Thinking hard about a new Oslo but......

[[email protected]]

Been thinking about replacing my old #4 combifire with an Oslo. A have 4 concerns/questions that need to be addressed before I pull the pin on $2800. Firstly, I am concerned about proper drafting. I have a 2500 sq ft split entry house with the stove in the basement adjacent to the stairwell. Lots of windows in the daylight basement, well insulated house. Chimney goes straight out the basement wall. 1 45* with black double wall inside to an outside T and then up through 2 30*'s and 19' of Excel insulated before the cap, all 6 inch. With the old Jotul, with the stove cold, I usually need to crack the door near the stove at start-up for a minute until the kindling catches or else I get smoke back in the house. Other then that, I have no other back draft issues. In the middle of the winter the stove usually doesn't go cold as I keep it fired up hotter and later at night. I suspect or I'm told to believe with the Oslo with longer burn times, mornings will find the stove still warm and eliminating the problem. But I also understand newer EPA stoves are more finicky and start up may be harder when the stove is cold. Opinions please.

Blue black for $2828. I live in Alaska and expect to pay higher cost for shipping. What are current lower 48 prices?

I would be able to get a 30% tax credit, which brings it down to $1980, right? I have not looked into the biofuel tax thing. Is it a straight tax deduction?

Plus, I can then sell my very good condition #4. What's it worth?

I have read greatly varying statements about the amount of wood saved from a little bit to 50% with the new stove and would like opinions about the improvement I will see in efficiency.

 

[RSNovi]

I just installed an Oslo in a similar situation in the basement like you describe. I have 2 90 elbows and 32' of insulated chimney on the outside of the house. I found that I can just light a firestarter and close the door with the air on full and the fire will start and not smoke up the house.

 

[[email protected]]

You have a bit more bends but a much taller chimney. I wonder if I do have problems the best fix would be a taller chimney.

 

[Mad Tom]

I am heating a 3000sqft house in VT. I bought an Oslo last January. They are finicky and take some time getting used to. My house is set up for very good heat distribution. I have a 15x15 ft opening/balcony that gets the heat upstairs. My house stays around 70 degrees when I fire it up, which is fine for me. Being in Alaska you might want to move up in size to the Firelight F600. Are you dead set on Jotul?. I bought mine on a recommendation and looks. There are a lot of other good stoves that can fit your needs. I paid 2300 for matte black here. The Firelight was about 2600. All the dealers within an hour or two drive were all + or - 50 bucks.

 

[RSNovi]

Oh yeah, I just paid $2800 for a blu/blk Oslo.

 

[[email protected]]

I am heating a 3000sqft house in VT. I bought an Oslo last January. They are finicky and take some time getting used to. My house is set up for very good heat distribution. I have a 15x15 ft opening/balcony that gets the heat upstairs. My house stays around 70 degrees when I fire it up, which is fine for me. Being in Alaska you might want to move up in size to the Firelight F600. Are you dead set on Jotul?. I bought mine on a recommendation and looks. There are a lot of other good stoves that can fit your needs. I paid 2300 for matte black here. The Firelight was about 2600. All the dealers within an hour or two drive were all + or - 50 bucks.

When you say finicky does it have anything to do with backdrafting?

I'm familiar and really do like Jotuls, but could consider something else.

I thought about the Firelight but seeing the combifire has provided enough heat, I think the Oslo is adequate. I'm in southcentral alaska and although we have a longer burning season, out temps are not that much lower.

did you get the tax credit?

 

[[email protected]]

Oh yeah, I just paid $2800 for a blu/blk Oslo.

OK so I'll feel better knowing someone else paid just as much!

 

[toddh]

I just bought one for $2700 OTD. I have a outside chimney with a 8 x 10 clay liner. It drafts fine. Chimney is 25 feet tall. First fire was smokey, second one I got going quickly by doing the top down method and no smoke. Wife is happy!

 

[Green Energy]

I would say it is finicky if your wood is not well seasoned. I installed my Oslo last year and my wood, oak, was marginal (20 - 25% mc). This year I am ready with 10-20% mc oak and maple. The main problems are starts from cold or near cold on the first load when the wood is not well seasoned. The problem is you cannot shut the air down as quickly and it leads to either fooling with the air or burning less efficient. But I think this problem is true with most of the new stoves.

With dry wood, it is a thing of beauty.

I took the tax credit. Mine was a little cheaper last year, but still over $2600 for the blue-black.

 

[wendell]

EPA stoves are only more finicky if your wood isn't dry enough. They do not tolerate wet wood. Some on here have said they are now using half the wood they did with their pre-EPA stoves but not sure that applies across the board but I know you will use less.

I had trouble with my first few burns in my Oslo but quickly learned it likes a good hot fire to get it up to temp so now am starting with a full stove of smaller splits and it is working great.

 

[begreen]

For 2500 sq ft I would normally be thinking a larger stove than the F500. I'm wondering if the F500 is going to be enough stove for your climate. Is this coastal AK, like Juneau or is this inland AK like Fairbanks? The F500 is a great stove, but there are alternatives with a larger firebox that could be better suited if the goal is 24/7 heating in below zero temps. In Jotul this would be the F600.

The other question is aesthetics. Is a cast iron stove the only style being considered? Would a steel stove be ok or a hybrid (cast iron/steel)? In steel there are several good 3 cu ft stoves available, some for a lot less money (Englander 30NC), some for more (Blaze King Princess). In hybrid, the steel jacketed Pacific Energy Summit or it's castiron jacketed brother, the Alderlea T6 fall in between in pricing. Both the BK and the PE should have lower shipping costs.

 

[[email protected]]

For 2500 sq ft I would normally be thinking a larger stove than the F500. I'm wondering if the F500 is going to be enough stove for your climate. Is this coastal AK, like Juneau or is this inland AK like Fairbanks? The F500 is a great stove, but there are alternatives with a larger firebox that could be better suited if the goal is 24/7 heating in below zero temps. In Jotul this would be the F600.

The other question is aesthetics. Is a cast iron stove the only style being considered? Would a steel stove be ok or a hybrid (cast iron/steel)? In steel there are several good 3 cu ft stoves available, some for a lot less money (Englander 30NC), some for more (Blaze King Princess). In hybrid, the steel jacketed Pacific Energy Summit or it's cast iron jacketed brother, the Alderlea T6 fall in between in pricing. Both the BK and the PE should have lower shipping costs.

I think I'm stuck on the cast iron stoves. I do prefer the look. I did look at the BK because of their long burn times and reputation in ak. I had a princess years ago and loved it. But I believe they are 8" flues and I'm stuck with 6".

I'm in Kenai, southcentral ak. so we are colder then coastal but way warmer then interior. Occasional temps below 0.

I can't find firebox capacities anywhere, on this site or Jotul for the F500. Do you know the capacities? I measured the combi-fire roughly tonight and it measures 18x14x12 but there is nothing square about a combifire. So it is about 2.5cf, I think? It's the old rather upright with a large door. Looks like it came from easter island. It seems the F500 would tend to burn hotter then my old smoke dragon.

 

[begreen]

Actually, that works out to be 1.75 cu ft.. The Oslo is a bit larger in capacity at a little over 2 cu ft, and does burn cleaner and more efficiently. If the CombiFire was always up to the task, then the Oslo may work out ok. A bigger firebox will provide longer burn times and more reserves for colder weather. But if the place is exceptionally tight and well insulated, then the Oslo may do. It's certainly a workhorse and a well-liked stove.

 

[[email protected]]

So the Oslo should be big enough but what about my other questions? What is the ol Combifire worth and will I actually save on the amount of wood burned?

 

[Green Energy]

FYI, dry wood solves the finickiness problem. This morning, I started my Olso from cold with dry, 10-15 mc, small splits. It was flaming away with the door closed and full primary air. By 15-20 minutes, I was able to shut the primary air completely down, and had strong secondaries that transitioned into ghost flames after an hour or so. Touched the air setting once when I shut the primary air down. Cannot get much easier than that.

 

[firefighterjake]

It's all about the wood . . .

 

[begreen]

So the Oslo should be big enough but what about my other questions? What is the ol Combifire worth and will I actually save on the amount of wood burned?

A Combi 4 in great condition (no cracks, refractory in good shape), and at this time of year, I would guess about $400, but AK sometimes has higher general pricing due to the cost of getting stuff there.

Yes, you should burn less wood if you continue to heat at the same temps. How much is hard to say due to variables like wood moisture, severity of winter, lifestyle changes, etc.

 

[[email protected]]

So the Oslo should be big enough but what about my other questions? What is the ol Combifire worth and will I actually save on the amount of wood burned?

A Combi 4 in great condition (no cracks, refractory in good shape), and at this time of year, I would guess about $400, but AK sometimes has higher general pricing due to the cost of getting stuff there.

Yes, you should burn less wood if you continue to heat at the same temps. How much is hard to say due to variables like wood moisture, severity of winter, lifestyle changes, etc.

OK. Thanks. If you think it would sell in WA for $400, I'm guessing it would be worth about $600 here. That is more incentive for me to buy a new stove!

 

[Mad Tom]

I am heating a 3000sqft house in VT. I bought an Oslo last January. They are finicky and take some time getting used to. My house is set up for very good heat distribution. I have a 15x15 ft opening/balcony that gets the heat upstairs. My house stays around 70 degrees when I fire it up, which is fine for me. Being in Alaska you might want to move up in size to the Firelight F600. Are you dead set on Jotul?. I bought mine on a recommendation and looks. There are a lot of other good stoves that can fit your needs. I paid 2300 for matte black here. The Firelight was about 2600. All the dealers within an hour or two drive were all + or - 50 bucks.

When you say finicky does it have anything to do with backdrafting?

I'm familiar and really do like Jotuls, but could consider something else.

I thought about the Firelight but seeing the combifire has provided enough heat, I think the Oslo is adequate. I'm in southcentral alaska and although we have a longer burning season, out temps are not that much lower.

did you get the tax credit?

Back drafting has never been a problem for me. Two elbows and 20 feet of pipe. Just start it hot. I am finding that they like wood that is 2 seasons dry. I used a Portland Atlantic years ago and that was easier to use, but wouldn't handle the home I have now. I think seeing the flame makes me mess with the Jotul more. Patience is a virtue I guess.

 

[jotulguy]

All wood stoves can have back draft issues, depending on operated, fuel, and chimney. If you have knowledge, dry wood, and good burn habits you will be fine! I would wager most bad reviews have had one of those issues listed above.

 

[sentic]

I just bought a Jotul 600 firelight. Our house is 1900 sq/ft BUT its old and very drafty. I thought about an Oslo but went with the bigger stove because Dec-Feb can be pretty cold in MI (nothing like MT where I grew up...-30 brrrrr). Saying that here is what I have found in the 2 months of owning a 600:
1) I use marginal wood (its free...but for the sweat equity) so from a cold stove it takes 30 min with the side door cracked open. If I use really dry wood then crack the air control and off she goes.
2) If its above freezing 80+ temps in the living room and 70+ temps in the rest of the house are standard. Its an old craftsman so the heat gets distributed ok but not great.
3) Freezing and below that stove is awesome.
4) Length of burn is incredible. I'll but a really big log in it through the front doors and build the fire in front of it and at full air that log (ash, maple, mulberry) will still be serious coals 15 hours later. Its a matter of the way I'm building the fire. If I had put that same log in the middle and built around it the burn time is shorter.
5) A full load of cottonwood (embarrassing, yes, but still btu's will last long and hot for 6 hours on a lower burn.
6) Stove top temps are around 400-500 degrees, exhaust temps 300-500 depending on hour I'm burning it.
7) Once the stove gets to 400-500 degrees its easy to keep it there.
8) Most importantly, my wife is WARM!

At 400 degrees there is almost no smoke in the exhaust. These stoves are really efficient. I"m actually looking forward to colder weather just so I can fight it off with this stove!

 

[[email protected]]

I am still mulling which stove to buy. Are they 6" flues? Is it just a larger version of the Olso? How much is a 600 firelight?

 

[Green Energy]

Firelight is somewhat different than the Oslo, split front door, where the Oslo is a one piece front door. Side door is on the right side on the Firelight and on the left side on the Oslo.

If you think you will need the extra heat, 15% more with the Firelight, and/or the longer burn time, than I would go with the Firelight. It is probably about $400 - $500 more. And yes, it is a 6" flue.

F 600 Firelight specs:

Maximum heat output: 81,500 BTU/hr
Heating capacity: Up to 2,500 sq.ft
Over 75% efficient
Log length: 24"
Burn time: Up to 10 hours
Finish options: Blue/Black, or Ivory Enamel, Brown or Blue Majolica Enamel or Matte Black Paint
Flue outlet: Top, and rear
Flue size: 6"
http://www.jotul.com/en-us/wwwjotulus/Main-menu/Products/Wood/Wood-stoves/Jotul-F-600-Firelight-CB/
Weight: 465 lbs

 

[begreen]

I like Jotuls a lot, but sometimes it helps to look at the alternatives. Another great cast iron stove in this size is the Quadrafire Isle Royale. It's a serious heater that is also a beautiful looking stove. In between these stoves at 2.5 cu ft is the Hearthstone Bennington, also worth considering.

I'm also going to throw the option of the stove we are burning into the equation. The main reason is that it does well with the northwest wood you will be burning, great close clearances, cool trivet design and it can be shipped to AK with perhaps better rates. It has proved to be a very flexible stove for us. It is able to burn with a partial load when the temps are moderate and not drive us out of the house. And when it gets cold, it can produce an impressive amount of heat. Same capacity as the F600, but with a more flexible firebox for loading.

Tom ships to AK, and is a first rate dealer for the T6. He also sells the Hearthstone Bennington.
http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/pacaldert6.htm

Here's a link to the Isle Royale:
http://www.quadrafire.com/en/Products/Isle-Royale-Wood-Stove.aspx

 

[clr8ter]

We bought our blue/black Oslo last winter used for $1200. I'm burning wood split Christmas last year. Admittedly, a lot of Maple, which dries quick. Other than regulating the temps occasionally, we have no problem with it. It starts easy and burns nice. We like it.