Wood stoves are arguably one of the best ways to heat your home, but they’re not invincible. Even cast iron wood stoves have their kryptonite: heat expansion. It’s unavoidable and happens over time, but does that mean your wood stove is doomed just because of a crack?
Whether it’s clay or cast iron, wood stove repair is entirely possible. Right now it’s a safety hazard, but with some relatively quick fixes, you can have that wood stove all fired up again to heat your home. Here’s what you need to know.
Cast Iron Wood Stoves Can Be Welded
Welding is the most obvious choice. After all, it’s how your cast iron wood stove was molded in the first place and “stitched” together. Welding often offers the most consistent repair, but that’s not the only benefit of welding your cast iron wood stove.
This is also an opportunity to find other weaknesses in the cast iron body. It’s not like all the wear and tear just appeared in one spot and kept at it until there was a crack. When you weld your cast iron stove, it’s like giving it a full-body tune-up that can prevent other cracks from happening.
If Welding Isn’t Your First Choice, Try Brazing
Brazing is the act of using a filler metal to fill the gap between the cracks in your cast iron wood stove. This is commonly an alloy with a lower melting point, that way it can be done without full-scale welding or other extensive repair methods.
This fills in the gap and cools, creating a bond. However, because this metal has a lower melting point than cast iron, it may become a recurring problem in the future. Brazing can still hold a long-lasting bond, but since you’re likely going to use a cast iron wood stove for years to come, it’s something you should know.
You Can Also Use Epoxy Putty for Cast Iron Wood Stoves
Epoxy putty is specifically used to bond to a surface and fill a space. It hardens and has an equivalent Shore rating to certain varieties of steel, so it’s definitely built to last. This is something that can be done as a DIY fix, although the crack may be too large for you to make full use of epoxy putty.
What About Clay Wood Stoves? How Do You Fix Those?
Clay furnaces can be fixed with a handy little invention called furnace cement. It’s a silicate cement that hardens and dries, then has the ability to withstand up to 2,000 °F. That’s pretty powerful stuff.
You can also replace clay bricks if the crack is large enough and the repair makes sense, although many will opt for furnace cement since it’s much less invasive.
It’s Time to Fix That Cracked Wood Stove
Whether it’s clay or cast iron, you can fix your wood stove without completely overhauling it. That cracked wood stove isn’t doomed like you may have thought it was. We’re ready to handle the task so give us a call.
Contact HB Energy Solutions today to schedule your next wood stove repair and get back to enjoying your warm home.
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