“Angel Wings” Issue

[Bluespruce]

I am a week into burning a new princess. I am getting 12-20 hour burn times and the catalyst thermostat reads three quarters for hours before gradually going down. I have the thermostat at 30 percent or less. I had the signature wings for the first few days, but most of the glass is black now. It clears up when I run it hot during a re load, but the top middle doesn’t stay clear. I am burning extremely dry maple and Doug first that has been down and covered for 2 years. Normal or maybe a gasket problem?

 

[EbS-P]

It most likely won’t completely clear under lower output operation. It’s about the only down side of a BK. If an a two hour burn in high doesn’t clear it all up then I’d do the dollar bill test all the way around the door gasket.

 

[kborndale]

It most likely won’t completely clear under lower output operation. It’s about the only down side of a BK. If an a two hour burn in high doesn’t clear it all up then I’d do the dollar bill test all the way around the door gasket.

If the door gasket was bad, wouldn't that cause a hotter fire and cleaner window?

 

[Tron]

I'd say normal. Mine does the same, and there are many posts on this around here.

 

[Murray01]

Check your flue for buildup say every 2-4 weeks until you get a handle on how fast/much buildup is occurring. Looking at your location I’m guessing a long hot fire would heat up the house to an uncomfortable level fairly quickly.

 

[stoveliker]

I am a week into burning a new princess. I am getting 12-20 hour burn times and the catalyst thermostat reads three quarters for hours before gradually going down. I have the thermostat at 30 percent or less. I had the signature wings for the first few days, but most of the glass is black now. It clears up when I run it hot during a re load, but the top middle doesn’t stay clear. I am burning extremely dry maple and Doug first that has been down and covered for 2 years. Normal or maybe a gasket problem?

I disagree with all of the above: the top middle is the only thing that stays clear if anything stays clear. Black coverage comes in from the lower corners and grows inward and up. The middle top is the last part to get covered.

If burning hot does not clean it, that's unusual especially in that location.

Having a gasket leak does create black areas because it cools down the gases there, leading to cooler window and more deposits.

That said, this is all a discussion based on wording. Can you post a pic?

 

[Highbeam]

So I live near you and also burn maple and doug fir. I have been burning this princess for 12 years on low. It's been a warm and wet winter so far.

You'll never burn that haze off the top of the glass. It's up to high and protected by the air wash. The high haze is never really thick or barklike as you get at the lower corners.

Your wood was "down and covered" for two years is not enough information to verify that the fuel is dry. I have seen these logs rot away to dust when in contact with the ground in our wet, mossy, shady, dark, warmish environment.

The times when I've gotten top glass accumulation is when I burn wetter wood and/or at too low of a burn rate. Especially when I load a super full load and burn the whole thing on low and the weather is warm outside so draft is weak.

All that said, it doesn't hurt anything and you can clean it off easily if you want. This is not indicative of a gasket problem.

 

[stoveliker]

Whether it's haze or black was not specified (I interpreted the top center complaint to say that that was black).

My top center never gets black, also when running low.

I think it's too early to conclude it's not a gasket leak. It could very well be wet wood indeed.

Pics are needed.