My question is about the thickness of the metal used on a wood stove. I know the thin metal would start putting out heat quicker but in the long run would heavier metal be more efficient?
From what I understand is that the thin metal stoves yes do give off heat faster, however it also has greater variable heat and thus somewhat inconsistent in how it burns which can lead to inefficiencies. In general thin metal wood stoves are cheaper, not expected to last as long, but may be better in situations where one starts a fire and only lets it burn for a short time, basically for immediate heat, or a cabin which you may need a wood stove for a few times a year and looking to save some bucks.
The major factor in the efficiency of a woodstove is not the thickness of the walls but instead things like secondary burn which burns off the initial smoke produced from the fire that otherwise would have gone up the chimney.
There are also different materials used – cast iron versus sheet metal, for instance; and/or ceramics; and many stoves have firebrick linings. So even in terms of speed of heating the stove up, which is not the same as overall efficiency, thickness of metal is only one of the questions.
I have a ceramic woodstove. It heats up fast. And seems to hold heat relatively long. It has fire brick lining.
What makes it inefficient is the big glass door.
We had a cold spot in the kitchen due to 2 french doors along one wall. If I knew what I know now I would’ve passed on the glass door on the stove. It’s pretty but loses heat quickly.
Wood stoves can also be converted to masonry heater hybrids, which are very efficient in secondary burn and greatly reducing smoke.
Whatever you do, don’t look into rocket stove mass heaters.
Thin metal melts. Just sayin’…
Thanks for all the great answers. The thickness of the metal was the only particular aspect I was asking about. I am familiar with the other aspects. Would heavier metal be more efficient than lighter metal?
It won’t change the efficiency. Efficiency is how much of the caloric potential of the fuel (wood) is turned into heat which remains to warm your home (as opposed to going out with the ash, or up the chimney with the smoke.) It’s driven by a whole heap of factors, but wall thickness isn’t one of them.
Highly efficient, well-engineered wood stoves will tend to come with thicker walls because it will increase the longevity. I mean that both in terms of the useful life of the stove itself, and the useful life of a given fire. If you’re hoping to keep the house warm all night without having to get up to feed the fire, you need thermal mass; you’re going to want those thick walls. Or, as many have suggested, a layer of brick or ceramic.
I should also say that in general, the thicker the walls, the more important it will be to heat the stove slowly. Give the metal a chance to expand a little at a time. You should never be suddenly sparking a blazing fire, as that can result in warping and cracking. Thin walls are more likely to warp, thick walls are more likely to crack along the seams.
Somebody mentioned melting. I have heard of a cooking pot melting inside a wood stove, but I’ve never heard of the stove itself melting. I’m not sure whether or not that is really a thing.