Preventing Dirty Glass

[WarmGuy]

We've talked about ways to clean the glass on our woodstoves, but are there any tricks for avoiding the buildup of the creosote in the first place (besides burning dry wood)?

The worst build up occurs when the fire is dying down. Does it help to rake the coals towards the front? Towards the back?

I've tried opening the door a crack when the fire is almost out, but of course that means that more of my heated air is going to go up the chimney.

I've done some experiments with getting the glass extra clean, or leaving a film of windex on. Nothing like that made any difference. I'm also not impressed with any "conditioning" cleaners that claim to reduce buildup.

 

[babalu87]

A HOT fire cleans mine up in a jiffy.

4 or 5 splits of pine stacked criss-cross with an open damper and the dirty glass goes up the chimney

 

[Gunner]

What is the stove?

There should be very little soot towards the end of the fire...

 

[NewtownPA]

Are you getting excellent draft? How's your chimney is it in excellent condition?

 

[hookspacken]

Once I start burning regularly, I only have to clean the glass every couple weeks, and that is from fly ash, not creosote. A nice hot fire will clean the glass right up.

 

[Dunadan]

Hard to tell with temps where they've been, but if redirect all or most of my air to the burn tubes (air control on Revere almost/completely in) I will get dirty my glass.

Most of the "soot" (or whatever you would call it) will simply wipe off with a rag. I find that my heaviest build-up (of creosote) will occur in thin strips of about 1.5" on each side of the glass, from top to bottom. This will not come off without using some type of cleaner. Just last weekend, after seeing this from an all night burn, I performed the dollar bill test on my gasket and everything seemed fine.

I do think pushing the fire back towards the middle/rear of the stove does help, but when going for an overnight burn, that's not possible when filling the firebox to the max.

 

[thephotohound]

Warmguy -

I have the same problem. Last year, I thought it's because I was burning wet wood, but it has happened this year too. The door gasket also passes the dollar bill test, so I'm out of answers...

 

[WarmGuy]

I have a Regency WarmHearth. Draft is great, and chimney too (recently inspected).

If I get a super hot fire going (hotter than needed to heat house), it will clean the glass, but I'll get build up as it cools down again.

I clean the glass every day.

 

[JohnnyBravo]

Dunadan. just a thought, maybe the air wash is not quite as wide as the glass.

 

[Todd]

Check all your gaskets. It may be the gaskets that holds the glass in place on the door?

 

[Dunadan]

No the air wash goes all the way across.

Never knew there was more than 1 gasket, but in my manual I do see a glass gasket.

Could that have been bad right out of the box?

My insert always has had the build-up along the sides issue. I thought I read in a thread here in the past that others have had that same problem.

 

[Hogwildz]

In my experiences, splits 1" or so & closer to the glass will soot up the glass. I started cutting my splits so they are at minimal 1" or more away, end of problem. Fly ash, that just can't be avoided. But wipes off easily.

 

[JBinKC]

I have the same problem also no creosote buildup at all in the chimney but an ugly initial soot buildup on the glass. The total length of the chimney is 17 ft.

My guess of the cause of it is the smoke from the bark of the wood and wood quality. It seems to be enhanced when you use wood that has begun to deteriorate. Of course, the problem gets remedied some as the fire progresses as the glass is self cleaning by a hot fire but the corners still are always dirty. I also usually don't wait for the stove top to get much past 450 before I start to run a pedestal fan over the stove so I can move the unbearable heat properly in my home but realizing the cooler air moving over the stove will likely prevent the glass from becoming totally clean.

Unfortunately, I am forced to do this because the stove's location is not ideal as it is located in an 150 sq ft L shaped alcove in my house and it is the only logical location for the stove for space and layout reasons. Ceiling fans also have not been effective in moving the air correctly to the other side of the house.

I am at a point where I accept this but am concerned because the glass is getting harder to clean.

 

[slofr8]

I had a heck of a time with dirty glass last year. Also felt I had too much draft. (Still not sure about that.) Turns out my thermometer was off. I put a probe and a new thermometer on top of the stove and I'm burning a LOT hotter than last year and still well within allowable temps. These hotter fires keep the glass quite clean.
Dan.

 

[moterhead3]

With my stove it seems like it's the size of wood and type of fire that makes a difference. I accidently left my damper open wide with a load of 1 to 2 inch locost. Over heated, 750 for about 15 min, but still had stuff on the glass. A normal fire with big pieces of the same tree, I have clean glass.

 

[Michael6268]

I have had a pellet stove years ago, currently have a coal stove and a small woodstove, and I must say of the three, the wood stove was the easiest to keep clean. Last year was my first year burning a "non airtight" woodstove and honestly I hardly ever cleaned the glass. Occasionally if a piece of wood rolled up toward the glass it would leave a soot spot, but it burnt right off with my next hot fire. I think I used glass cleaner on it maybe twice, and occasionally a wet paper towel when it was cool. Sounds like wood might not be completely dry. Also you should not be getting creosote build up at the end of the fire. Mostly only carbon at that point.

 

[jpl1nh]

Warmguy -

I have the same problem. Last year, I thought it's because I was burning wet wood, but it has happened this year too. The door gasket also passes the dollar bill test, so I'm out of answers...

I'm running a Keystone too PH, but only get build up if I shut the air down enough to put the flames out on a long burn where the cat is just feeding on the coaling wood. Put the air back up a little and a load later its clean.

 

[rdrcr56]

A hot fire in the morning around 700- 800 deg. on the flue gas thermometer for a 1/2 hour cleans it up pretty good. When you clean the glass try Rutland hearth & glass conditioning glass cleaner with silicone, this stuff works great. When my daughter tried to build her first fire and surprise me she sooted up the glass so bad I couldn't see the fire through it, this stuff cleaned it off no problem.

 

[pearsall]

No the air wash goes all the way across.

Never knew there was more than 1 gasket, but in my manual I do see a glass gasket.

Could that have been bad right out of the box?

My insert always has had the build-up along the sides issue. I thought I read in a thread here in the past that others have had that same problem.

My Lopi and my buddy's (same stove) does the same thing on each side. It will clean up with a good fire. It sounds like a design issue rather than a bad gasket IMO.