Life expectancy

[supersapper]

How long do you expect to get out of your arch?

[Sugarbush Ridge]

If you made your arch well,, 1 1/2" angle iron and such,,,,, 10-15 years. A 'factory' made one 20 -30 years or more. Now you'll have to put new sheet metal over it in a few years. The arch will last a lot longer than you will stay with being to use that size before going bigger

[motowbrowne]

Insulation will be the difference between an arch lasting 1-5 years and 15-50 years.

[BreezyHill]

Off season is a big factor. If she is dry and no moisture into the stack ours has lasted 15-20. Our current rig is around 22-25 as I recall. I need to redo the sheet metal to stainless and the rest is just fine.

Insulation is a great point. Lost the paint on the door last season with my new AUF fan that has a lot more CFMs than the original fan had. No smoke out the stack sure looks good though.

[Joe Hillmann]

If you have good insulation and store it out of the weather it should last indefinitely. If you have poor insulation in areas so every time wood gets added it goes from black to glowing red and it is stored out in the weather, it would be unlikely to last more than a couple years.

[supersapper]

I have full brick in the fire box and rock wool insulation in the rest. It is outside when in use for the season and when I am done it goes in the shed. 1-1/2" angle,12 ga steel skin, 1/4" plate front with barrel stove cast door.