Why has the glass on my wood stove turned an amber colour?

[Tom]

As above, really. My stove was brand new and has only been in since yesterday but already the glass has turned to an amber colour. It's supposed to have a <quote> " Super Airwash system, Clear Glass "Varicontrol" <quote>. I've had the top vents open half way to 'wash' the air down the glass but it's turned really dark. The flames just look dark red through it...everything else is just black. Why is this and what can I do about it...if anything? I know that Airwash systems aren't always what they're cracked up to be but I'm really surprised that this happened in less than 24 hours!! Surely I don't have to clean the glass everyday? Or do I? :shock:

Jaqy

 

[yamin]

I do notice it can build pretty quickly! (Soot on the glass that is!). I'll put up with it for a week or so, then clean, using crumpled up damp newspaper, dipped in the ashes when cold. Seriously, it works a treat!

 

[chuckey]

Its condensed tar from the wood smoke. It is caused by the tar laden fumes not going up the flue quickly enough. Made worse by burning wet soft wood also by having the glass or top damper closed up to much. For wood burning the damper under the grate (if fitted) should be closed and the one over the top of the door opened. If you get the fire just right you can see the steam/smoke rising towards the door then being washed down and backwards away from the glass. you can get some specialised (and pricey) aerosol cleaner to remove the muck.
Frank

 

[skier-hughes]

Also the slower you make the wood burn the more smoke and tarry deposits you get. If you begin to let the fire burn well it'll help stop this from happening so quickly

 

[Tom]

So, am I right in thinking this is because I'm burning it slowly to season the stove and that when the stove is seasoned and I can burn a hotter fire this won't happen so much?

Jaqy

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Yes, that's it. Get a good hot fire going with dry wood, have the primary (lower) air control closed or just cracked open and the secondary (upper) air control open. When your fire gets to the stage where there's not much flame but lots of glowing ember then most of the crud will burn off the glass and the firebricks inside. It's important to run the stove good and hot every so often to burn off tar and soot deposits in the flue too, especially if you run it at a slumbering level most of the time.

So be brave, pile in some good wood and crank it up. You should have no concerns about cracking the castings so long as you build up to full heat over half an hour or so - it's very sudden changes in temperature that can cause problems and expose casting defects.

Yamin's tip about cleaning the glass with damp newspaper dipped in the ash of the previous fire is absolutely spot on - it's the most effective, cheapest and greenest method I've found in 10 years of experimenting.

 

[Anita]

A good hot fire is needed to keep the airwash system operating efficiently. It will tend to soot up if the fire burns slowly with little air. It's about getting a balance between the 2 air supplies for maximum burning efficiency.

It is recomended in our stove instructions (hwam) which has a huge plain glass panel in the door - to use scrumpled up newspapers, slightly dampened and with a couple of drops of vinegar on to wash off any soot from the glass (or marks where a piece of wood has fallen against the glass). If it is a really stubborn mark - then a couple of drops of washing up liquid will do the trick, but best not to use chemical cleaners or glass can crack upon re-heating.

 

[Lime]

Gummed up glass is one of the unsaid truths about wood burners.
If the fire is run with economy in mind then restricting the draught, sometimes completely, is part and parcel of economy.
That produces gummed up glass.
Opening extra vents allowing warm room air to go straight up the chimney reduces the economy of wood burning.

 

[Penners]

Jaqy - you may remember my rather cynical comment about "air wash" systems in another of your posts. Our woodburner has this feature, and it's never really lived up to its claims.

Others have given you details of how to make the best of it, but don't kid yourself that it will ever be really effective. If you want to glass to be nicely clean you do indeed have to clean it every day. Little and often is best, rather than allowing the tars to build up.

But once you get into the daily routine, it doesn't take long with a sponge, a nylon pan scourer (not wire wool) and a squeeze of detergenty water.

Or so Mrs P tells me! :wink:

 

[skier-hughes]

If you want to glass to be nicely clean you do indeed have to clean it every day.

So totally untrue, if you don't use the fire then it will remain nice and clean of it's own accord

 

[yamin]

Pah, clean it every day???? But then it looks like one of those false gas flame fires - can't have that! Like everything else in this house, the dirt here is deliberately and carefully allowed to build up in order to lend verisimilitude (??spelling) to the aged feel of the house! :lol:

 

[skier-hughes]

But don't you smell rather bad?

 

[yamin]

Ever smelt an Elizabethan peasant???? But amazing what you can do with a quick rub down with a loofah and some old ashes!!

 

[skier-hughes]

I've smelt some pretty old pheasants, does that count

 

[yamin]

Woop woop woop woop woop woop woop P.Edant Alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Liberties being taken, with casual wordplay! Standards are dropping, this cannot be allowed! (P.s. Is smelling old pheasants a rewarding hobby???)

 

[Penners]

if you don't use the fire then it will remain nice and clean of it's own accord

Well done, Graham. Such wisdom in one so young!

 

[Penners]

verisimilitude (??spelling)

10/10. Tick V.G.

Ever smelt an Elizabethan peasant?

If your fire smells like an Elizabethan peasant, you may be burning the wrong kind of carbon-based fuel.

 

[Tom]

I think smelting old pheasants must be a relatively new hobby. Well, I've never heard of it anyway!! :wink:

Thanks, as always, everyone for your advice. As the days go by with my new toy, I'm getting more and more confident with it And yes, as I'm increasing the temperature, the tar on the glass is beginning to burn off. However, I think like Penners and others have said, it won't clean it totally so I'm going for a gentle wash once a week while leaving some of the muck, as I'm inclined to think the same way as Yamin

Jaqy

 

[yamin]

:lol:

((TRUMPETS))

I gave some advice on this site!!!!!! Good lord, I'm of some use!!!! (theres always a first......ah well, back to the wode)

 

[Penners]

Tut tut! Once a day, easy work. Once a week, hard slog.

Go right ahead with the double-entendre jokes, folks.