1. Welcome Hearth.com Guests and Visitors - Please enjoy our forums!
    Hearth.com GOLD Sponsors who help bring the site content to you:
    Jotul Cast Iron Stoves
    Woodstock Soapstone Stoves
    Hearth and Home (QuadraFire and Harman Stoves)

when to rebuild a wood stove

Post in 'The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces' started by sparksalot, Aug 21, 2006.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

  1. sparksalot New Member

    joined: Aug 21, 2006
    37 posts
    Montana
    i bought a jotul castine wood stove 3yrs ago and have read that they have to be rebuilt every few years or so....what is a few years and how can i tell when to rebuild? wondering if i should have not gone cast iron..
    sparksalot, Aug 21, 2006
    #1

    Helpful Sponsor Ads!

  2. elkimmeg Banned

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    5,827 posts
    Patriots are 3 times super
    gasketing 4-6- years use CAST IRON NOT WElDED STEEL 10- 12 Years depending upon usage for rebuilding
    elkimmeg, Aug 21, 2006
    #2

  3. seaken Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 21, 2005
    580 posts
    Shokan, NY
    A smoke test or a light test will help determine is the seals are bad. I have had cast iron stoves last well over 12 years without the need for a reuild. ANd I've had some need it after two years. There is no way to know from here. You'll need to so a test on the seals. If in doubt, rebuild it and repack all the seal joints with fresh new furnace cement.

    Sean
    seaken, Aug 21, 2006
    #3

  4. adrpga498 Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    750 posts
    New Jersey
    Sparky,
    I have the same stove and its been buring the same as the day I bought it in 2001. I'll keep a closer eye on it as I go through this season. Although I hope it continues as is for another few years. Door gaskets are still very tight.
    adrpga498, Aug 21, 2006
    #4

  5. begreen Super Moderator

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    36,118 posts
    South Puget Sound, WA
    In general, when you find the fire harder to control and damp down, then it's time to check the gaskets. I haven't experienced premature problems with the cast iron stoves I owned. The 602 finally got rebuilt after 15 years of service. Sounds like the writer might have been refering to the bad run of VC stoves in the 80's & 90's. Sometimes one can't believe everything one reads.

    Jotul makes good stoves. If your stove is buring correctly and controls the way it did new, then I wouldn't worry much about this for a few more years. And then, it might just need new door and ash pan gaskets and a good cleaning.
    begreen, Aug 21, 2006
    #5

  6. heydan New Member

    joined: Jun 16, 2006
    107 posts
    Milllis, MA
    This is one reason I chose a steel stove -- no rebuilding necessary. The parts are welded and bent, not held together with furnace cement.
    heydan, Aug 21, 2006
    #6
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page