How Hot Can Wood Stoves Get?

Wood stoves are efficient heaters.

Wood is a free or cheap, carbon neutral fuel. The temperature of a wood stove depends on the type of wood and the airflow into the stove. A stove burning dry oak may exceed 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Type of Stove

Radiant wood stoves usually consist of a single layer of thick metal. They absorb a lot of heat from the fire, and eventually the stove surface is the same temperature as the fire inside the stove. Circulating stoves are double walled and the surface remains touchable. Combustion stoves have doors allowing access to the fire. The front of the stove is at the same temperature as the fire.

Type of Wood

Pound for pound, most types of wood contain similar amounts of energy. However, different species of tree produce wood with different densities, so hard wood logs produce more heat than the same size soft wood logs. American beech, red and white oak, ironwood and hickory produce high temperatures; white pine, redwood and aspen produce low temperatures.

Temperatures

Wood ignites at between 374 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit by producing volatile gases. At approximately 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, the gases burst into flames when mixed with oxygen. As the wood converts to charcoal it can burn in excess of this temperature. Some stoves achieve temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

References

• The Engineering Toolbox: Fuels and Chemicals - Auto Ignition Temperatures
• Bio Energy: Wood Stoves
• Woodstock Soapstone Company: Wood Burning Basics
• Physical Constraints For Investigators
• University of Missouri - Columbia, National AG Safety Database : Wood Stove Maintenance and Operation
• Environmental Alternatives: Ecofire Q and A