Time flies. I can't believe we've had our Oslo for 10 years. My 10-year old post with install notes and photos is here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/feedback-on-my-new-jotul-oslo-liner-and-stove-install.38467/
After trying many different approaches to starting, bottom up, top down, etc. I've found this method to be the easiest and fastest.
I open the front door and pile 3 or 4 sheets of crumpled paper in the left front corner and then add some kindling, not much. I add some splits on top of that. The pile slopes down and to the right. I close the front door and open the side door, light the paper and then leave the side door slightly open. I come back in about 10 minutes, add what splits will fit and let it go. When it gets up to temp I close the air damper and watch those beautiful blue secondary flames dance around.
We burn dry hard and soft wood and have very little creosote buildup. In fact, I'm beginning to think I'm wasting my time cleaning the flue pipe. The only place we see any buildup is at the very top where I guess guess flue gas cooling occurs. The griddle is not bolted down so removing it to vacuum ash from the bottom of the flue is a breeze.
The stove has required very little maintenance. Other than cleaning I'll lube hinges and remove the doghouse every few years to vacuum out ash that has fallen into it. Its still tight and 8+ hour burn times are the norm. I have been known to open the ash pan door to allow some extra air in when the coals are low but I open it only a little and keep my hand on it so as not to forget to close it. I cracked our previous stove, an Jotul F600 by leaving the ash pan door open.
A few times with a big load of dry wood I've worried about overheating. On the two occasion where I intervened, I simply went outside and covered our OAK inlet. I'm a big believe in OAKs in general, but that's one associated benefit that I rarely see mentioned.
After trying many different approaches to starting, bottom up, top down, etc. I've found this method to be the easiest and fastest.
I open the front door and pile 3 or 4 sheets of crumpled paper in the left front corner and then add some kindling, not much. I add some splits on top of that. The pile slopes down and to the right. I close the front door and open the side door, light the paper and then leave the side door slightly open. I come back in about 10 minutes, add what splits will fit and let it go. When it gets up to temp I close the air damper and watch those beautiful blue secondary flames dance around.
We burn dry hard and soft wood and have very little creosote buildup. In fact, I'm beginning to think I'm wasting my time cleaning the flue pipe. The only place we see any buildup is at the very top where I guess guess flue gas cooling occurs. The griddle is not bolted down so removing it to vacuum ash from the bottom of the flue is a breeze.
The stove has required very little maintenance. Other than cleaning I'll lube hinges and remove the doghouse every few years to vacuum out ash that has fallen into it. Its still tight and 8+ hour burn times are the norm. I have been known to open the ash pan door to allow some extra air in when the coals are low but I open it only a little and keep my hand on it so as not to forget to close it. I cracked our previous stove, an Jotul F600 by leaving the ash pan door open.
A few times with a big load of dry wood I've worried about overheating. On the two occasion where I intervened, I simply went outside and covered our OAK inlet. I'm a big believe in OAKs in general, but that's one associated benefit that I rarely see mentioned.
