Why your wood fireplace glass is turning black and how to prevent it?

by Wignells Heating & Cooking Australia's leading retailers of quality heating a

When it gets cold out there, nothing satisfies more than sitting next to a cosy wood fireplace. However, people often have trouble with their fireplace glass turning black. Fortunately, we can help you understand the physics behind this phenomenon.

Regardless of what type of wood heater you use, black smoke is emitted when the wood is not burning smoothly. This is either because of the too little air drawn into the fire or bad-quality logs. The phenomena causes the fire to throw off soot and create a blackened glass.

So, how to prevent it? Follow these simple tips to prevent your slow-combustion fireplace glass from getting black.

1. Burn only dry logs

Burning logs with higher moisture content is a common mistake you need to avoid making. This is simply because unseasoned logs waste more energy on evaporation than burning, leading to an excessive amount of smoke or soot being produced and deposited on the glass. Make sure you use well-seasoned logs that have a moisture content of 20% or less.

2. Choose hardwood over softwood

Softwoods like pine have more sap presence. Not only do they burn inefficiently, but they also produce a low heat output. Thus, choose high-quality hardwood logs, such as Wheelie Good Wood. Add wood to the fireplace at a regular rate and avoid packing the fireplace with a number of logs.

3. Check your flue or chimney

It may be a build-up of soot in your chimney that’s affecting its ability to draw air from your wood fireplace. So, please ensure that there are no obstructions for air getting into the fire. It is recommended to clean the burner ports and check your air vents or shutters. Get your wood heater inspected and serviced by an expert once in a while.

4. Don’t let wood touch the glass

Rather than across its entire surface, is your glass blackening in just one or two areas? Then may be the logs are too close to the glass. This can cause the fuel to burn against the glass. So, stop overloading the wood heater or loading fuel too close to the glass. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations to ensure that you’re following the right procedures when placing and burning wood.

5. Focus on the air control

Every home is different, with varying altitudes, flue lengths and proximity of the flue to surroundings. Thus, it’s better to adjust the air control and provide plenty of ventilation for the room. Before you close the air control, make sure all of the wood is fully burning. Progressively adjust the air control to slow the burn rate and avoid forming creosote.

6. Correctly use the airwash

Modern wood fireplaces come with an airwash system that helps them discourage soot from settling on the glass. If your fireplace is not functioning properly at the moment, you might be using the airwash system incorrectly. Try not to close the airwash vent completely when the stove is in use. Also, it’s better to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Concluding thoughts on wood fire

While wood heating is good heating, you need to prevent your fireplace glass from turning black. These tips will help you find the best solutions and keep your slow-combustion fireplace working for years to come. If you need a wood fire alternative, you can invest in electric or gas models like Rinnai fireplaces. Happy heating!