Why does the glass in your woodburning stove go black? And how this can be prevented in the future…
One of the great pleasures of owning a wood-burning stove is being able to see the flames dancing around, so the last thing you want is a layer of soot or dirt obstructing that view.
To begin with, a small amount of soot or cloudiness is usual. It is inevitable that some of the by-products of burning wood or smokeless fuels will leave their mark in the environment the glass operates in. By using these cleaning instructions for wood-burning stove glass, you can get rid of the majority of this cloudiness.
Second, compared to our predecessors, we have it far better. Modern wood-burning stoves almost always have an integrated airwash system. This creates a layer of air that washes over the glass and keeps dirt from accumulating by using the stove’s top vent.
Given the presence of the airwash system, and bearing in mind what we’ve established about a bit of blackening over time being normal, if your stove glass is regularly going back after use then you might need to change something about the way you’re operating the stove.
Why might the glass on your stove be turning black?
Let’s have a look at some of the most common causes of blackened stove glass:
- Burning Unseasoned Wood
Burning unseasoned wood may be the primary factor contributing to the blackening of stove glass. To allow the moisture content to decrease to between 20 and 25 percent, all logs must be seasoned, which entails cutting, chopping, and letting them air dry for at least a year.
When using unseasoned wood, fire energy is expended on evaporation. This results in an incomplete burn and an excessive amount of smoke. This accumulates inside the flue system and, you guessed it, on the glass as soot, tar, and creosote.
- Incorrect Use of Airwash
As previously indicated, an airwash system is now standard on the majority of wood-burning stoves to prevent soot from getting on the glass. You may be using airwash wrong if your stove isn’t working that way right now.
When the stove is in use, you should strive to keep the airwash vent partially open to prevent the glass from blackening.
- Fuel Touching the Glass
It’s possible that you are overloading your Woodburner or loading fuel too close to the glass, which will cause the fuel to burn against the glass, especially if the glass is only becoming black in one or two spots rather than all over.
- Burning Coal
As a whole, the majority of stove manufacturers advise against using bituminous coal, or ordinary domestic coal, in multifuel stoves. It is recommended to burn smokeless fuels instead.
- Not Burning Hot Enough
The appliance may not heat up to a hot enough temperature for the airwash to work properly if the stove is not running at its ideal temperature, for example, if you’re attempting to have a tiny fire going in a large woodburner.
- Poor Draw
Poor draw could be the cause of the issue if you’ve followed our guidelines, double-checked your stove manual for proper airwash system usage and ruled out any other potential causes. Stated differently, there is not enough force for the air to flow from your room, into the woodburning and up the chimney.
Poor draw can cause smoke to not be “pulled” up the chimney, which can leave it lingering in the firebox, or it can stop the airwash from working properly. Increasing the room’s ventilation is one possible approach.