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Hi!
No, we don't build stainless for
several really good reasons.
Our furnaces last longer than stainless with MANY furnaces still in use after 30 years plus!! 1. Mild steel transfers heat better than stainless does. 2. Stainless is a great sales feature, but little else, since most companies use cheap stainless, like a car's exhaust system. There are many grades of stainless out there. 3. Since stainless is so expensive, the fireboxes are made really thin. Some are no thicker than the metal in a 55 gallon barrel or the thickness of a trailer fender!! That's why you see so many split and broken apart. Our firebox is almost .400 inches thick as opposed to .200 in many furnaces. That's almost 1/2 inch!! They never rust through. We just replaced a 6 year old Hardy last year and there are many leaking Central Boilers and Hardys on eBay for sale, that are leaking. 4. Stainless is more prone to stress cracks, so why use it? 5. Unless the stainless is retreated after welding, you've lost all of it's properties through the heating of the metal. And it's being welded to mild steel anyway, so what's the use? Like I said, it's a great sales feature but our super thick mild steel furnace heats better, doesn't crack and split - and last longer! If stainless was better, we'd surely be using it after 36 years of experience. Best regards, Ben
Here are some comments from
purchasers and users of
Jun 17 Stainless steel is not corrosion proof but it is corrosion resistant. In some cases, against some chemicals, stainless steel is no better than plain steel. It is also true that some chemicals can reportedly leach the chrome out of stainless steel (if there is any - in that grade of stainless). Ted Mooney, P.E.
September 17 We own a stainless model and after 5 years the 10 year warranty was a joke just try to collect. its a discarded junk heap is it the stainless I have been welding lots of steel stoves for pitting but never seen one crack . Clayton Brinkman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nov 3 ...High nickel stainless expands and contracts too much. Carbon steel will transfer the heat better than stainless though. Hope this helps Dale Andrews ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nov 1 Just to set the record straight on stainless steel, it doesn't work in an outdoor use. It can't account for the rapid temperature changes. I am only starting to get into the heating business and I already know that stainless steel is a nice concept but when you have a cracked water jacket and there is know way to fix it, don't come crying to me. Also I love reading about all these companies with there lifetime warranties who have only been in the business for 3-5 years, give me a break. As soon as one claim comes in they go bankrupt and your on your own once again. Mild steel is a metal that works and if you have half a brain to take proper care and daily maintenance of your furnace it will last you. Thanks for your time. Tim Suderman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nov 12Definitely go with the mild steel when you buy an outdoor wood furnace. I've seen both in use and the mild steel will not have the corrosion problems that the stainless steel has. I currently own a WoodMaster with mild steel and I can give my testimony that it has worked perfectly and has needed no maintenance or upkeep for any type of problems. I don't speak from a "metallurgy" knowledge, but from practical experience that has done me well. Bill Kurtz ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jan 16I HAVE SEEN MILD STEEL UNITS, SIXTEEN YEARS OLD. UNDERSTANDING THE PHYSICS OF WHAT CAUSES CORROSION IN THESE TYPES OF METAL IS KEY. WATER ABOVE 175 DEGREES DOES NOT HAVE AVAILABLE OX. FOR CORROSION. MOST OF THESE UNITS RUN AT 180 - 185 DEGREES. 304 STAINLESS IS EXTREMELY PRONE TO STRESS CORROSION CRACKING - WHICH RESULTS FROM CHLORIDES IN THE WATER REACTING WITH THE NICKEL CONTENT OF THE STEEL. THIS IS NON-REPAIRABLE BY WELDING. 409 STAINLESS WILL GIVE YOU THE HEAT TRANSFER ABILITIES AND EXPANSION PROPERTIES OF MILD STEEL, IT IS A FERRITIC STAINLESS, SO THE SURFACE WILL TARNISH. THE CORROSION RESISTANCE IS STILL GREATER THAN MILD STEEL. THE CLASSIC FROM CENTRAL BOILER AS MENTIONED ABOVE HAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE DESIGN WITH THE FEWEST PARTS. KEEP IT SIMPLE. JERRY SOBOCINSKI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEXT ARTICLE: Have Wood? Reduce your utility cost to almost ZERO!
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