Replace Glass insert with Steel?

[MamaKdsw]

Hello, hopefully this is the right place to ask. My wood stove glass insert has broken 3 times. Twice I have had it replaced professionally at a wood stove shop that specializes in this. I have no idea why it keeps breaking (2 panes of glass -1 in front of the other -and both break) nothing hits it, the logs are far back from the front door with the glass, i dont open that door normally, i prefer to use the side door. I am tired of this repeated cost and was wondering if it truly would be safe to replace it with steel. If so should it be the exact size of the glass or slightly smaller? I was told it will expand slightly with heat. Do I use two panels of steel to fit both spaces?

 

[Patrick62]

I would certainly consider doing that, in your application.
I would think that a single sheet, of some 3/16 or 1/4 plate would be fine.

My mom's insert, and my small stove both have glass, no problems.

My cutter told me about a stove that he used that broke, and they used a hunk of sheet metal to fix it.
what would look nice, would be a hunk of diamond plate, and stick it in there with the gasket, do it up in stove black.

 

[MFV]

I have a metal plate on mine but they actually came with the stove those and a blower. And they do have a little space around them but not much

 

[david newbie]

we had to do that as our renter closed the stove door on a log that was too long ( Don't let renters use a wood stove!). Repaced it with metal, works fine, bur you can't enjoy seeing the fire, and it's hard to monitor what's going on in the stove. That was sad!

 

[lwmibc]

Make and model of stove are required to give an informed answer. Door 'glass'--in many cases a clear ceramic, not actually glass--should not be breaking without an obvious reason like someone closing the door on a protruding log mentioned above.

"Modern wood heaters use a clear ceramic material instead of the tempered glass that older fireplaces used. It will not break with heat generated by wood burners, but it can break if the fasteners are over-tightened or if it is struck hard with a poker or piece of wood."

https://woodheat.org/maintenance.html

 

[pdqdl]

Hello, hopefully this is the right place to ask. My wood stove glass insert has broken 3 times. Twice I have had it replaced professionally at a wood stove shop that specializes in this. I have no idea why it keeps breaking (2 panes of glass -1 in front of the other -and both break) nothing hits it, the logs are far back from the front door with the glass, i dont open that door normally, i prefer to use the side door. I am tired of this repeated cost and was wondering if it truly would be safe to replace it with steel. If so should it be the exact size of the glass or slightly smaller? I was told it will expand slightly with heat. Do I use two panels of steel to fit both spaces?

Sheet metal is a great conductor of heat. You will find that it radiates far more heat into your room, but it will also affect your burn and reduce the burn-box temperature. That might work out ok, or it might cause problems. Also, if your firebox ever got over-fired, that sheet metal might just melt down and cause a big problem.

I'd consider fitting some tile into the glass's mounting area. It would have to be porcelain tile that has been fired in a kiln, but you might discover that it matches the temperature characteristics of glass, without fracturing quite so easy.

Myself, I'd buy the best fireplace glass that I could find, with the lowest thermal expansion. And then I'd make sure it isn't cut to fit real tight on the stove. There are a lot of different kinds of glass, and your wood stove shop might have been cutting some corners.

 

[MudgeHollowBeaver]

Just remember that the stove is tested to UL/CSA/W-H standards with the original or factory approved replacement materials. Your fire insurance coverage could declined in the case of an incident.

 

[husky455rancher]

Id cover it with 1/8 or thicker plate and be done with it. They make a kit to use a 55 gallon drum into a stove and those are super thin.

 

[Mike Greeley]

That happened to me once. I got the glass from a regular cook stove (oved door) and had it cut to size.

 

[Mike Greeley]

Oven door, Got it from the local dump

 

[Mad Professor]

My house will burn to the ground and my stove still be usable. Steel is real.

 

[Greenie]

I've used a Sierra wood stove with a glass window in the door (not the door I load through) for 26 years without an issue. When I first purchased the stove I thought it might be a good idea to have a spare , but so far I'm still on the original.

 

[aokpops]

I did put a steal plate on my Drolet wood furnace Got in a hurry one morning filling the stove one peace was to long. I really like the glass I fixed it. Around 150 dollars, mistakes are made and lessons are learned.


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[psc1947]

Hello, hopefully this is the right place to ask. My wood stove glass insert has broken 3 times. Twice I have had it replaced professionally at a wood stove shop that specializes in this. I have no idea why it keeps breaking (2 panes of glass -1 in front of the other -and both break) nothing hits it, the logs are far back from the front door with the glass, i dont open that door normally, i prefer to use the side door. I am tired of this repeated cost and was wondering if it truly would be safe to replace it with steel. If so should it be the exact size of the glass or slightly smaller? I was told it will expand slightly with heat. Do I use two panels of steel to fit both spaces?

Expands yes. Roughly 0.001% per 100 degrees F in temp rise. Hardly a problem for you but a consideration any way. Running steam pipe we allowed for 1 inch per hundred feet per 100 degree rise. Walls have been knocked out by pipe run by people who didn't know.