Investing in wood burning stoves can be a hefty fortune for homeowners but quickly become permanent in our fireplaces, serving to keep every home warm. Put simply; they operate by burning wood as traditional modes of fuel.
With that being the case, these stoves are built to last for years, so you won’t need to make frequent purchases, making them worth it. But like most things, good things come to an end, and wood burners display warning factors that can help you know when your stove needs replacing.
Continue reading to find out how long wood burning stoves last and when it's time to replace yours.
What Is the Lifespan of a Wood Burning Stove?
Using quality stove fuel and continuous maintenance can prolong the life expectancy of a good wood burning stove to stretch between a length of 20-40 years.
Various stove parts would have to be replaced during this period, but the body can last long if stove owners use them correctly. Correct usage can also avoid fractures to the stove body, which are usually the outcome of excessively hot temperatures.
On the other hand, a low quality or old stove can be inefficient, creating more air pollution. Plus, it can produce dirty waste, costing you more to run it. As a result, the whole stove tends to get hotter and create fractures, shortening its lifespan tremendously.
See Also: Best Wood Stoves 2021
How Often Should Wood Burning Stoves Be Serviced?
A new wood burning stove burns cleanly thanks to its multi-fuel materials, which have better efficiency, providing more heat, and using less fuel—all the properties needed for an efficient, long life, easily maintained good stove.
So, what can be done to keep it that way, and how often should these stoves be serviced? To avoid replacing your stove prematurely and get many years out of your stove, ensure its regular maintenance by removing excess ash and checking for signs of wear.
Replacement parts aren't expensive and don't always require a professional for fitting, and regular maintenance prevents significant knock-on effects to other areas of your firebox.
Prime examples are chimney and gasket blockages that form excess smog and make the stove take longer than usual when lighting a fire. Ideally, you could check up on your wood burning stove bi-weekly or monthly, depending on your usage.
When Is It Time to Replace Your Wood Stove?
If you spot changes in your wood burning stoves’ performance, it's a prime indicator that things are no longer working well anymore. Check for the following warning signs before proceeding to an upgrade.
Warped Stove Body
Newer models have smooth, dent-free bodies, especially steel and cast iron types that can withstand extremely high temperatures but can warp with time. If you notice denting, airflow won't enter or leave the stove, producing less heat and affecting its performance.
Plus, that’ll be followed by the faltering of other stove parts, so warping to your stove body may be a sign for an update!
Rust and Cracks
Aside from warped bodies, cracks and rust on the inside and outside of your wood burning stove occur when it hasn't been utilized for long due to rainwater and condensation in its surroundings.
A little stove rust isn't much to worry about as it can be buffed away, but when it starts to eat into the structure of the stove and cause damage, that’s when problems are about to start.
Similarly, cracks also indicate a stove issue, and if spotted, you should stop using your burner straight away as hazardous fumes can leak out, posing a fire hazard. Though they can sometimes be repaired, it's better to replace your wood stove.
Increased Dirt and Smoke
If you spot more smoke and dirt than usual, it could be time to replace it and buy a new one.
Newer stoves produce less dirt and have better heat output, generally requiring less maintenance. Older stoves are typically dirtier, but they can still work, provided the amount of smog produced isn't out of the ordinary.
Too much smoke from your stove indicates that the inner parts of your wood stove are damaged. It'll simultaneously dirty your flue pipe, reducing the extent of heat produced by your fire.
Conclusion
As essentials for the home fireplace, wood burning stoves can last decades and reduce central heating usage, provided the correct maintenance measures are in place to preserve their performance.
Daily steps such as cleaning out the baffle plate off the by-products produced from logs can help your stove perform better, solve a minor problem quickly, and prevent long-term damage.
Additionally, staying on top of repairs and keeping your stove maintained through monthly flue clean-outs, and quickly purchasing replacement parts can help it last for a longer period – up to 40 years.
