how hot to run Jotul F118

[mascari5]

So my stove is now running and heats the house well. The temps have only been as low as 28 with day time temps around 45 this weekend. I ran the stove for most of the weekend and the stove was at about 400-450.
When the colder weather comes around how hot can I run the stove. I am measuring the temperature on the top removable cover near the exit. I moved the temp gauge to the middle and got the same temps. If i run it over 450 lets say around 550 would that be a bad thing? I read somewhere that this stove can run around 650 with no issues but I just want to be safe.
I might find that 450 is fine becuase my house is only 1100 sf.

 

[mascari5]

By the way I dont have a damper on my chimney im only using the front air intake to regulate if that matters.

 

[begreen]

You can run the stove at 650F without concern. Unless the flue is quite short you might want to try a pipe damper on the stove pipe. It will provide more control over the burn and I think you will find the stove top getting a bit hotter while reducing the heat that goes up the chimney. This will become more apparent as draft increases with colder weather.

 

[mascari5]

Thanks begreen. My chimney is real short like about 10 feet or so. Its the lowest roof line on the house and almost a flat roof. Its about 12 feet from the main roof. I had a damper on the flue but if I closed it I would get some smoke coming in through the seams on the stove. Not a lot but enough to make me remove it. I never see any smoke with it removed. I know this stove is not air tight but for its age its fairly tight. I did the flash light test and there is no noticeable light through the seams.
What is the expected burn time from this stove? If I place about 2 to 3 pieces of wood in the stove I get about 3 hours. I thought this was an 8 hour burn stove? My problem right now is that if I close the air regulator down too much the stove smokes like crazy from the chimney. I want to have some respect for my neighbors who dont burn. The wood im using is Oak and Poplar right now. Both have a moisture level of about 16~22%. That should be plenty dry to burn. Im reading the moisture level with a cheap meter from harbor freight.

 

[begreen]

It's a good heater, but like all stoves it needs fully seasoned wood to burn cleanly. Partially seasoned wood is going to smoke, especially when the air is turned down. It will get 6-8 hr burns when packed with dry seasoned wood and with the air partially closed. It will never be totally smoke free though, that is a benefit of a modern EPA stove. You might try mixing a 2x4 in with the wood to get it burning better. Burn it hot until the wood is fully charred then turn it down enough to have a lazy fire without a lot of smoke. Once the wood is fully in the coaling stage you can turn it down a bit more.

I agree that with a short chimney I would skip the pipe damper.

 

[mascari5]

Thanks again.
I guess I would say my wood is partially seasoned because its from early spring. I have only burned wood that is around 20% or less but maybe that's not a 100% accurate way of calling it seasoned. Not to mention my meter is cheap. Other than not having a glass fire view window I really like the stove. I picked it up for $250 and took it apart to re-seam it. The side burn plates are warped but still have a few more seasons in them as long as I don't over fire. Its tough to say if I should buy new plates or keep searching craigslist for a stove that has them. They are expensive so Im not sure that they are worth the investment. I made some out of stainless and a couple of bars as reinforcement but I don't know if they provide the same amount insulation. I also made a rear and bottom heat shield that work great.

 

[mascari5]

Well I`ve been burning for almost a month now off and on. The temps are generally in the 40`s during the day and 20`s at night right now. The stove really puts out a ton of heat. If I pack the stove and run it at 500 my house heats up into the upper70`s in every room except the room the stove is in. That room heats into the upper 80`s. I have been burning oak with a moisture content of about 15% and some poplar here and there. When the stove is around 500 there is little to no smoke but when it drops to about 425 I notice some moderate smoke. No one is knocking at my door but I do want to be fair to my neighbors. My guess is if they knocked at my door and came in they would quickly see why I burn wood. The heat shields are working great also so thats a great safety feature. I really dont need them because im about 3 feet from any wall but safety first.

 

[begreen]

Watch those warped side plates and keep an eye on the baffle. When the burn plates crack they can split and twist in different directions, exposing the sides to direct flame. That's not good when that happens.

 

[Metsän Omena]

I have heated our cabin (700m3, one room space) with two Jotul F118 stoves ~10 years. No electricity or other heater. We have young children, so inner temperature is at daytime year round +20'Celsius. Winter is long, over half year. For example today morning the outside temperature was -25'C (-13'F). In mid winter it can be much colder. In my opinion, the best operating temperature for these stoves is 250'C - 350'C if measurement is taken from stove's side, where the bear is. I burn only birch, which has been two year in a shed. 10 pile cubic meter per stove, per year. F118 has worked well. Not any problems. -Sorry about my bad english.

Cabin:
http://aijaa.com/LEHHLX
Stove:
http://aijaa.com/h9Nw05

 

[defiant3]

Your English is just fine, glad you're here. Tervetuloa!