So somewhere in the past I saw a chart, “expected life spans of building materials “. I think it was for insurance adjusters. All kinds of cool statistics:asphalt shingle roof, 15-40 years, concrete foundation 50-100 years, masonry fireplace 50-100 years, factory built fireplace 15-25 years 😳. Obviously, conditions of use will vary, a foundation built on granite bedrock will last longer than one built on bentonite clay. So, how about stoves? I’ve seen someone’s great grandmother’s cook stove from the 1800s still in use, and plenty of clunky old Fishers from the’70s still spewing third degree creosote . But I’ve also seen a 20 year old Regency with a huge crack in the top plate, it’s scrap metal. I think the book would say 30-40 years is the average life span. But, conditions of use. I know folks who burn 1/2 cord/year and I know folks who burn 10. Obviously, the 10 cord people are going to wear out their stoves faster than the half cord people. So the question is, how many cords of wood do you think you can run through a stove before it is done?
Life span expressed in cords burned
- Thread starter willoweep
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It's not just the volume of wood, but also how the stove is run. It the stove is continually pushed for heat, the firebox components will age faster than one that is run more moderately. Our stove is now on season 18 and still looking good but I have seen PE stoves just 3 yrs. old that had sagging baffles from running hot all the time.
I think hot/cold cycles play a part too. If the stove is kept going all year between 250 and 600 it’ll last longer than 1 that goes from 15 to 700 every weekend.
Yes, how well the stove is maintained also may affect lifespan. We see several stoves with problems ignored that then lead to bigger issues. Failing burn plates, refractory deterioration, warped baffles, creosote buildup behind firebrick are examples of trouble that should be addressed before burning more fires. Another factor may be humidity. Some stoves will rust up quicker in damp areas.
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