The Truth About Soapstone Stoves
My name is John Debar. In addition to 25 years in the hearth and chimney fields, I have an extensive science background. Thermodynamics and materials science are just two of dozens of science courses I passed in engineering college.
There is no merit to the claim that soapstone stoves are better at heating. Secondly, soapstone stoves are a poor choice for a number of reasons. First, let’s expose the myth.
All stoves today have virtually the same wood fuel economy, that is, they all are certified about 70% efficiency when tested new. Wrapping soapstone around the stove does nothing to give you more heat. Instead, there is a negligible shift in the heat. There is a delay in heating with a proportional delay in cooling down. There is no net gain! In other words, the small amount of extra heat that lingers was lost initially in a heating delay at startup.