My relatively new Stuv stove (used one season) is flaking off tiny pieces of shiny metal flakes in one irregular shaped section. I have only ever cleaned the glass with a damp paper towel and fine ashes, almost every morning before firing it up. Any ideas on what's going on here? Defective IR coating? Thanks in advance!
Metallic coating flaking off my Stuv wood stove door glass
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There should be no metal coating on the glass. Could it be (shiny) creosote?
A picture would help.
A picture would help.
Some stove glass, like Neoceram, has an option for a heat-reflective coating. This is to reflect infrared heat back into the firebox. If that is the case with this Stuv, the bond may have broken down.
![[Hearth.com] Metallic coating flaking off my Stuv wood stove door glass](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/284/284226-25da87ae5d73cfe8b949f1713976a32d.jpg?hash=3yFJRZd0Yz "[Hearth.com] Metallic coating flaking off my Stuv wood stove door glass")
I find that rather strange. Metallic coatings don't do well (expand when the glass does less so, especially high temp glass). Also, I like the radiative heat from the window.
Anyway, I learned something. Thanks.
Anyway, I learned something. Thanks.
Neoceram/pyroceram 'glass' has essentially zero thermal expansion - that is why they use it for stove glass. So expansion/contraction issues are non existent. Plus, the IR coating is typically an atomically thin metalized layer... you can see through it,, after all... so not like bending a plate of steel.
You mention flaking off and cleaning the glass - is this on the inside of the stove? As shown in the pic, the metal layer should be on the outside. Though again, it's a few atoms thick, so not like there is much to 'flake off'.
Pics would help a lot. I have noted creosote to build up and flake off - sometimes in interesting patterns.
You mention flaking off and cleaning the glass - is this on the inside of the stove? As shown in the pic, the metal layer should be on the outside. Though again, it's a few atoms thick, so not like there is much to 'flake off'.
Pics would help a lot. I have noted creosote to build up and flake off - sometimes in interesting patterns.
IR coatings are on the order of a micrometer thick, not by far atomically thick. IR wavelength is ~1-20 um. And metallic coatings expand whereas the glass does not - the mismatch between this expansion and non-expansion is one of the main reasons coating delamination in all fields. (that's what I meant to say)
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
It would help to have a picture of the issue. The neoceram image shows the coating on the outside. Other coatings are available on this glass. One is half-mirror. I don't know what Stuv uses and we have not seen the problem, so I am just guessing this may be the issue. The best place to start is with the dealer or Stuv tech support.
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