Tired of Changing Glass Keystoker Fireplace Insert

Hi All
Just found this site looks great. Ok here we go Im woundering if anyone makes a cast incert for the glass in my Keystoker fireplace incert modle?
Just tired of changing the glass every couple yrs.
thanks tom

Why do you change it, is it cracking? It should not, and could be caused from a twist in the door/latch/gasket.
I doubt you can find an iron replacment, however a plate of good grade Stainless Steel the same thickness as your glass is probably an easy out. I don't know how long carbon steel would hold up, it really depends on how close it is to the coal fire. I have 1" X 1/2" carbon steel bars that hold the firebrick at both ends of my boiler, the centers of those bars will disappear between loadings if I run it hard. You need to be safe with Anthracite as it is can reach incredible temperatures.

Bull, call Keystoker direct their number is (570) 385-3873. I don't know if they make one for your insert but they told me they have done them in the past for 90 and 105 owners. They are usually around untill 4:30 or 5:00.

This is the ceramic-glass my stove came with. The glass had a sticker on it directing me to the Robax Glass USA website. It's pretty amazing stuff & the company will sell custom stove windows to you directly ( from their website ) You can heat it to the max & then pour ice water on it - makes me feel better when I'm spraying window cleaner on the hot glass. Interesting website.
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Tom:

Your post didn't specify why you need to change the glass every couple of years ( cracking, discoloration, or hazing). A later post mentioned the spraying of glass cleaner and that brought to mind an experience I had with my first Franco Belge stove in 1983.

My stove door had a window consisting of 25 separate slats of glass, about 3/4" wide each. From time to time I would use a household glass cleaner to remove the fly ash which would collect. Not long afterwards, the glass became a bit discolored and very hazy to the point I could barely see the fire through it.

I visited a Franco Belge dealer(Coal Heat) in Emaus, PA(?) who was most helpful. He replaced all of the glass free of charge and cautioned me to never use glass cleaner again. It appears that when whatever residue of the glass cleaner is exposed to the intense heat of the coal fire, it becomes quite acidic and etches a haze into the glass.

From that point forward, I used either a spray-on oven cleaner or clean water to clean the glass. So far, so good. Good luck with your issue, and Happy New Year!

John

JerseyCoal wrote:I visited a Franco Belge dealer(Coal Heat) in Emaus, PA(?) who was most helpful. He replaced all of the glass free of charge and cautioned me to never use glass cleaner again. It appears that when whatever residue of the glass cleaner is exposed to the intense heat of the coal fire, it becomes quite acidic and etches a haze into the glass.

From that point forward, I used either a spray-on oven cleaner or clean water to clean the glass. So far, so good.

I wonder if I'm seeing this when my wife cleans the glass on our Alaskan with water + vinegar? We also have very hard water which may be to blame. (We're seeing something like you describe.)

Philippe:

I suspect so! Vinegar certainly has lots of acid in it; acid washes are used to etch patterns in shower doors and other glass partitions.

I used to use Easy-Off oven cleaner with no problems but, first I would let the glass cool down to room temperature. A healthy rinse or two with clear water; paper towel dry, and I was good to go.

Give it a try. Good luck.

John

I use a product made for ceramic glass..it is for ceramic stove tops..this stuff has worked for me very well for a few years now...it also leaves the glass very slick so future cleaning is easy...

http://www.weiman.com/products/kitchen/glass_cleaner.php

this is basically the same stuff rutland sells as fireplace glass cleaner....

it is only around 4.98 a bottle...will last a few years...

they way I do it is....I let the glass cool down..I use a damp rag with water to get most fly ash off....then use a cloth with the polish on it to clean the glass and buff it off.....I do it monthly when I do my stove cleaning to get rid of fly ash

AL

since replacing my glass this fall I have been keeping after it much better than in the past. I have been using glass cleaner for the first go around then using rutlands "white off" on the second round. its staying much cleaner and clearer. what is helping me is warmer than normal winter. the window isnt as hot thus shortening the time it takes to cool to a point that I can clean it.

I tried something new this year. I have a Franco Belge coal stove with the 1" glass pieces inset into the cast iron door frame. My glass had become quite reddish (probably from iron or sulfur in the coal?), so I thought about it, and decided to try toilet bowl cleaner. It takes rust off of the inside rim of the bowl, so what did I have to lose? It worked like a charm. It even removed all of the whitish haze. I looked at the main ingredient, and it lists HCL (hydrochloric acid) as 14%. Wear gloves! I then rinsed it with plain water using a windex bottle, and wiping with paper towels. I was surprised how well it worked. I will report at the end of the season if there was any long term bad effects, but I see none yet.
By the way, I did this cleaning before I had fired up the stove for this year.