I installed a pellet stove about 3 weeks ago. I'm using Golden Fire pellets for fuel. The window of the burn chamber soots up very quickly. I have to clean it off about every other day. Did I get something wrong in the installation? Maybe I don't have a good enough draft in the exhaust, or not drawing well thru the cold air connection? I'm just wondering what's causing it, and if it can be fixed. It's pretty annoying.
The window on my stove is sooting up very quickly.
- Thread starter Nevada Ned
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Nevada Ned welcome to the forum.
Prepare to be annoyed it is the nature of burning solid fuel
Some pellets are better than others as are stoves but all stoves
get dirty glass and need to be cleaned. Your stove may need
to be tweaked but without knowing make and model it is
all speculation
Prepare to be annoyed it is the nature of burning solid fuel
Some pellets are better than others as are stoves but all stoves
get dirty glass and need to be cleaned. Your stove may need
to be tweaked but without knowing make and model it is
all speculation
alot of it depends on the pellets you use... I burn 2 different brands one brand the glass will stay fairly clean all week, the other the class will be black by the end of the day
tlc1976
Minister of Fire
Yes for sure. My last pellets would plug the glass solid in half a day. My current pellets yes there gets some crud on the glass but I can still see through it until I clean it a week or two later.
fmsm
Minister of Fire
tlc1976
Minister of Fire
I use Pro Pellets which are full hardwood. But that’s just what works well in my particular stove. Lots of people have good results with softwood depending on their stove. I would try a full hardwood pellet and at least see how the stove runs. Only way to find out. Just try a few bags at first.
Can you easily clean the window with just a damp paper towel? If you have to use some sort of cleaning agent then you might have a lack of oxygen problem (creosote). If you can easily clean the window, then its probably just dirty pellets.
fmsm
Minister of Fire
That is what you want. Could be an airflow situation, a dirty pellet would give a dirty burn!
Forget the damp rag and cleaner. That damp rag can and will crack the hot glass. Take a bristle paint brush (a real one not a cheap one with fake plastic bristles and use that on the glass to clean it off. I do mine every evening, dirty or not. Keep it clean and it stays clean.
tlc1976
Minister of Fire
I agree cleaning it when hot can crack the glass. I always let mine cool down fully before cleaning it. What speeds up the cool down is running the exhaust blower with the damper open fully, continuing to pull that cold outside air through it. When the glass is cooled down I know I’m good to go and I know the burn pot and any contents are cold too. Then keep the fan running to suck out the dust I stir up.
Then I clean the glass with a wadded up newspaper soaked in water and squeezed out. Turning it a few times to get a clean spot. Works great and it’s free.
My SOP is... Open the door while the stove is running but on low fire, take a bristle brush and sweep the ash off the glass with it, close the door and continue on. I never cool down anything and it takes but a minute to clean off the ash. Now of course that don't substitute for a glass clean when cleaning the interior but it sure works well when the stove is running.
Been doing that for years now. Just remember, no synthetic bristle (cheapo) brush. The synthetic bristles will melt the natural bristles won't.
When I clean the stove inside (I do that every Sunday when using it), I use Windex and a piece of green Scotchbrite and a paper towel on the cool glass. Door glass is much harder than ordinary glass so the Scotchbrite won't scratch it. I have the original glass in mine (15 years) and it's as good as new.
No ash vac here either, just my shop vac with a drywall bag inside and weekly, I clean everything including behind all the baffles and the exhaust fan tract. I use a length of garden hose with the end tapered cut (inserts into my shop vac nozzle) to suck out the plenum to the exhaust fan. I pull the outside cleanout on the Tee every month and dump the accumulated fly ash and every 3 months or 2 times during the heating season I do the leaf blower thing on the bottom of the cleanout Tee and suck the venting out. Amazing how much fly ash gets 'stuck' in the venting.
Been doing that for years now. Just remember, no synthetic bristle (cheapo) brush. The synthetic bristles will melt the natural bristles won't.
When I clean the stove inside (I do that every Sunday when using it), I use Windex and a piece of green Scotchbrite and a paper towel on the cool glass. Door glass is much harder than ordinary glass so the Scotchbrite won't scratch it. I have the original glass in mine (15 years) and it's as good as new.
No ash vac here either, just my shop vac with a drywall bag inside and weekly, I clean everything including behind all the baffles and the exhaust fan tract. I use a length of garden hose with the end tapered cut (inserts into my shop vac nozzle) to suck out the plenum to the exhaust fan. I pull the outside cleanout on the Tee every month and dump the accumulated fly ash and every 3 months or 2 times during the heating season I do the leaf blower thing on the bottom of the cleanout Tee and suck the venting out. Amazing how much fly ash gets 'stuck' in the venting.
Last edited: