I often wipe my insert glass (porcelin) clean while its still hot. I've often heard about the glass cracking but wonder if anybody has ever experienced that?
thermal cracking "glass"
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banger said:
Porcelain? You mean PyroCeram, right? Basically, you want to stay away from cleaning P-C when it's hot...
Wiping, spraying, scraping (no-no!), all should be done when the glass is cool...
If you've got a newer air-wash system in your insert, it SHOULD pretty much clean itself!
I put liquids on the (ceramic) glass only when cool, at least cool enough to rest my hand on it with no discomfort...say less than 100 degrees. I have never seen a glass breakage other than from physical force, e.g., close the door on a split that is too long.
I wonder, as I have replaced the glass, about he expansion rates. I assume a cast iron or steel door has a higher thermal expansion than does glass, i.e., the glass can not expand sufficiently to break/crack because it is expanding to a size larger than the door allows. This is my guess/assumption.
I wonder, as I have replaced the glass, about he expansion rates. I assume a cast iron or steel door has a higher thermal expansion than does glass, i.e., the glass can not expand sufficiently to break/crack because it is expanding to a size larger than the door allows. This is my guess/assumption.
That stuff has so much thermal shock resistance that you aren't gonna hurt it cleaning it hot. And its thermal expansion is virtually zero.
What you can do cleaning hot is cook whatever cleaner you use onto the glass. So just use water if you are compelled to risk your fingers by cleaning it hot. And never use any rag with polyester in it.
What you can do cleaning hot is cook whatever cleaner you use onto the glass. So just use water if you are compelled to risk your fingers by cleaning it hot. And never use any rag with polyester in it.
A part of UL and ASTM safety testing involves spraying the hot glass with water during high output operation. The glass (obviously) cannot break. This doesn't mean you should clean it while it's hot, but it is tested to deal with that type of abuse.
I only clean my glass between burns, Like when the fire is burned down right before I re-stock the fire box with fresh wood. The glass will smoke when sprayed but wont boil. What doesn't come off from wiping with a paper towel, I scrape off with a razer blade.
So then.. nobody has ever seen or experienced any cracking from cooler water on warm woodstove glass?
We do ours in the morning when the stove is the coolest, a paper towel, bottled water and leather gloves does the trick.
banger said:
Nope. Too long a log breaks'em but not one report here in three years of thermal shock breaking one. Look at the picture on this website.
(broken link removed)
![[Hearth.com] thermal cracking "glass"](/talk/data/attachments/13/13907-aa4096f6cb0163f3ce57c8426dc8173d.jpg?hash=hKRYlaJNb8)
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