I have a Centura Firepot that is less than a year old. When I cleaned it out last time I noticed what looked like coal dust building up on the sides. I tried scraping it off with my fire rape. It's starting to corrode already.
I thought a Centura Firepot would last much longer than this. Am I doing something wrong. I usually try to keept my coal fairly damp and last winter used charcoal from my wood furnace.Any ideas what i'm doing wrong or this just normal. Tried to post some pictures to give an idea what it looks like. Kinda had to see though.

Billy

The main thing I think is to keep the pot from collecting and holding moisture. Dew or frost and coal and wood ash will corrode just about any thing.
My forge used to live out side but I kept a cover over it when not in use. I didn't have any significant corrosion on the inside. However, I usually didn't empty the fire pot until I was ready to start a new fire. That kept the dew from forming on the inside metal.

If you let your fire get to low in the pot it will cause the sides to burn looking like corrosion and eventually burning holes. We have a couple that this happenned to at Tidewater. The main thing is to keep pleanty of fuel while the fire is burning. Also be careful about putting water on hot cast iron.
Travis

Charlotte,
My forge is always inside but I just about always clean it out when I'm finished forging. My shop is an old log building and is almost like being outside except for the roof.

Covforge,
Guilty, I let my fire get low toward the end when I'm getting ready to finish (trying to save coal I guess). I try to not pour water on the firepot but have been thinking about the way I wet the coal. I wet it around the sides of the firepot, that way water probably runs down the 2 edges that are burning. I'm going to change my bad habits.

Thank You Charlotte and Covforge

So when I have to get a new firepot is there a better one than what I have?

Thanks
Billy

if you are hard on firepots you can get one designed for coke as they are in general much thicker and heavier duty.