm already, but even in this time of year I typically wake up around 5:30 a.m. and have the fire set and the stove cruising by the time I leave around 6:30 or 6:45 a.m. . . . although if I can wake up even earlier to get things going I like it even better since it gives me just a little extra time to get things set and running . . . best days are when I wake up early around 4:30 or 5 and leave around 6:30.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Hot fire burns off the black stuff. Ash and water or 50/50 water/urine will clean the dusty stuff well, and takes off a little cruddy stuff.

It's not that bad, unless you have wet wood and a crappy burn happening.

I never use commercial cleaner and it gets super clean. A razor may scratch some glasses, and I never had a need for it. I only say this because if your glass is bad, then more importantly- it indicates poor burning and possible chimney fouling (big issue).

 

[madison]

Ash and water or 50/50 water/urine will clean the dusty stuff well, and takes off a little cruddy stuff.

Just don't pee on the stove while its hot, that could make a little mess.

 

[basswidow]

Be careful with cleaners. I found the over spray can cause the paint to peel around the door. Also - careful with a razor blade scraper - as you can damage your window gasket with it.

I learned it here: The best method is using a damp (I use a sponge) dipped in the ash to clean the glass and follow up with a paper towel. No damage to the stove at all and the glass stays clean.

 

[PunKid8888]

I use a cleaner from Rutland Fire Clay Co. They have a specific cleaner for wood stove glass. It really works!

http://www.rutland.com/productinfo.php?product_id=43

Hope this helps.

RS

+1 on the Rutland glass cleaner, works well.
I think I'm going to try the damp newspaper and ash this year, maybe save a few bucks.

+2 I have had the same bottle for a few years now, and I finally need to get a new one. well worth the couple dollars


Last year I was doing the same as you trying to choke down the fire to maintain a stable room temp in the shoulder season. So far this year I have had two fires. both in the evening and burning some of the real short cut offs that I had at the tops of my piles. I do my topdown fire, within 30mins or so its ready for a small reload and then thats it. by midnight its out (house is 74F) and in the morning Its warm enough. I live on my own and leave at 530am so it does not make much sense for me to load the stove in the morning.

 

[guest5234]

I never burn overnight, in the winter I start the fire at about 8 in the morning and the last load goes in about 8 at night, I never had to clean my glass once last winter as it just stayed clear.

 

[sixman]

I never burn overnight, in the winter I start the fire at about 8 in the morning and the last load goes in about 8 at night, I never had to clean my glass once last winter as it just stayed clear.

Neil, if you are loading at 8 PM wouldn't that be considered burning overnight? I am sure that I am causing the dirty glass by burning too cold and hopefully that will go away as the weather gets colder. What kind of stove is that in your profile picture, looks pretty cool and seems to be right up against the wall.

 

[heating8]

Neil, if you are loading at 8 PM wouldn't that be considered burning overnight? .

Keep in mind, he's in England. When it's 8pm there it's really the morning here so it's not over night

 

[sixman]

I built a rack on my front porch to stack some wood and my dog thinks it is a personal stack of chew toys. Everymorning she has two or three sticks out in the yard with the ends chewed. The main stack is in the back yard and she could get to it but never bothered with it. I guess it is just too tempting when it is right there in front of her.

 

[sixman]

Anyone know what kind of stove that is in Neils picture?

 

[basod]

I wouldn't even bother firing the stove if it's just low 40s at night and then 70s during the day. Even here unless it's getting to the low 30s at night I don't fire the stove... and during the day it might hit 50 if we are lucky.

You have to remember those of us in the south have a little bit thinner blood than those up in great Alaska
Being a transplant from Maine to Alabama, I found it difficult to "justify" a fire in early fall.
I have yet to have my first fire this year, but from 2 weeks ago it was 96 saturday, the next sunday it was 37
and a week later tommorrow its supposed to be 89. Most of us who take on this lifestyle in the south don't want to
pay a heating bill wether to power co(heatpumps) or propane/ngas. I tell the GF that we'll snuggle to stay warm
instead of lighting up the insert and save my woodpile(4cords) for when its actually cold- to me anyways.
If i light it up on a moderate 40deg night in early fall it gets too "hot" in the den and we end up shedding our clothes
-This tend to be a good thing

 

[sixman]

I wouldn't even bother firing the stove if it's just low 40s at night and then 70s during the day. Even here unless it's getting to the low 30s at night I don't fire the stove... and during the day it might hit 50 if we are lucky.

If i light it up on a moderate 40deg night in early fall it gets too "hot" in the den and we end up shedding our clothes
-This tend to be a good thing

Sounds to me like you need to build a fire

 

[guest5234]

Anyone know what kind of stove that is in Neils picture?

Sorry just got your post, it is a jotul f250, not the one in the photo but exactly the same, 9kw output which suits my house quite well, I put the last load in about 8 in the evening and go to bed at about midnight, I have never burned overnight as it probably does not get as cold in the UK as you have it in the States.

 

[CodyWayne718]

I have had some thick nasty stuff on my glass. The easiest fastest thing I have found are Mr. Clean Magic Erasers!!

 

[Treacherous]

32 oz bottles are being sold on eBay for $6.95 + $6.99 shipping. This seems like a pretty good deal for me considering that local cost for product is around $7.00 for an 8 oz bottle. This 32 oz bottle will probably dry out before it is fully consumed.

I use a cleaner from Rutland Fire Clay Co. They have a specific cleaner for wood stove glass. It really works!

http://www.rutland.com/productinfo.php?product_id=43

Hope this helps.

RS

+1 on the Rutland glass cleaner, works well.
I think I'm going to try the damp newspaper and ash this year, maybe save a few bucks.

+2 I have had the same bottle for a few years now, and I finally need to get a new one. well worth the couple dollars


Last year I was doing the same as you trying to choke down the fire to maintain a stable room temp in the shoulder season. So far this year I have had two fires. both in the evening and burning some of the real short cut offs that I had at the tops of my piles. I do my topdown fire, within 30mins or so its ready for a small reload and then thats it. by midnight its out (house is 74F) and in the morning Its warm enough. I live on my own and leave at 530am so it does not make much sense for me to load the stove in the morning.

 

[Skier76]

Any ol' generic glass cleaner and some 0000 steel wool. Does an awesome job.

 

[vvvv]

oven cleaner, scrub with crumpled newspaper, wipe with paper towel

 

[Treacherous]

The simplest and easiest way we've ever used for cleaning glass is to crumble some newspaper, dampen it (not soak it; just damp), dip it into the ashes and wipe the glass. It comes clean. .

That does work well!!