PH Dirty Glass

[Berner]

I posted a few weeks ago about dirty glass. I had just cleaned it so a picture at the time would be irrelevant. Now I have before and after pictures of the glass. I'm wondering if I am being too picky with how clean it should be. My wood is on the three year plan.

Before cleaning

After cleaning

 

[Highbeam]

Is the ph double pane glass like some other Woodstocks? Iirc you can't open that front door so you must be doing all of the cleaning through the side door fighting those andirons?

You should be able to remove all brown stuff from any glass. Did you use chemicals?

 

[Attaboy]

Boy o' boy, that is really dirty, the only time I ever even came close to caked on like that was when I burned wood with too high a moisture content at too low a temp..

When it cools down and is cold, clean it with something like Rutland stove glass cleaner available in most stove shops or online, you may need to repeat 2-3 times, it is as if you are burning too cool and coating the glass.

 

[BuckyBeaver524]

Is the ph double pane glass like some other Woodstocks? Iirc you can't open that front door so you must be doing all of the cleaning through the side door fighting those andirons?

You should be able to remove all brown stuff from any glass. Did you use chemicals?

The andirons can be a royal pain in the butt when you need to clean the glass. If there was one thing I would change with the stove besides making the loading door slightly bigger, it would be to make the andirons removable. Fortunately, my stove glass stays pretty clean, but obviously some other PH owners are not that lucky. If your wood is nice and dry, maybe it has something to due with your draft, or maybe you are turning off the air supply too soon. When my stove was brand new and my wood supply not ideal, I was getting some stain areas in the corners - but once the wood was properly aged, that went away.

 

[webby3650]

Too bad the PH doesn't have andirons that fold down. My Quadrafire IR has folding andirons, it's really nice. Doesn't the Woodstock IS have folding andirons?

 

[BuckyBeaver524]

Too bad the PH doesn't have andirons that fold down. My Quadrafire IR has folding andirons, it's really nice. Doesn't the Woodstock IS have folding andirons?

It would be super if they were removable. Yes, the IS has ones that fold down.

 

[webby3650]

It would be super if they were removable. The IS has ones that fold down but that in really only effective on front loaders.

Maybe they will make a revision at some point so they can be used on the PH? That would be neat.
I guess I've never really given much thought to cleaning the glass on a Woodstock. Without a front door that could be a hassle, I sure like Clean glass. I was thinkin they stay pretty clean though.

 

[BuckyBeaver524]

Maybe they will make a revision at some point so they can be used on the PH? That would be neat.
I guess I've never really given much thought to cleaning the glass on a Woodstock. Without a front door that could be a hassle, I sure like Clean glass. I was thinkin they stay pretty clean though.

Mine stays nice and clean, but it appears that not all PHs do. But even though I hardly ever have to clean the glass, folding or removable andirons would be an improvement. I hope Woodstock is listening. And while you are at it, make the damn loading door a little bigger.

 

[webby3650]

Mine stays nice and clean, but it appears that not all PHs do. But even though I hardly ever have to clean the glass, folding or removable andirons would be an improvement. I hope Woodstock is listening. And while you are at it, make the damn loading door a little bigger.

They are listening

 

[Rearscreen]

You should be able to remove all brown stuff from any glass. Did you use chemicals?

Seems odd. Even with my worst stoves I could use ash/water or commercial cleaner to get even the blackest black off. My PH never gets remotely black and at times I've burned sizzly wood. If, however I were to completely shut the air down consistently there is a possibility the glass would get dirty. I burn with the air control just a tad open from shut and my temp rides at 400, (relative as the thermometer is off center above the left soapstone plate). But, my glass stays clean and only needs a slight cleaning maybe twice a season.

 

[weatherguy]

Mine stays nice and clean, but it appears that not all PHs do. But even though I hardly ever have to clean the glass, folding or removable andirons would be an improvement. I hope Woodstock is listening. And while you are at it, make the damn loading door a little bigger.

Do you still have the metal flapper on the door? I removed that and it made loading a lot easier.

 

[BuckyBeaver524]

Do you still have the metal flapper on the door? I removed that and it made loading a lot easier.

Yes, I still have the metal flapper. I wasn't sure removing it would make a big difference and was afraid of possible smoke spillage. But since I reload at the coaling stage when there is no smoke, and you feel it made a big difference, I will remove it. Thanks for the tip.

 

[snavematt]

We like our glass clean when we start a fire, I don't burn a lot during the week (only at night), I will do a quick wipe, but my cleaning is no longer than 2 minutes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Berner]

Is the ph double pane glass like some other Woodstocks? Iirc you can't open that front door so you must be doing all of the cleaning through the side door fighting those andirons?

You should be able to remove all brown stuff from any glass. Did you use chemicals?

Yes I do clean all of this from the side and fighting the andirons is a pain. I didn't use any chemicals just warm water with fine steel wool (wood stocks recommendation).

Maybe I should try using a chemical?

 

[webby3650]

We like our glass clean when we start a fire, I don't burn a lot during the week (only at night), I will do a quick wipe, but my cleaning is no longer than 2 minutes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Most non cats run very clean glass. Cat stoves like the OP often struggle a little more because the stove is capable of running much slower than a non-cat. I can't tell what stove you have, looks like a Shelburn?

 

[webby3650]

Yes I do clean all of this from the side and fighting the andirons is a pain. I didn't use any chemicals just warm water with fine steel wool (wood stocks recommendation).

Maybe I should try using a chemical?

Yes! It works very very well.

 

[Berner]

Boy o' boy, that is really dirty, the only time I ever even came close to caked on like that was when I burned wood with too high a moisture content at too low a temp..

When it cools down and is cold, clean it with something like Rutland stove glass cleaner available in most stove shops or online, you may need to repeat 2-3 times, it is as if you are burning too cool and coating the glass.[/QUOTE

How high was too high MC? This is the first year on the my 3 year plan. From measuring fresh splits that are brought to room temperature I'm at 15%. These are my big oak pieces so I imagine with a lot of the other stuff I'm even lower.

I have been trying to keep the stove low in CAT burn to try and maximize steady heat. Last year I would burn big loads hot. The house would get too hot. I usually load the back of the box full then a few small splits in the front. I let the small splits catch and then the back ones take over slowly. It leads to a nice 350-400 stovetop temp that lasts a long time. On the really cold nights I will jam it full. Here the stove usually has rolling secondaries peaking out around 500-550. Even with 3 year seasoned wood thats registering 15% I get black glass. As the fire burns down the black glass gets burned off with it.

I know the middle of my glass is etched. This comes from my 1st and 2nd years of burning with 2 year old wood. I thought now that I was on my 3 year plan the glass viewing would be cleaner. I will try using the Rutland stove glass cleaner but I'm suspect that the top of my glass is etched now too.

 

[Berner]

The andirons can be a royal pain in the butt when you need to clean the glass. If there was one thing I would change with the stove besides making the loading door slightly bigger, it would be to make the andirons removable. Fortunately, my stove glass stays pretty clean, but obviously some other PH owners are not that lucky. If your wood is nice and dry, maybe it has something to due with your draft, or maybe you are turning off the air supply too soon. When my stove was brand new and my wood supply not ideal, I was getting some stain areas in the corners - but once the wood was properly aged, that went away.

I have a 17.5' insulated liner that runs up an exterior chimney. I'm usually never struggling to get draft and even have to watch the air while I'm engaging new wood. If I'm not careful I will get overdraft where the air intakes will rumble.

How soon is too soon to cut the air supply? I usually let it go for a few minutes before shutting the bypass and start bringing the air down in stages. It all depends on how cold it is outside, how many coals, what my desired stovetop temp is etc, how full the firebox is etc.

 

[Berner]

Boy o' boy, that is really dirty, the only time I ever even came close to caked on like that was when I burned wood with too high a moisture content at too low a temp..

When it cools down and is cold, clean it with something like Rutland stove glass cleaner available in most stove shops or online, you may need to repeat 2-3 times, it is as if you are burning too cool and coating the glass.

How high was too high MC? This is the first year on the my 3 year plan. From measuring fresh splits that are brought to room temperature I'm at 15%. These are my big oak pieces so I imagine with a lot of the other stuff I'm even lower.

I have been trying to keep the stove low in CAT burn to try and maximize steady heat. Last year I would burn big loads hot. The house would get too hot. I usually load the back of the box full then a few small splits in the front. I let the small splits catch and then the back ones take over slowly. It leads to a nice 350-400 stovetop temp that lasts a long time. On the really cold nights I will jam it full. Here the stove usually has rolling secondaries peaking out around 500-550. Even with 3 year seasoned wood thats registering 15% I get black glass. As the fire burns down the black glass gets burned off with it.

I know the middle of my glass is etched. This comes from my 1st and 2nd years of burning with 2 year old wood. I thought now that I was on my 3 year plan the glass viewing would be cleaner. I will try using the Rutland stove glass cleaner but I'm suspect that the top of my glass is etched now too.

 

[BuckyBeaver524]

I have a 17.5' insulated liner that runs up an exterior chimney. I'm usually never struggling to get draft and even have to watch the air while I'm engaging new wood. If I'm not careful I will get overdraft where the air intakes will rumble.

How soon is too soon to cut the air supply? I usually let it go for a few minutes before shutting the bypass and start bringing the air down in stages. It all depends on how cold it is outside, how many coals, what my desired stovetop temp is etc, how full the firebox is etc.

Honestly it sounds like you're doing everything right. I also have an exterior chimney that is about 21 ft tall. The only other thing I can think of is the type wood you burn and its moisture content. I burn very well seasoned oak and hickory that is at least 4 years split & stacked with top cover. When the wood was only seasoned 2 years I was getting some black in the corners, but now the glass stays clean all season. Actually I do get a slight haze on the glass, but when there is a fire in the box it looks very clear.

 

[webby3650]

How high was too high MC? This is the first year on the my 3 year plan. From measuring fresh splits that are brought to room temperature I'm at 15%. These are my big oak pieces so I imagine with a lot of the other stuff I'm even lower.

I have been trying to keep the stove low in CAT burn to try and maximize steady heat. Last year I would burn big loads hot. The house would get too hot. I usually load the back of the box full then a few small splits in the front. I let the small splits catch and then the back ones take over slowly. It leads to a nice 350-400 stovetop temp that lasts a long time. On the really cold nights I will jam it full. Here the stove usually has rolling secondaries peaking out around 500-550. Even with 3 year seasoned wood thats registering 15% I get black glass. As the fire burns down the black glass gets burned off with it.

I know the middle of my glass is etched. This comes from my 1st and 2nd years of burning with 2 year old wood. I thought now that I was on my 3 year plan the glass viewing would be cleaner. I will try using the Rutland stove glass cleaner but I'm suspect that the top of my glass is etched now too.

The etching is from ash that builds up on the glass and over times will kinda melt into the cerimac causing the etching. Nothing will remove it, sorry. It's very important to clean the glass occasionally even if it's not getting black/brown buildup.

 

[Berner]

Is the ph double pane glass like some other Woodstocks? Iirc you can't open that front door so you must be doing all of the cleaning through the side door fighting those andirons?

You should be able to remove all brown stuff from any glass. Did you use chemicals?

Ye

The etching is from ash that builds up on the glass and over times will kinda melt into the cerimac causing the etching. Nothing will remove it, sorry. It's very important to clean the glass occasionally even if it's not getting black/brown buildup.

The etching is from ash that builds up on the glass and over times will kinda melt into the cerimac causing the etching. Nothing will remove it, sorry. It's very important to clean the glass occasionally even if it's not getting black/brown buildup.

Yes mine gets black and brown buildup. But cleaning the glass occasionally has a very different meaning for different people. I probably do it every other week. While some do it once a year. I just want to make sure there isn't a burning habit that I could use that would prevent this.

 

[Berner]

Has anyone replaced their PH glass? If
So how much of a pain was it? Is it an expensive piece to order from WS?

 

[BuckyBeaver524]

The etching is from ash that builds up on the glass and over times will kinda melt into the cerimac causing the etching. Nothing will remove it, sorry. It's very important to clean the glass occasionally even if it's not getting black/brown buildup.

Oh, good to know. Thanks for the tip.

 

[webby3650]

Ye




Yes mine gets black and brown buildup. But cleaning the glass occasionally has a very different meaning for different people. I probably do it every other week. While some do it once a year. I just want to make sure there isn't a burning habit that I could use that would prevent this.

If the glass is being cleaned every other week it wouldn't be etched. If that's the case, I can't explain the etching.

The black glass is either wood quality or a draft issue, neither of these seem to be the case from what you are saying. Perhaps you run yours at a lower rate than most others. It happens on most stoves if you run low and slow often.