Question about filling wood stove and the (glass) front doors

[snowfreak]

Last year was my first year burning in my Jotul 600 Firelight. I burn 24/7 and many times the fire wil need to go 10-12 hrs before a new fuel load can be added. For the first couple of months I tried my hardest to fill the firebox and not have the wood touching the (glass). The coal bed was very limited after 10-12hrs. If I fill the firebox plum full (some wood touching the glass) I have an excellent coal bed when I come home. I burnt most of the winter like this and had no problems with cracked glass. When you load your stoves do you make it a point to keep the wood away from the glass? This particular stove you can load from the front or the side. I always load from the side to keep the mess to a minimum. Once a week I clean the glass, I noticed a slight white haze that developed over the burning season, I could not remove the haze regardless of the cleaner. Just curious if that's common?

 

[Bill]

I try and keep the wood away from the glass, if it touches you get a brown stain, even though it burns off in a hot fire. But sometimes no matter how you stack it, as it burns it tumbles forward.

Glass is gonna get dirty after a while, I believe no matter what. I use glass stove top cleaner, that my wife uses on her glass top electric range. Works very nice and is cheap also.

 

[chad3]

Same here, try to keep the wood away from the glass BUT....
I really dread hearing the log tumble forward after keeping it further away than if it is near the glass. Another side is with my 500, the more wood, ie closer to the glass, the more ash falls out if I have to open the front door.
chad

 

[titan]

I think andirons could be a useful accessory for any side-loader with a glass in the front.Another reason my newest stove loads north-south.

 

[snowfreak]

I think andirons could be a useful accessory for any side-loader with a glass in the front.Another reason my newest stove loads north-south.

When I was first looking at stoves I didn't care for the look of the andirons but I sure wish I had a set now.

 

[elkimmeg]

One would be anazed at the way stove glass is tested A 3 lb steel ball attached toa rope is held waist high and let go and smacks into the glass.

This is susposed to equal most owner situations when loading a stove with splits. The glass can take quite a licking.

 

[begreen]

Andiron would be helpful for east-west front loaders too. I've had more than one hot log roll against the glass only to spill out the door as I try to correct the situation.

 

[DiscoInferno]

I have little fake andirons in my Ultima, they are just below the front edge of the baffle, and maybe 2-3" high. If you keep all the wood behind them, then it's all under the baffle and life is good. Except that, of the rated 2cf firebox, only about 1.5 of that is behind the andirons. So once it gets really cold, or at night, I pack splits on and in front of the andirons, right up to the glass. The irons are so short they disappear under a thick coal bed anyway. Ash falling out when I open the front (only) door is just SOP. No ash lip is the biggest design flaw.

 

[Henz]

I have an Avalon Olympic with a large glass front. I have found that if I load all of my splits in a N & S direction I dont get the "spilling" onto the glass. I also get a much better overall burn. I do at times get the brownish residue on my glass but the airwash system takes care of that after about a 30 minute hot fire. I had to clean my glass only once this past winter