Need Advice: Soot Build Up

[Mark S. Castro]

Hi Everyone,

Having a slight problem. Starting to get soot building up on the inside of the glass door of my Hearthstone Homestead. Can't seem to burn it off. How do I get rid of the soot?
Thanks.

 

[Swedishchef]

Mark;

MOst people use a bit of ash and a soft cloth. Try it, it is hard to believe but it works!

What is causing this to happen? Is your gasket old?

Andrew

 

[Mark S. Castro]

Mark;

MOst people use a bit of ash and a soft cloth. Try it, it is hard to believe but it works!

What is causing this to happen? Is your gasket old?

Andrew

 

[Mark S. Castro]

Brand new stove., less than one month old. I suspect the gasket is in good shape, but I'll check it. Thanks, Mark

 

[blades]

Too clean glass, only when cold! newspaper dampened with water, age old works every time. Need too burn hotter fire that will help to alleviate black window. It will always get some on it but hot fires will keep it down to a haze. A good hot fire will burn some off that off as well. This would be stove top temps in 400-600 range. Be aware if running a fan that blows over top of stove that the temps will register some150-200 lower than actual.

 

[Swedishchef]

I agree with Blades, if not a gasket than run the stove hotter.

A

 

[Wood Duck]

My glass will get sooty if I don't burn hot enough, if I have a smoky start, and in particular if I have a piece of wood loaded N/S (with the end facing the glass) that is near the glass and gases shoot out the end toward the glass. The gases can soot up the glass enough that it can be hard to burn the soot off.

You cannot completely burn soot off the glass. You'll be left with a slight haze that I assume is the ash left behind from the burning of the soot.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Can you give us some info on the quality of your wood? (i.e. type, how long dried/split stacked, etc)
Also, what are your normal stovetop temps?
(You might just have some wood with a higher than desired moisture content.. i.e. plus 22% or so)

 

[corey21]

What are your temps you are running at?

 

[Pallet Pete]

How seasoned is your wood ? Is it split stacked dried for at least a year ? If its Oak wood then you need two or three years split and stacked.If not that can and will make it hard for your stove to burn clean and hot which will cause your glass to turn black even on high.

Pete

 

[Mark S. Castro]

Thanks for the information. Here are a few more details: normal operating temperature between 150 and 200 oF. Burn mostly oak, that was cut, split and stacked about two years ago. Also, burn black locust. I'll try burning at higher temperature later today, around 200 to 250 oF.

 

[corey21]

Thanks for the information. Here are a few more details: normal operating temperature between 150 and 200 oF. Burn mostly oak, that was cut, split and stacked about two years ago. Also, burn black locust. I'll try burning at higher temperature later today, around 200 to 250 oF.

Are those temps on stove top center stone if so you have a creosote factory in the making.

If that is stove pipe temp you may have a major soot problem.

Edit. Assuming you have done your break in fires you should be able to get it much hotter.

 

[Mark S. Castro]

Are those temps on stove top center stone if so you have a creosote factory in the making.

If that is stove pipe temp you may have a major soot problem.

Edit. Assuming you have done your break in fires you should be able to get it much hotter.

I used the wrong temperature units. Normal operating temperature are between 150 and 200 oC. Did several break in fires already. Should I be burning hotter?

 

[Swedishchef]

For stove top temperatures I would run nothing less than 250C-325(350)C. Get it nice and hot within the stove and this will help burn your gases. The cooler the burn the more soot/smoke/creosote you will be forming/creating for your system.

From the manual for your stove: " This stove was designed to operate at a high temperature...." "Over-firing may lead to damage of plated surfaces. If you are uncertain of over-firing conditions, we suggest placing a stove thermometer (e.g. Rutland® Model 710) directly over the door on the stove top - temperatures exceeding 800° are generally considered over-firing..."

After starting a fire you should get the stove top temperature running around 550-650ish.



Let us know how you make out.

A