JOTUL 500- burn time of only 5-6 hours????

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smoke eater

smoke eater

Member
Aug 25, 2010
91
hudson valley, ny
this is my first season burning my new 10 year old Oslo 500- it sat for the last 7 years til i bought it from a friend, so its in great condition. i know everyones setup is different, so will the burntimes. like jotul says, its the chimney that makes the stove work. my average burntime overnite is around 5-6 hours. any more than that, and the coals are almost gone.

here are my variables- most of my wood is a mix of oak, locust, maple and ash all seasoned around 10 months? i'll load it at night after it gets hot and its ready for the "midnight load". i'll throw 2-3 big splits in with room for 1-2 more but refuse to because it burns too fast/hot even with the air lever shut down all the way. one night i loaded it like that and continued to watch tv and watch the fire. in one hour, the temp went up to 650 and climbing- is that too high? i grabbed the splits on fire and yanked them outside- FUN! so i'm scared to fill it up at night. i changed ALL the gaskets with little or no change. i have a 90 elbow inside and a 90 elbow outside with a 22' excel stainless double wall 6" chimney. its 2-3 feet over the peak of the roof. we live on top of a mountain, so its breezy up here. could i have too much draft, making it burn too fast. but how could that be if turn the air lever down all the way?

is there anything i can do to slow down the burn and get another 2-3 hours burntime? what about a damper in the inside black pipe? could my air lever control be faulty? i would get 8-10 hours in my last house with a hamton 300 insert, so i'm not new to the wood, just this stove. what are you guys getting with your Oslo's? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks, Rune
 
Sounds like it is burning fine.

What temp are you reloading the stove?

When I load mine, the temp would climb to 550 - 700. Then it would come down to about 500 - 550 and stay there for about 3 hours then slowly come down.

I use fairly large splits and rake the coals forward then set the splits on the grate and stack them so that they are fairly tight. The big splits are about 8" across the wide part and around 22" long. I can get 2 stacked in the back usually and one in front of that. Then I fill in with a couple smaller pieces. This load will go from 10 PM to 6 AM with plenty of coals for a re-start. I can sometimes get that range just from the 3 big splits if I shut the air down before the stove gets raging.

Try using some bigger splits and shutting down the air a little sooner.

You can always wad up some foil and put it in the primary air inlet at the back of the stove to slow down the burn. Just loosely ball up the foil enough so that the air suction will keep it in place. When the burn slows down the foil should drop out and the stove should be a little cooler and the burn will be more moderate.

J.P.
 
+1!
 
Yes, this sounds like the stove is being reloaded on too hot a coal bed. Try burning the coals down a bit by placing 1-2 small splits on them and set the air control to wide open. After they burn down a bit you should be able to bank the coals toward the front of the stove and put in a full load of wood. Close the air down in stages as the wood catches fire, progressing to almost or fully closed. It may sometimes peak over 650°F with a strong secondary burn, Maybe up to 700 or 750. Try to keep it under 800 °F and it should be fine.

You might also try to select the wood for the overnight burn. Try using the maple and ash during the day and saving the oak and locust for the longer, night fire. With practice you should be able to get some nice overnight burns.
 
smoke eater said:
here are my variables- most of my wood is a mix of oak, locust, maple and ash all seasoned around 10 months? i'll load it at night after it gets hot and its ready for the "midnight load". i'll throw 2-3 big splits in with room for 1-2 more but refuse to because it burns too fast/hot even with the air lever shut down all the way. one night i loaded it like that and continued to watch tv and watch the fire. in one hour, the temp went up to 650 and climbing- is that too high?
Click to expand...

You have an air leak somewhere. My guess is the front door or ash pan door. At 10 years the gaskets are compressed pass usefulness even if the stove was never used.

Bottom line - an Oslo with the air control lever all the way left should burn at a very low rate and you should have a decent bed of coals after eight or nine hours.
 
thanks for the suggestions. i'll try them. btw, i am loading the night load with a temp of around 2-300. this is right after a hot burn to heat the house nice and toasty for bedtime. also, as mentioned , i changed ALL the gaskets. thanks, Rune
 
Sounds like you haven't read the manual: http://www.jotul.com/FileArchive/Technical Documentation/Wood Stoves/Jøtul F 500 Oslo/Manual_F_500_USA_P14_160810.pdf

Stove top temps should be in the 400-600 range (page 10 in the above manual).

Also, do you have the two piece cast iron baffle above the secondary air tubes? If so, there has been a change in production to a one piece baffle.
 
Not an Oslo burner, but just wanted to add a refinement that I've developed to the method described above. Before I shut it down, the coals I've raked forwards have burned down enough to be `capped' with a single split. I put a nice thick piece of wood over the coals, and then stack the other splits behind and above that. Thus, the fire has to burn through the first before the others can ignite. I shut down my air as soon as I see that the coals have caught the capping split.

I have a damper in my pipe, but every stove is different, so check out your manual. Mine helps me maintain an overnight fire.

Sounds like you have a sweet set-up. That took foresight to change out all the gaskets--I don't think most folks would have thought of that. Enjoy your new stove.

Tinfoil. It's not just for hats anymore . . .
 
snowleopard said:
Not an Oslo burner, but just wanted to add a refinement that I've developed to the method described above. Before I shut it down, the coals I've raked forwards have burned down enough to be `capped' with a single split. I put a nice thick piece of wood over the coals, and then stack the other splits behind and above that. Thus, the fire has to burn through the first before the others can ignite. I shut down my air as soon as I see that the coals have caught the capping split.

I have a damper in my pipe, but every stove is different, so check out your manual. Mine helps me maintain an overnight fire.

Sounds like you have a sweet set-up. That took foresight to change out all the gaskets--I don't think most folks would have thought of that. Enjoy your new stove.

Tinfoil. It's not just for hats anymore . . .
Click to expand...

thats about the same method i use, but i have not been loading it full. last night i loaded it full and got better results with longer burntime, but again, it got real hot in the beginning, which scares me when i've gone to bed. i went down to check it after 90 minutes and it was roaring. i'm nervous that it might be over firing at night. i still need to slow that down a little. oh, the gaskets were a no-brainer to change . they were 10 years old. looked ok, but felt stiff. easy to change. i'm wondering if the bottom pan that holds the ash pan is sealed tight. that unbolted from the bottom to change the gasket. i guess i'll call the local stove store where this was bought years ago and pick his brain. i'm leaning towards a damper in the pipe for next year. SNOWLEOPARD- please tell me more about your damper and how it affects the stove's performance. thanks again for the help, eveyone
 
5 to 6 hour burns?
Sounds just like the burn times I got w/ my Oslo, if not more.
I was also disappointed, because we solely bought that stove with the intent of
longer burn times & more heat. We really got neither very well.
Ended up selling it & going a w/ soapstone in the end - very happy now.
 
smoke eater said:
this is my first season burning my new 10 year old Oslo 500- it sat for the last 7 years til i bought it from a friend, so its in great condition. i know everyones setup is different, so will the burntimes. like jotul says, its the chimney that makes the stove work. my average burntime overnite is around 5-6 hours. any more than that, and the coals are almost gone. You should be getting a longer burn than this . . . typically I can get meaningful heat from my Oslo for 4-5 hours and typically there are enough coals at 5-8 hours to easily get the fire going again by just tossing in some kindling . . . but as you said . . . there are a lot of variables -- chimney set up, outside temp, wood quality, etc.

here are my variables- most of my wood is a mix of oak, locust, maple and ash all seasoned around 10 months? Not bad . . . better is wood that has been cut, split and stacked for a year . . . for oak you'll want it seasoned for two years in most cases . . . locust is considered very good wood . . . maple may or may not be good -- depends on the species . . . I like white ash . . . green ash is just OK. i'll load it at night after it gets hot and its ready for the "midnight load". i'll throw 2-3 big splits in with room for 1-2 more but refuse to because it burns too fast/hot even with the air lever shut down all the way. As mentioned you should check for leaks . . . around the doors . . . also sometimes ash builds up behind the ash pan to the point where you can shut the ash pan door, but it doesn't latch tightly . . . something to check. one night i loaded it like that and continued to watch tv and watch the fire. in one hour, the temp went up to 650 and climbing- is that too high? 650 degrees on the stove, right? It's a dite high . . . but nothing to get too worried about since these stoves seem to do best in the 400-600 degree F range. i grabbed the splits on fire and yanked them outside- FUN! so i'm scared to fill it up at night. Better is to simply let things roll . . . oh yeah, just remembered . . . does the fire change up when you close the air . . . just want to make sure that this is working correctly . . . but to get back to my point . . . you're far safer leaving the wood in place . . . if things are really getting hairy scary (and I'm talking much higher than 650 degrees you can kill the fire with a piece of tin foil over the air inlet in the back of the stove . . . it may also help to direct a fan on to the stove to help cool things down a bit. i changed ALL the gaskets with little or no change. Oops . . . didn't notice this on the first read. i have a 90 elbow inside and a 90 elbow outside with a 22' excel stainless double wall 6" chimney. its 2-3 feet over the peak of the roof. we live on top of a mountain, so its breezy up here. could i have too much draft, making it burn too fast. but how could that be if turn the air lever down all the way? This is possible . . . I notice that my burns are often sped up and the burn time reduced when the temps are cold and/or when it's windy outside . . . bear in mind that closing the air on the stove doesn't close things completely . . . there is still a draft . . . and this could be exacerbated by a strong wind.

is there anything i can do to slow down the burn and get another 2-3 hours burntime? A damper might be worth considering . . . you might also want to close down the air sooner rather than later . . . try using a larger load in the firebox with larger splits or rounds and go with your primo wood such as locust. what about a damper in the inside black pipe? could my air lever control be faulty? It's entirely possible . . . and easy to check . . . just open up the doghouse and check to see that the slide mechanism is working correctly. i would get 8-10 hours in my last house with a hamton 300 insert, so i'm not new to the wood, just this stove. what are you guys getting with your Oslo's? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks, Rune
Click to expand...
 
" just open up the doghouse and check to see that the slide mechanism is working correctly." Great comments from firefighterjake. If you open the doghouse put some powdered graphite on the slides to eliminate any sticking problems. Be safe.
Ed
 
smoke eater said:
snowleopard said:
Not an Oslo burner, but just wanted to add a refinement that I've developed to the method described above. Before I shut it down, the coals I've raked forwards have burned down enough to be `capped' with a single split. I put a nice thick piece of wood over the coals, and then stack the other splits behind and above that. Thus, the fire has to burn through the first before the others can ignite. I shut down my air as soon as I see that the coals have caught the capping split.

I have a damper in my pipe, but every stove is different, so check out your manual. Mine helps me maintain an overnight fire.

Sounds like you have a sweet set-up. That took foresight to change out all the gaskets--I don't think most folks would have thought of that. Enjoy your new stove.

Tinfoil. It's not just for hats anymore . . .
Click to expand...

thats about the same method i use, but i have not been loading it full. last night i loaded it full and got better results with longer burntime, but again, it got real hot in the beginning, which scares me when i've gone to bed. i went down to check it after 90 minutes and it was roaring. i'm nervous that it might be over firing at night. i still need to slow that down a little. oh, the gaskets were a no-brainer to change . they were 10 years old. looked ok, but felt stiff. easy to change. i'm wondering if the bottom pan that holds the ash pan is sealed tight. that unbolted from the bottom to change the gasket. i guess i'll call the local stove store where this was bought years ago and pick his brain. i'm leaning towards a damper in the pipe for next year. SNOWLEOPARD- please tell me more about your damper and how it affects the stove's performance. thanks again for the help, eveyone
Click to expand...

What temps were you seeing last night when you went to check the stove?

Another thing to check is ash build up behind the ash pan. If there is too much, it will prevent the ash pan door from closing tightly.
 
Rob From Wisconsin said:
5 to 6 hour burns?
Sounds just like the burn times I got w/ my Oslo, if not more.
I was also disappointed, because we solely bought that stove with the intent of
longer burn times & more heat. We really got neither very well.
Ended up selling it & going a w/ soapstone in the end - very happy now.
Click to expand...
Obviously you too had something disfunctional going on.. whether it was an air leak, bad wood, or something else. Most Oslo owners I know can get the expected 8-10 hr burns pretty easy. I've used dozens of stoves and have been most content w our Oslo. I've had enough embers after 14 hours a few times to ignite some smaller splits. You should have figured out the problem before getting rid of it and giving it a bad wrap on this thread.
 
Depends what everyone's definition is of 'burn time' -

Are you thinking your splits are going to actively flame for 5-6 hours? That you will not get with 98% of the wood stoves out there. You will get heat - and that's the goal.

Last night I loaded up my almost totally cold Oslo around 11pm with locust. This morning (granted overnight lows were not that low) I woke up to a 74 degree house and about 1/2 gallon of good coals. I'm happy.
 
logger said:
Rob From Wisconsin said:
5 to 6 hour burns?
Sounds just like the burn times I got w/ my Oslo, if not more.
I was also disappointed, because we solely bought that stove with the intent of
longer burn times & more heat. We really got neither very well.
Ended up selling it & going a w/ soapstone in the end - very happy now.
Click to expand...
Obviously you too had something disfunctional going on.. whether it was an air leak, bad wood, or something else. Most Oslo owners I know can get the expected 8-10 hr burns pretty easy. I've used dozens of stoves and have been most content w our Oslo. I've had enough embers after 14 hours a few times to ignite some smaller splits. You should have figured out the problem before getting rid of it and giving it a bad wrap on this thread.
Click to expand...

I personally think it was a bad year for that model.
Person I sold it to had similar issues, so rule out wood & flue.
The cheap steel stove we replaced it with did a much better job,
for a $1000 less !!

But that was then....and this is now.....
 
Shari said:
Depends what everyone's definition is of 'burn time' -
Click to expand...

True. If I can throw a split on and it "burns" on its own, I consider it still in "burn time." Thats just my definition. I know others are diff.
 
I personally think it was a bad year for that model.
Click to expand...
Could've been. Some friends and family of ours also have f500s and all get very good burn times. Maybe it was the year or just a defect in that particular stove. As long as your happy w what you got now. We went through a few steel stoves growing up that I really liked, but I've been more impressed by the Jotul.
 
For reference...I have been burning my Castine 24/7 since around Christmas and I definitely get 6-7 hours sleep. You need to LOAD that stove up - 650 ain't no thang...
 
i have a brand new oslo, about 2 weeks old, and i get between 5 to 6 hours as well. however, i'm pretty certain my wood could be a more seasoned so i am hoping next year to stretch that burn time a little with dryer wood.
 
My Oslo has a robust bed of coals after 8 hours, with the stovetop usually 300F. Just toss in the splits and it's off and running again. It is a strong function of wood type, wood moisture, diameter of splits, and how full you pack it. I pack it right up to the burn tubes.
 
slats said:
i have a brand new oslo, about 2 weeks old, and i get between 5 to 6 hours as well. however, i'm pretty certain my wood could be a more seasoned so i am hoping next year to stretch that burn time a little with dryer wood.
Click to expand...
Its the wood. Grommal's experience is more accurate w seasoned wood. Just woke up at 8am, stove is 250 degrees, and the embers are still going good from a load 9 hours ago.
 
logger said:
slats said:
i have a brand new oslo, about 2 weeks old, and i get between 5 to 6 hours as well. however, i'm pretty certain my wood could be a more seasoned so i am hoping next year to stretch that burn time a little with dryer wood.
Click to expand...
Its the wood. Grommal's experience is more accurate w seasoned wood. Just woke up at 8am, stove is 250 degrees, and the embers are still going good from a load 9 hours ago.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That's what i was hoping...
 
Aside from maybe the Maple, how the hell are you getting those other species of wood dry enough to burn in 10 months?
You live in the desert or something? Just makes no sense. What is you secret? LOL
 
This is my fist year burning an Oslo and I know my wood is marginal. I have burned up to 11 hours and still and enough coals to re-lite. Granted I can't do this every time but I can normally go 8-9 hours. Next year should be better as I will have good wood.
 
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