James
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little wenlock woodstove: tar on glass questionMy Coalbrokedale Little Wenlock woodstove has always had a tarry window. The staining was like black darts coming in from the edge of the glass, widening towards the centre. I believed that this was because of an innefective seal around the glass and resolved to replace the rope seal. I've just done so (with 8mm x 3mm Morso black rope for stove windows) and the entire window is black as night after the first burning of about 5 hours.
While I was fitting the new rope, I noticed that there was no previously fitted rope. The window was held in place with 1.5- 2 mm thick glass fibre card, folded around each corner and extending about 25mm along the sides of the pane . Thus, the card did not extend along the full length of each side and didnt provide a seal.
Now I'm wondering if the stove was designed to allow some air in around the window to try to minimise the tarring up that would otherwise happen on a stove that doesnt have an 'air-wash' (or similar...) system. So perhaps the black darts of tar are indicative of areas of the glass face were there was insufficient air flow, rather than were air is getting in.....?
My next thourght was that if the stove was designed to allow some air flow around the window, then by using a rope seal around the bottom and sides of the window, but not the top, I could enduce a type of air-wash ove the window.
But this would result in a pane of glass with quite a variation in temperature, with a cold edge. That doesn't sound good to me.
So where do I go from here?
I'm tempted to ...
1) Put rope only in the very corners of the glass, to mimick the card that was factory-fitted. Based on the (quite possibly incorrect) idea that there should be some air flow around the window, the slightly increased depth of the rope would allow for air flow in the locations currently tarring up
2) Put rope around the bottom and sides but not the top, to create an flow of clean air downward over the pane.
3) something else...
any suggestions?
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Mr O
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Without an air wash, your glass will always tar up. DO NOT be tempted to allow air in at the door, you will only end up poisoning yourself or your family. Seal the door well and run a hot fire to keep the glass clean, (cool fires tar glass sooner) if all else fails oven cleaner removes the tar pretty easily.
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alice
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The Little Wenlock has a primitive airwash arrangemant, it's a little baffle plate in front of the air intake which is supposed to push air up over the glass, It's not very effective though, as you've discovered  It's a multifuel stove, we burnt wood, coal and smokeless on ours. The glass stayed cleanest, longest, unfortunately, using a good quality (expensive) smokeless fuel like Homefire or Phurnacite.
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ksia
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Agree with the need for a hot fire.
Wet kitchen towel dipped in ash makes a good cleaner.
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Marionb
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You can buy stuff to clean the glass with.... does a good job too. I get mine from the local hardware store.
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RichardW
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Do you slumber the fire a lot or run it flat out?
Smoked up windows is often from running the stove not hot enough.
I would not want an uncontrolled air source (IE leak round glass).
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alison
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glass is easy to clean.
In the morning, when the fire is out, get a damp piece of kitchen roll, dip into the fire ash and rub on the glass.
It will come up sparkling.
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gil
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Thanks for this thread. I'll be looking at my Coalbrookdale later to check its glass.
I also noticed mine appeared to have no rope anywhere, nor ever to have had.
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ninat
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Can vouch also for the damp ash cleaning method 
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alice
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I'm guessing that cleaning the glass is less of a issue than how to keep it clear so as to see a bit of flame while the fire's in
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James
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thanks for all the repplies.
Idealy, I would like to be able to use the stove without having to regularly clean the glass. I dont mind every few burns, but any more than that sounds a bit much to me.
Richard: yes, we do run it on slumber quite a bit, closing the air intake down.
The third option I was thinking about, which I didn't write up in my initial question, is to use smaller splits of wood that burn faster, and run the stove with a more open air intake, with the intention of burning it hotter with a more complete oxidation. I think I'll try this as my next move. I did notice that it only started sooting up when I stoked up the fire with a few big chunks of ash and closed it down. (as an aside- the ash has quite a few knots in it, and may not have been totally dry in the knots...I heard a bit of hissing when I opened the door, hence this could have lowered the temperature quite a bit).
I'm not sure if gil has noticed this with her coalbrokedale: If the fire gets up to a high temperature and I close down the air intake, the fire will drop down to smolder, then after a while it will burst back into flames (I expect this is when the wood has given off enough wood gas to cause ignition). At this point, a big puff of smoke comes out from the spaces around the window. Its always done this.
So I'm going to keep the rope in place and burn it hot with plenty of air.
I'll let you know how it goes.
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vegplot
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Make sure you have some CO monitors in place when experimenting with fires.
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sean
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Or a canary.
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lettucewoman
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never been able to get the ash trick to work with our stove...we use ceramic hob cleaner cos the glass is actually ceramic...works a treat! 
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Rob R
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I'm not keen on stoves with little windows in as I know it would niggle me that I have a little window but I can't see through it... well it does when other people have them Much better to just either have a solid door or an open fire. As the stove hasn't arrived yet though, I'll just sit here shivering.
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alice
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| James wrote: | burn it hot with plenty of air.
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That'll do it
You'll romp through fuel though 
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James
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| vegplot wrote: | | Make sure you have some CO monitors in place when experimenting with fires. |
good point.
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jp
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Lots of sensible suggestions so far (not sure about the canary - RSPB?). Main points I think are;
run it hot & avoid keeping it in overnight
use only dry wood (avoid pine which is rather tarry) ash is great
Install CO monitor
avoid leaks round the door
don't overload the fire with fuel
have you had the chimney cleaned - it might be sooted up (risk of chimney fire)
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woodsprite
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Agree with JP.
P.S. They don't call Clearview that for nowt you know, buy yourself a better stove
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Brandon
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| woodsprite wrote: | Agree with JP.
P.S. They don't call Clearview that for nowt you know, buy yourself a better stove |
pity about the "afterthought lashup" boilers in them though...
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Ratman2
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My solid fuel stove has an 'air wash' and it's useless (the air wash, not the stove)
Just clean the glass when it's cold with fine wire wool and lots of soapy water.
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