Rusting almost brand new stove

[hearthon]

Hello everyone, i have a drolet escape 1200 and its less than 5 years old and it's rusting this bad?

I didnt really use it this winter and its in my shed that has good air flow in it (vents on every wall). Is this normal?

 

[gthomas785]

In an unheated, ventilated building you are likely to see large humidity swings. The large thermal mass of the stove when it's cold can get condensation on it which will make it rust immediately. Same thing happened to my extra stove that I'm storing in my barn. One warm humid night and it was rusted all to heck.

Good news you can probably brush that off with some 600 grit sandpaper and hit it with a couple coats of high heat paint, it will be good as new

 

[EatenByLimestone]

There might be water puddling at the flue collar too.

 

[Dieselhead]

In that environment I would say yes, normal.

 

[Ryan_C]

Once you clean off the rust, you might be able to stay ahead of it with some regular maintenance. Apply a protective wax/paste or a stove polish on the exterior at the end of each season, when the stove won’t be used for a while.

 

[hearthon]

Im for sure going to give it some loving. I like this stove way too much to just let it rust away. Ill get some sandpaper and paint or wax and see what I can do.

 

[gthomas785]

Wax will stink the place up when it burns off.

 

[stoveliker]

And once you do wax it's very hard to ever get paint to adhere again.

 

[bholler]

Im for sure going to give it some loving. I like this stove way too much to just let it rust away. Ill get some sandpaper and paint or wax and see what I can do.

Paint. Don't use the polish

 

[stovelark]

Clean off surface rust (thats prob all it is), coat with spray black paint. Gonna smell when curing, but it'll look great and smell goes away after a bit.

 

[brenndatomu]

Yup, that looks like steel doing what steel does...I've had good luck with POR15 High temp paint on steel in tough environments...regular stove paint doesn't seem to deal with moisture well at all. You can buy it from all kinds of different places too...not just direct.

High Temp

Protect exhausts, headers, and engine parts with POR-15 High Temp heat resistant paint designed for high temperature performance.

por15.com

 

[Murray01]

After the prep work is done, prior to paint wash down the area with acetone. Acetone is recommended but I’ve used Varsol and Wood Alcohol with excellent results.

 

[hearthon]

Thabks everyone, i will deff have a little project to do this sprint time. Im happy i can save this little guy.

 

[bholler]

Thabks everyone, i will deff have a little project to do this sprint time. Im happy i can save this little guy.

It would also last another 20 years easily without doing anything to it. Its just minor surface rust it will probably be back just about every year under those conditions

 

[Woody5506]

Not the best environment for a stove to not rust. The factory coatings go on so thin that there's really not a lot there protecting the substrate from rusting in any kind of humid environment. Like others have said already I will echo what's been suggested just sand it good, solvent wash or alcohol wash and repaint.

 

[brenndatomu]

POR15 outside. and fogging oil inside at the end of heating season...if the inside is rusting too. $6-8 at any auto parts store/etc