Does a wood burning stove really have a lifespan, I heard my Pacific energy is only for for 15years. Does that mean it will break, and I will have to get a new one ? Any ideas?
Lifespan
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Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
Everything has some lifespan. A lot will depend on how the stove is run. Avoiding overfiring will help.
My parents Pacific Energy Super 27 is 20 years old this year, it's averaged 4 cords per year for those 20 years and I don't see a reason it wouldn't go another 20 years.
Just like anything, treat it well and it'll treat you well.
Just like anything, treat it well and it'll treat you well.
Hope not, our Alderlea T6 is 14 yrs old. Still going strong. Tom Oyen was burning in the original 30 yr? old Super up until last year. With proper care, they should last a lifetime.
IMO a stove made out of steel plate has a shorter life than cast iron but a good designer can offset the limitations imposed by steel and bad casting quality can make a cast iron stove fail early,the Scandia Taiwanese clones were an example and sadly VC in later years. Look at all the old steel plate Fishers out there, cranking along with 40 years on them. Obviously overfiring is going to eat into life. There is also a known issue that salt water wood tends to be corrosive and reduce stove life and burning trash also can cause corrosion.
I imagine it’ll eventually be parts availability that’ll sink a lot of the PEs. If they no longer make replacement baffles… that’s a hard fabrication for the average homeowner.
Got it. Thank you. I hope PE stays in business so I can get parts down the road. We really like this stove and how easy it is to run.
Although parts of the stove are stainless, rust can affect the non stainless parts. It's important to periodically treat any rust that appears to ensure that it doesn't take hold and reduce the stove's lifespan prematurely.
If the company folds, then that could happen. Also true for many stoves. One can get and put a new baffle in a 1995 PE stove, so that prospect is a long way off I hope. Probably not in my lifetime. It's the advantage of making a good design and sticking with it. FWIW, our baffle is 14 yrs old and still looking good.
Yeah, I think mine must be around 10 and just fine. But I suspect that’ll wear out before the sidewalls or top will on mine. I noticed a bit of rust around the flue collar so I’ll be pulling the top, doing some rust conversion, and repainting the top this summer. I can’t complain. I’ve cooked and reheated lots of meals on it. That’s bound to have some sort of result, lol.
the longer they run with this baffle design, the longer it’ll make sense to keep making them as replacement parts.
the longer they run with this baffle design, the longer it’ll make sense to keep making them as replacement parts.
What would you treat it with? I’ve heard WD-40, but curious if the flammability of it is an issue. I know that sounds weird considering it’s a fire burning device. Just curious about it “flashing”. Would it be ok to wipe it down with a product like “fluid film”
No, WD-40 is a penetrant and it stinks. I wouldn't use it on the stove at all. Under normal conditions, this is entirely unnecessary.
Ok. Thanks. Yea, you’re the second person to tell me it’s not necessary. Just wanna be sure I’m getting a good life out of my stove. Rust just makes me nervous.
Heat accelerates oxidation, so some rust may be visible inside the firebox on some stoves. What stove is this? Rust can form due to high humidity or a water leak, especially at the end of a humid summer when the house is air-conditioned. Is there rust currently on the stove? If so, where?
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I wouldn't worry about it, but if you want, spray or brush the area with a simple cooking oil when shutting it down in spring.
