Jotul F500 Problem - Is the stove choking itself??

[Wolfetone]

Hi everyone,

Ok, so I recently have an issue with a 1 year old Jotul F500 wood stove. I initially wondered if it was just bad wood as I changed my wood supplier and that was close to the time of the issue. But, tonight I got kindling wood, which youd expect to almost spontaneously combust into a roaring fire and it barely lit with a dark orange smokey flame.....something else is going on here!

It just appears like the stove or the wood in the firebox is not getting enough oxygen, the front glass is also continuously now getting black! The damper is fully open, and the air vent is fully to the right (open) on the stove.
I also recently had the chimney, or rather the ss-liner, (which is only 3 years old) cleaned out. This didn't improve anything here at all!

Another give away is the fact that when I open the side door, even with damper and vent open, and waiting a while with the door open, having the door open causes A LOT OF SMOKE to pour out the side door. Again, THIS NEVER used to happen!

3 years ago I had a new Jotul F500 installed and 35 foot SS-Liner. It had no damper then, and it burned like crazy, out of control, seriously hot and hard to hold back. It was burning wood like crazy, it was later deemed defective and Jotul replaced it and said I got the '1 in a hundred' made on the lot thats pulled off the line in the factory and tested like crazy, so this one should be perfect. The installer also installed a damper this time, thinking the chimney liner was very long causing excessive draw. Things initially were perfect. Then this season we have the above problems.....im at a loss.....any ideas???

 

[webby3650]

My first thought is the cap could be clogged.
Or, possibly you are struggling to get a draft established. The cap is most likely. Can you see it? I assume not, hence the 35’ liner... did the sweep go up top to clean it?

 

[Allagash350]

How recently was your chimney cleaned? Almost sounds like it might be clogged up on the cap or in the pipe.
Have you looked at the stove at all to check the air control is functioning correctly? Sometimes they can be clogged or the mechanism is off track or whatever.

I am more inclined to look at the chimney first though and am sure others with far more knowledge will chime in to help.

Edit: webby is a faster typer than me!

 

[Wolfetone]

I just had it cleaned maybe two weeks ago, or 3 fires ago. I don’t know whether he cleaned to the top or not, I’m assuming he did, but who knows maybe he was lazy!

But it’s been like this since before he cleaned it, no improvement, and it’s getting worse!

Like, kindling wood dry as a bone just not burning at all, and the side door opening causes smoke to rush into the room, this never used to happen to something is wrong

As for the air vent mechanism on the front of the stove, I’ve no idea if it’s broken

 

[webby3650]

I just had it cleaned maybe two weeks ago, or 3 fires ago. I don’t know whether he cleaned to the top or not, I’m assuming he did, but who knows maybe he was lazy!

But it’s been like this since before he cleaned it, no improvement, and it’s getting worse!

Like, kindling wood dry as a bone just not burning at all, and the side door opening causes smoke to rush into the room, this never used to happen to something is wrong

As for the air vent mechanism on the front of the stove, I’ve no idea if it’s broken

I’ll almost guarantee your cap is clogged. Cleaning from the bottom doesn’t make him lazy, but it requires knowledge and experience to be successful at it. Sometimes a trip to the roof is also necessary, especially if you cannot see the cap.

 

[webby3650]

Or, he cleaned from the top but didn’t remove the stovepipe to vacuum out the mess in the flue collar.

 

[Wolfetone]

Or, he cleaned from the top but didn’t remove the stovepipe to vacuum out the mess in the flue collar.

So he didn’t go up on the roof at all, I wasn’t here, wife says he cleaned from the bottom and left within 15 mins

 

[webby3650]

So he didn’t go up on the roof at all, I wasn’t here, wife says he cleaned from the bottom and left within 15 mins

So my first concern is that the baffle isn’t removable on the Oslo, second is it took only 15 minutes! Is there a Tee on the stove?

 

[Wolfetone]

So my first concern is that the baffle isn’t removable on the Oslo, second is it took only 15 minutes! Is there a Tee on the stove?

It’s a relatively new stove, 1 previous season only!
There is an elbow on the stove yeh

But if the cap is blocked, there’s no other way to clean that but to go up on the roof and remove it, which he didnt

His answer to my wife about the back smoking when the side door opens was, ‘open a door or window and let some air in’ what a moron! We live in New England, it’s been -10f this week

 

[webby3650]

It’s a relatively new stove, 1 previous season only!
There is an elbow on the stove yeh

But if the cap is blocked, there’s no other way to clean that but to go up on the roof and remove it, which he didnt

His answer to my wife about the back smoking when the side door opens was, ‘open a door or window and let some air in’ what a moron! We live in New England, it’s been -10f this week

Rotary cleaning can get the cap clean, but you still need to verify with at least a visual inspection.

I’m curious how he cleaned an Oslo from below. Especially in 15 minutes!

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Happened to me once. Pipe was clean, but screen in cap was clogged. Screens with small mesh clog up very quickly, even after one season if your wood is not below 20% moisture. I vote for the cap also. Does your cap have a screen in it?

 

[Wolfetone]

Happened to me once. Pipe was clean, but screen in cap was clogged. Screens with small mesh clog up very quickly, even after one season if your wood is not below 20% moisture. I vote for the cap also. Does your cap have a screen in it?

Yes it does

Should I just have the screen removed permanently? I hear they clog up w creosote all the time causing this issue

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Yes it does

Should I just have the screen removed permanently? I hear they clog up w creosote all the time causing this issue

I removed my screen. As long as you clean the pipe and cap at least once a year, get rid of the screen. I am almost convinced the screen is the culprit.

 

[Nick Mystic]

There can be negative consequences when you remove the screen in your cap. Before I had a screen on my cap I had a family of about 30 bats set up housekeeping in my chimney during the summer. Also, if you have a combustible roof you can increase the chances of burning down your home if you have a chimney fire since much larger pieces of flaming creosote can escape your chimney and land on the roof. I burn well seasoned wood and usually can burn the entire winter without needing to clean my cap, so it's not a given that screens always will clog up. As to your current problem, I would also check to see if the thermal blanket sitting on top of your baffle shifted and is blocking the flue opening.

 

[firefighterjake]

Without a doubt in my mind . . . the issue is with the draft. Either the chimney wasn't cleaned correctly, the cap/screen is gunked up (my #1 pick -- if possible take a look at the cap with a pair of binoculars) or the sweep forgot/was ignorant and did not clean the gunk that accumulated above the baffle (my #2 pick.)

There is a small chance the air control lever is off the track . . . but I think this is less likely than the chimney being the culprit.

 

[Wolfetone]

No issues with complete removal of that mesh screen??

 

[firefighterjake]

There can be negative consequences when you remove the screen in your cap. Before I had a screen on my cap I had a family of about 30 bats set up housekeeping in my chimney during the summer. Also, if you have a combustible roof you can increase the chances of burning down your home if you have a chimney fire since much larger pieces of flaming creosote can escape your chimney and land on the roof. I burn well seasoned wood and usually can burn the entire winter without needing to clean my cap, so it's not a given that screens always will clog up. As to your current problem, I would also check to see if the thermal blanket sitting on top of your baffle shifted and is blocking the flue opening.

Ditto . . . my screen has never been an issue and all I've ever done is a bottom-up cleaning . . . but I make sure to check it periodically, burn at the right temps and burn well seasoned wood.

Good point on the baffle blanket possibly being moved by the sweep when the chimney was swept . . . another possibility.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

I never ever have trouble with my cap screen clogging. I am going on three years of burning without cleaning it and, other than a darker appearance on the mesh, it is clear as the day I put it on.

My thoughts are similar to webby. I'm really skeptical that he did a thorough cleaning on that stove in 15 minutes. I bet there is still a bunch of junk from your pipe in the top of your stove that is inhibiting air flow.

 

[Wolfetone]

How do I check where this baffle should even be? I do feel a blanket up there but where should it be

Also, had bats before in the home, not via the fireplace but attic and I don’t fancy them being here again

How long should it take to clean the chimney? SS lined and about 35 feet

My thoughts are that he just pushed it up, he probably thought he was at the top when he got some resistance, but my chimney has an inverted Y in the attic where two chimneys come together and go up

I would’nt be surprised if he hit that neck thought he was at the top and stopped, meaning he was about another 15 feet to go and probably the most creosote in that point forward due to the turns in the chimney

 

[bholler]

Ok a thorough cleaning absolutly can be done in 15 mins but that does not mean it was. My bet is on either the screen being clogged or the blanket being bunched up. Call the sweep and tell him it hasnt worked right since he worked on it.

 

[Wolfetone]

Ok a thorough cleaning absolutly can be done in 15 mins but that does not mean it was. My bet is on either the screen being clogged or the blanket being bunched up. Call the sweep and tell him it hasnt worked right since he worked on it.

Yeh I just did that and they are coming next week, but with the snow we just had he said he may have to get up on the roof (first time here he did a bottom up cleaning) but that may not be possible with the roof and snow or ice

 

[bholler]

Yeh I just did that and they are coming next week, but with the snow we just had he said he may have to get up on the roof (first time here he did a bottom up cleaning) but that may not be possible with the roof and snow or ice

Bottom cleaning with rotary cleaners can clean the cap fine. You just have to check to be sure.

 

[Wolfetone]

It’s the inverted Y at the top of the chimney I wonder if he couldn’t get by that double turn to get to the top

 

[xman23]

I had the same thing happen the first year. I got it cleaned, bottom up. We lit a fire and smoke puffed back. The sweep gave up. I think knew it, but just wasn't going to go on the roof. So I did and have cleaned it since then. I removed the screen on the cap.

 

[bholler]

It’s the inverted Y at the top of the chimney I wonder if he couldn’t get by that double turn to get to the top

An inverted y??? If it is the type of cap i am thinking of it is impossible to clean from the ground. Do you have a pic of the cap?