# How dirty is normal for pellet stove glass?



## latichever (Dec 8, 2006)

I've just started using my Breckwell p2000 insert. My install follows manufacturer's specs to a T. How normal is normal when it comes to soot/dirty on the glass? I have to clean the soot off everyday. (Interestingly, the soot marks follow the shape of the flames, an inverted parabola.) What's par for the course regarding pellet stoves?  I did a search and the main things I came up with is that the latest woodburning stoves have cleaner glass than pellets stoves, that dryer wood makes cleaner glass, that hotter fires also keep glass cleaner, and that different pellet brands can make a difference. Is there any way to keep the glass clean or cleaner. Playing with the damper and heat settings? Or is soot inevitable?


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## begreen (Dec 8, 2006)

My Quad would soot up pretty quickly. Not to the point of blocking the view, but a steady build up with each fire.  I cleaned the glass every other Saturday. It's probably best not to get too anal about this. Yes different pellets will soot and ash differently. Avoid the really dirty ones, but ultimately this is a heater, a wood furnace. Burn optimally for heat, not for the glass.


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## mIstabone (Dec 8, 2006)

I have a new quad mt vernon and it appears I'll just have to wipe it down once a week. It has not yet gotten so sooty that it blocks the view at all. Just a small 1" ring around the top were the flames apex.


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## HarryBack (Dec 8, 2006)

soots inevitable, but influenced by the type of stove, amount of combustion air, airflow dynamics within the unit, and type of pellets.


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## Homefire (Dec 8, 2006)

latichever said:
			
		

> I've just started using my Breckwell p2000 insert. My install follows manufacturer's specs to a T. How normal is normal when it comes to soot/dirty on the glass? I have to clean the soot off everyday. (Interestingly, the soot marks follow the shape of the flames, an inverted parabola.) What's par for the course regarding pellet stoves?  I did a search and the main things I came up with is that the latest woodburning stoves have cleaner glass than pellets stoves, that dryer wood makes cleaner glass, that hotter fires also keep glass cleaner, and that different pellet brands can make a difference. Is there any way to keep the glass clean or cleaner. Playing with the damper and heat settings? Or is soot inevitable?




Soot happens...you can clean it with windex but be careful
when cleaning hot glass.
You may be better off learning to ignor the galss as long as
the stove heats.


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## latichever (Dec 8, 2006)

HarryBack said:
			
		

> soots inevitable, but influenced by the type of stove, amount of combustion air, airflow dynamics within the unit, and type of pellets.



Thanks for your replies. 

Could you expand on how these factors affect soot. Never having used a pellet stove before and knowing no one else who has one, I don't know what's normal,  although they wouldn't be selling stove glass cleaner if there was nothing to clean. I imagine high heat/high fan produces less soot, but it hasn't been cold enough to crank it up. My pellet supply includes two different  brands, so I'll see how that matters.

I have no complaints about the heat.


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## hearthtools (Dec 8, 2006)

Grey or brown soot OK
BLACK SOOT NO GOOD
some pellets have diffent color sooting on the glass but most of the time Light grey or Brown.
NOT BLACK!
The p2000 has that large Bay window door with my experience does not seal well and is hard to keep a clean glass.

A few things will help with soot.
Good draft?
are you direct venting or Vertical venting? vertical venting better draft.
if you have more than 15' of vertical pipe or 10' with 2 90 deg bends (including T) are you using 4" pipe.

Be sure the ash pan in shut tight.
Be sure the door is shuting tight.
Be sure the burn pot is Level and pushed all the way back.

Adjust the air with the Max amount of air with out pellets popping out of the burn pot.


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## MountainStoveGuy (Dec 8, 2006)

I hear that ammonia based products are not good for cleaning glass, it may etch the ceramic and make it more difficult for cleaning later. Used a cleaner designed for wood stove glass. It leaves a slick, silicon layer that makes for very easy cleaning. Rutland conditioning glass cleaner works very well.

On the breckwell, if you have the auger set to med- hi and the blower set to low-med  then it will soot everytime. The cleaninst setting would be med- high auger and high blower.

The harder the combustion blower is moving exaust, the stronger the airwash will be. Its a simple air in and air out issue. Low burns will always soot on any pelletstove because the airwash is not pulling in much air.


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## smirnov3 (Dec 8, 2006)

my experience with soot on glass:

The accentra produces very little (with LG pellets), and it wipes off with a wet cloth.

but when the soot pattern on your glass changes, it is an indication that something is wrong (in my case, I had some build up in my burn pot that I needed to scrape - it was directing the fire outwards, towards the glass)

So don't panic, but do pay attention to what the soot is doing.


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## latichever (Dec 12, 2006)

Problem solved, I think. 

Have two brands. Wood Pellet Co. and DryCreek. The distributor told me to get two brands because the former works better in my Breckwell during milder months and the latter works better in colder months. (Anyone else agree with this type of thing?) Anyway, had been using the Wood Pellet brand, and it produced mucho soot. Today, tried some Dry Creek, and it's been burning for several hours with no soot on the glass. The aesthetics are improved, although the Wood Pellet brand burned very hot.

Someone ought to do a Consumer Reports type breakdown on the burn characteristics of the various pellet brands--if that's not been done already.


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## begreen (Dec 12, 2006)

That's good info latch. I also found a difference in ash content and sooting from one company's pellets to another, though less difference with the premium pellets. But I would be hard pressed to prove the difference in heat output. Finally I just found a good brand and stuck with it, fall, winter and spring.


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## PutnamJct (Dec 12, 2006)

latichever said:
			
		

> Today, tried some Dry Creek, and it's been burning for several hours with no soot on the glass.



Did a full cleaning/vac job yesterday at 5PM. Heat exchanger covers, the whole 9 yards. 

Glass is already dirty on both side panels, the edges of the main door and now a streak forming up the center too.

Have been burning Dry Creek exclusively since the end of last season. 

Go figure.......


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