# How Do You Clean Your Pellet Stove Glass When It's Hot?



## sydney1963 (Nov 27, 2008)

If you're running it 24/7 how do you clean it.  I have tried opening the door while it's running and taking a wet paper towel to wipe it but it leaves streaks.   Any other suggestions?


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## pelletizer (Nov 27, 2008)

Vac it with a round brush attachment soot flakes right off.


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## sydney1963 (Nov 27, 2008)

Excellent, I'll try that.  Thanks millions!


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## orangecrushcj7 (Nov 27, 2008)

I would think you might melt whatever vac attachement you use.  I actually just came across this problem this morning.  I tried the slightly damp paper towel, and got it good enough.  I was nervous I might crack the glass, so I used as hot water ad I could get on the paper towel.


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## wilbilt (Nov 27, 2008)

My firebox is pressurized, can't open it while it's running. Those pesky sparks and flames would go everywhere.

I do clean the glass at every shutdown opportunity, though. A dry paper towel does the trick.


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## Ladderlieu (Nov 27, 2008)

Hi. New guy here offering my 2 cents.

With "company" coming for tomorrows holiday, SWMBO wanted the glass spotless on the XXV.  It normally runs 24/7, so I simply shut it off. Within about a half hour it was just "warm" to the touch, but certainly not "hot".  Favorite window cleaner and a half dozen paper towels and it was spotless.

FWIW I normally vacuum the window, spray on the window cleaner, wipe it dry.  Then spray more window cleaner, wipe it dry. If needed due to leftover streaks I might have to lightly spray it and wipe it dry a third time.  By then it is usually spotless.


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## j00fek (Nov 27, 2008)

you don't, until it has cooled off


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## pelletizer (Nov 27, 2008)

How about a warm damp wash cloth I don't think that would leave streaks?


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## pelletizer (Nov 27, 2008)

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/29305/


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## Xena (Nov 27, 2008)

Wouldn't put anything wet on hot glass.

I wipe it down with the stove running.
Takes about 15 seconds.   I use a dry
paper towel (no scratches I buy the good n soft ones)
or if I don't have any paper towels I use...

I know you guys aren't gonna see this one
coming, but for real I use a dry maxi pad.
Do not put water on it unless you wish to
risk possibly cracking your glass.
Brother thought I was nuts but it works
so what they hey.


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## krooser (Nov 27, 2008)

I wait until I do a quick cleaning and do it then while it cool...


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## jimcooncat (Nov 27, 2008)

For the very quick clean, I shut it down and wait for the blower to turn off. With my Napoleon, it takes about ten minutes from going full bore to shutoff. I do something else with my time rather than wait around, like go to the garage for another bag of pellets.

I scoop out the firepot with a long metal spoon and dump the embers, clinkers, and ash right into the grill on the side so it falls into the ash pan. Then I take a soft bristle paint brush in my right hand, and a rag in my left, and brush the window quickly downwards so the fly ash drops onto the rag. Then I brush the rag off into the wastebasket. This whole procedure takes about one minute, and I'm up and running again.

By the time my blower is shut off, the glass has cooled down enough not to melt the paint brush bristles. Your Mileage May Vary, so test it in a small corner of the glass the first time. This procedure is good for two or three days, then we have to do a thorough shut-down, cool-down, vaccuum-out cleaning, including using a solvent-based stove glass cleaner followed up by Windex. That takes a half-hour of cool-down time and 12-15 minutes of cleaning. With our Athens pellets, we get a build-up of ash under the burn pot so this full clean can't get put off for a whole week.

Another tip: When we get done with cleaning, I take a handful of pellets and put it in the burn pot before closing the window. It takes much less time to ignite, hopefully using less electricity and extending the life of the igniter. I'm going to test that theory with my new watt meter, but at least the fire gets cranking sooner.


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## lecomte38 (Nov 27, 2008)

I use crinkled up news paper dry.  works quick and easy on hot glass.


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## Lobstah (Nov 27, 2008)

First, let me say that after burning wood stoves with glass doors for 30yrs?...After the first month I could have cared less about the clean glass.  Just looking over at the stove and seeing that nice warm glow is all I ever needed.
With my pellet stove, when I'm doing a normal ash sweep about twice a week, before I close the door back up I take a window scraper with a razor blade in it and just quickly scrape the windows.  takes 10secs.  I don't care about streaks, etc...and I refuse to get anal about having a picture perfect "flame view" of the burn pot.

Anything you do with a HOT stove and HOT glass is nuts, and you're begging for an accident.  Just not worth it.

Enjoy the glow 

Jim


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## SKIN052 (Nov 27, 2008)

Holy crap. I used to shut down, clean the glass, vac the burn pot, vac the ash pan and generally vac everything i could easily reach daily. Took about 20 minutes a day including cool down time. I can't believe some of you go 24/7!


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## trogers (Nov 27, 2008)

I've a had great results from a little windex and a "magic eraser".  You know, they are those white little sponges that are used for taking marks off the wall.  It cuts right through heavy soot on the glass.


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## Smudge88 (Nov 28, 2008)

I use a turkish type bath towel....after the stoves  convection blower is off....I don't get much or any black soot on the Englanger at all...The GlowKing needs a full shut down and we use woodstove glass cleaner on that...


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## Xena (Nov 28, 2008)

Lobstah said:
			
		

> Anything you do with a HOT stove and HOT glass is nuts,
> and you're begging for an accident.  Just not worth it.



Like I was taught when I worked for J & J Depuy...
Wear your PPE (personal protective equipment) while
working with hi temp ovens, etc.   The proper protection is key.


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## packerfan (Nov 28, 2008)

I have a putty knife that I use to scrape my burn pot with, and it also works great for cleaning any soot build up on the glass while the stove is running.


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## ResOps (Nov 28, 2008)

For thr time it takes to shut down long enough to cool the glass you can do a mini clean while your at it and clean the glass . If in the half hour this process takes your house cools down that much I'd say there are bigger issues afoot. I perform a shutdown every Saturday morning and this gets done then.


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## lass442 (Dec 1, 2008)

I've been using a dry microfiber cloth. I noticed that even if the cloth is not clean because of repeated use, it still works very well; no streaks at all. 
I will be using newspaper next time I clean it. I used to use newspaper years ago on my windows. Nothing cleans glass easier and streak-free than newspaper. It's chemical free for the most part, and economical.


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## Scoop (Dec 1, 2008)

Lobstah said:
			
		

> First, let me say that after burning wood stoves with glass doors for 30yrs?...After the first month I could have cared less about the clean glass.  Just looking over at the stove and seeing that nice warm glow is all I ever needed.
> With my pellet stove, when I'm doing a normal ash sweep about twice a week, before I close the door back up I take a window scraper with a razor blade in it and just quickly scrape the windows.  takes 10secs.  I don't care about streaks, etc...and I refuse to get anal about having a picture perfect "flame view" of the burn pot.
> 
> Anything you do with a HOT stove and HOT glass is nuts, and you're begging for an accident.  Just not worth it.
> ...




Paint scraper witha razor blade on the front. Works excellent at any temperature. unless your anal about a few little streeks


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## dbjc364 (Dec 1, 2008)

:bug: I dont clean the glass-ever! when its hot..never-never. It is not worth voiding the warranty or an accident. Jim and I have just a slightly different routine. I am home the most-so I do 3/4 of the cleanings.He always hauls the bags in & loads-as he has more muscles than me.But I do help him load pellets in the garage. If the sun is out-its perfect-   and I can shut the stove down for 4- 6 hrs.But I'm also learning that I lose some of that thermal storage heat thats built up in the house the colder it gets outside. Then its an easy clean. Even on the cloudy days- I still wait for the glass to cool good before cleaning the glass,otherwise its a quicker clean with the paint brush and scoop out ash with the metal spoon. Right now I have the oil to use up in the tank-so I really dont have to let the house cool down if I dont want-and thats set on 60*.In the future-it will be a propane back-up or wood stove. I use the special stove glass cleaner-then windex-dry it good, but am going to try some of these other suggestions also. For whatever miniscule heat radiants from the stove or pipe- we put a piece of radiant barrier behind the stove to reflect it back into the room. We hang the special tool-paint brush & a pair of scizzors from hooks right there-the rule is "they stay there", and a medium size ash bucket with lid,and the small shop vac hanging on its brackett-right nearby. We definitely want/will buy a real ash vac,as it makes us a bit nervous. We both put a handful of pellets in the burnpot for starting up procedure.


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## smaxell1 (Dec 1, 2008)

I get soot streaks on my window, but if I don't let it go more than a couple of days I have found that the thick baby wipes with a little stove glass cleaner squirted on them seem to work quite well. I usually take two, fold them several times, spritz a little of the cleaner on it - a few passes gets the worst of it off, and then I unfold the wipe a bit and refold it to a clean surface to finish the job. The only thing you have to be careful of is when you feel it start to get hot, get it off the glass. It only takes a couple of seconds to go from hot to steam burning your hand. I have done this a dozen times or so when the stove is running, and have yet to have a problem. 

---scott


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## Baston8005 (Dec 1, 2008)

With a Quadrafire mt Vernon stove, shut down is about 10 minutes.  Open the glass, scrape the pot, open ash slider to let ash out of burn pot.  Vac out fly ash in burn chamber and windex the glass...Total time....5 minutes at most.  Start up stove again and burn baby, burn.


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## sydney1963 (Dec 2, 2008)

Ok, I have the best solution, crumple up some newspaper or other catalogue pages you may have laying around the house.  Open the door of your stove, slowly, rub the glass.  Presto, clean as a whistle.  I was skeptical at first but it really works great.  I do it a couple of times a day, want to see the fire.


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## homebrewz (Dec 2, 2008)

I use a poly parts cleaning brush from any auto parts store. With the door open, the glass cools quickly enough so as not to melt the bristles.


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## Flammam (Dec 2, 2008)

My glass soots up after 24 hours. I only clean mine once a week when I vac out the ash.  I shut down on Sat morning early and usually can relight by 8:00am. Just keep pouring the pellets in all week as long as hot air is coming out the top I really don't need to see the fire to know its there.


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## 56 chevtruck (Dec 3, 2008)

my 2 cents:bottle of stove glass cleaner not that expensive and last a couple seasons i use that and a parts washer brush or razor blade on tuff black spots works for me. but i wount do it while hot.


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## jjmatte (Dec 3, 2008)

Baston8005 said:
			
		

> With a Quadrafire mt Vernon stove, shut down is about 10 minutes.  Open the glass, scrape the pot, open ash slider to let ash out of burn pot.  Vac out fly ash in burn chamber and windex the glass...Total time....5 minutes at most.  Start up stove again and burn baby, burn.



I just had a Mt. Vernon installed last week and the install guy said not to use windex. That it will eventually never come clean.


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## dbjc364 (Dec 4, 2008)

If there is a good amount of soot on the glass- then the air ratio is not right. How I know this -- and being a new owner-is because when I get it right- I have no soot- when I don't- I get soot. If your only cleaning once a week- first of all your not getting the max amount of heat from your unit-I dont care what the dealer says- then you've got a build-up of ash behind the piece of metal {little shelf}in the front-where the rod is- if its built like mine.I think these dealers are playing it just a little too cool when trying to sell their product-leading people to believe that these are no to little maintenence,and thats what people want to hear. As far as I can tell-every stove is tempermental- and you have to bond with it, and get to know its quirks. My stove wouldnt put out for me if I only cleaned it once a week- and I dont blame it...
Many-many people dont even read their manuals-let alone comprehend them. And thats my .02. :roll:


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