Cannot control draft all of a sudden Jotul 500

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creekjump

New Member
Feb 16, 2013
6
Could not control draft, replaced all door gaskets, still cannot control. No apparent leaks but you can see the air flowing in from under grates....help.
 
How long have you had the insert? Did this suddenly start happening? How tall is the liner on the insert?
 
Freestanding? Is this a C550 insert or a different stove? I would vacuum it out carefully and inspect for cracks with a bright light.
 
check to see if the ash pan housing is still bolted tight to the bottem of the stove. If it is fairly tight it could be the gasket between the ash pan housing and bottem of stove. By the did you change the gasket on the ash pan door?
 
No idea what you got, for as begreen stated, the C550 is an insert. However, if it has an ash pan like the rest of the Jotul's, you probably have compacted ash built up behind the ash pan, preventing the door from properly sealing. Very common issue with the Jotul ash pan design, and would surely cause the symptoms you describe.

Short of that, how does the air control lever feel. Did it become much easier to move when this problem occurred? The arm on the rear side of that lever could have skipped out from between the two little "tits" on the air control slider.
 
That was my first thought too, but the C550 doesn't have an ashpan.
 
This stove is actually free standing about 6 years old and the condition just happened

Is it a 500 Oslo? Or a F 50 Rangeley? The jotul 350, 450, 550 stoves are inserts. There is a tag on the back that has the model & number.
 
Well, if freestanding, check the ashpan. It's a common problem with the Jotul ashpan design, and would cause the symptoms described above.
 
Indeed it sounds more like an F500 Oslo if freestanding. A common problem is hard ash build up behind the ash pan. This pushes the ash pan forward, preventing the ash pan door from closing snugly. If this is the case, pull the ash pan and use a poker or long screwdriver to dislodge the compacted ash and vacuum it out.
 
Indeed it sounds more like an F500 Oslo if freestanding. A common problem is hard ash build up behind the ash pan. This pushes the ash pan forward, preventing the ash pan door from closing snugly. If this is the case, pull the ash pan and use a poker or long screwdriver to dislodge the compacted ash and vacuum it out.
 
My error it is a 500...second stupid question what type and size ....flat, etc.... and how is the ash pan dropped to change gasket. additional response is that I did change the ash pan gasket with 1/4 in gasket and there is no build up of ashes behind the ash pan. Again thanks to all for trying to help solve this problem.
 
Quarter inch round is proper gasket material for the ash pan housing. Ash pan door is 3/8 inch round. Did you put 1/4 inch on the door? Did you use gasket cement? See page 12 of the owners manual.

It sounds like you have an air leak. When the stove is burning hold some incense or a smoking cigarette near the seams to see if the smoke is being sucked in. When the stove is cold, clean it real good, get all the ash out of the corners & seams, then check everywhere. Put a bright light on the inside to see if any light escapes. Do the dollar bill test on the doors.

KaptJaq
 
First remove the doghouse cover (bottom front center) by unscrewing the 2 10mm bolts that hold down the cover. Make sure that the air control lever is still engaged with the air intake slider valve and that the air control is working correctly. If that is ok, vacuum out the stove and look for cracks, starting with the grate and then the base surrounding the grate.

PS: Edited title to reflect correct stove. Do you use the ash pan door as a start up air supply?
 
First remove the doghouse cover (bottom front center) by unscrewing the 2 10mm bolts that hold down the cover. Make sure that the air control lever is still engaged with the air intake slider valve and that the air control is working correctly.

I'm betting this is it. I had to fix this for the second time this season on my Castine a couple days ago. Seems to happen at least once every season, I wish I knew why.
 
First remove the doghouse cover (bottom front center) by unscrewing the 2 10mm bolts that hold down the cover. Make sure that the air control lever is still engaged with the air intake slider valve and that the air control is working correctly. If that is ok, vacuum out the stove and look for cracks, starting with the grate and then the base surrounding the grate.

PS: Edited title to reflect correct stove. Do you use the ash pan door as a start up air supply?
 
No I dont use the ash pan door for a start up, do you know what the length is on the 10mm bolts for when I looked last night one was half out and the other was not even there....all signs point to the the dog house and my dumb mistake with the door gasket. However I am still a little confused on dropping the pan. Do you have break any seals or lips around the outside...the drawings are not all that good. Also regarding the manual it has been misplaced and will have to down load another for sure. Thanks again to all for being understanding.
 
Dont drop the pan yet. Check the dog house. Match the missing bolt length to the one that is still there.
 
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