stove running too hot

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paul nietz

New Member
Jan 15, 2014
5
cedar mi.
Hi,
New guy here, I bought a 1997 jotul firelight a few months ago and have been trying to learn how this thing can be controlled. I don't seem to be able to keep the stove from getting to hot. With the air control shut and with the bypass door closed and half load of dry wood it is still too hot. The stove appears to have been abused by the shape of the rear burn plate and the catylitic combuster which I have purchased and have not installed yet because I don't want to overheat these expensive items until someone with more experience can help me figure out why I can't control the draft. I have replaced some of the gaskets that were worn and missing. One thing that I have noticed is that even when the bypass door is closed the flames still want to go up instead of back around and through the combuster. Is this normal or do you guys think the bypass door gasket should be replaced? It looks in good shape. I am waiting on the cover for the combustor chamber before I install the rest of the new parts. Do you think these new parts will help with this draft problem? Would you put a damper in the pipe or is this just a bandaid? This stove is eating wood like its free I have to load it every couple hours. I have owned a couple cheap box store steel stoves and still had hot coals ten hours later, this stove is stone cold after 8 hours. I really want to keep this beautiful stove but just like my ex wives sometimes they just have to go! Hope someone can lead me in the right direction.
Paul Nietz
 
Hi Paul,
Welcome to the forum.
When you say too hot....how hot and where are you measuring the temp?
 
Okay - it doesn't sound like an excessively tall pipe is the issue, so we can focus on the stove.
 
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If you are referring to one of the stand up type thermos, that is the wrong hammer for this nail. Consider a woodstove thermo, or an IR thermo for this task. A magnetic thermo for woodstoves is small bucks.
 
Hi, I have a Firelight- 1998. I just checked the temp with a magnetic temp gauge on the lid and run anywhere from 300 to 700 degrees no prob. I am also in second year of Clearskies catalyst - seems to run fine.
 
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