advice on cleaning jotul 550 rockland

[labrador]

I would like to know how other rockland owners have cleaned their stainless 6 inch flue pipe without moving the stove? I have the stove inserted in a see through fireplace so I can get to the unit from the back side of the fireplace. Getting to the roof is not a problem and I have the plastic brush and rods to clean from the top. I s it possible to disconnect the ss pipe and just run the brush through it into a bucket? I could not find anything in the manual. There does not appear to be too much creosote looking down the pipe from the roof, just a light coating 1/8 to 1/4 inch on the sides. I cannot get the heat out of the unit it is supposed to put out. Wood is very dry, chimney is in the center of the house, 15 feet high. Thanks in advance for help.

 

[DAKSY]

I would like to know how other rockland owners have cleaned their stainless 6 inch flue pipe without moving the stove?

Brush your liner right down to the insert & then clean the top of the baffles...
You can either remove the baffles or use an ash vac (or shopvac) with a "wand" to get in there...

... Is it possible to disconnect the ss pipe and just run the brush through it into a bucket?

Yeah, it's possible, but why disturb the entire set-up if you don't have to?
There's a pin holding your liner adapter to the firebox...
You'll hafta remove it to pull the liner, but that seems like a lot of work to me,
& completely unnecessary...
You'll hafta disconnect the liner from the chimney top collar in order to slide the whole thing up...

There does not appear to be too much creosote looking down the pipe from the roof, just a light coating 1/8 to 1/4 inch on the sides.

Then you're burning the insert correctly, IMHO, 'course you don't say HOW LONG you've burned or HOW MANY cords you've used...

I cannot get the heat out of the unit it is supposed to put out. Wood is very dry, chimney is in the center of the house, 15 feet high.

Is there a block-off plate or some insulation in the damper area above the insert?
Do you have the back side - of your see-thru - blocked off?
Most of my customers who burn this unit complain about TOO MUCH heat...

 

[labrador]

Daksy- Thanks for the info. I will clean pipe as soon as we get a little warmer weather. I blocked off the back side of the stove with 1/4 inch sheet metal. It goes just above the height of the stove. I do have a block off plate at the damper and ceramic blanket wrapped around the 6" pipe at the damper. We try to burn 24/7 most of the time, and have used about 3 cords of wood so far. I would like to build something like the person on thread 35328 did (photos). This morning I was I was getting temps (external) magnetic thermometer of 400-500 with the damper 1/4 open. Room temp of 65. I think I need to fill the entire space just above the stove with fiberglass insulation without paper backing.

 

[labrador]

Daksy- Title of thread is "How important is the INSULATION around the fireplace insert. The numbers I gave you did not bring me to the thread.

 

[gpcollen1]

I think that insulation is a good idea but I would not think that is the reason that you are not getting enough heat. The inserts I have seen do already direct the majority of the heat forward - out of the fireplace - by the design of the insert.

I looked through the manual and could not find a temp recommendation after just a quick scan. It sounds like you are not running that stove hot enough, plain and simple.

 

[Roxburyeric]

I have to run the 550 at 500 to 650 to really get serious heat out of it. I even hit 700 with a good load and draft. 700 makes my nervous but I haven't had any issues. Typically before going to bed I'll load up the stove and it will get cranking. I can adjust the air to fully closed (I know - still open on the epa stoves) and it will run at 600 to 650 for a couple hours then slowly come down. My problem has been getting a burn time longer than 4 to 5 hours (I'll define burn time as when the auto fan will shut off) Typically I'll still have coals to relight up to 6-7 hours. Just like most on this site will say - Wood type and condition is the biggest factor.

 

[jadm]

When sweep cleaned mine he did it from the top after removing the baffles in the firebox. The 'soot' droped down onto the firebox floor and he easily vacuumed up with his shop vac.

 

[jadm]

I have to run the 550 at 500 to 650 to really get serious heat out of it. I even hit 700 with a good load and draft. 700 makes my nervous but I haven't had any issues. Typically before going to bed I'll load up the stove and it will get cranking. I can adjust the air to fully closed (I know - still open on the epa stoves) and it will run at 600 to 650 for a couple hours then slowly come down. My problem has been getting a burn time longer than 4 to 5 hours (I'll define burn time as when the auto fan will shut off) Typically I'll still have coals to relight up to 6-7 hours. Just like most on this site will say - Wood type and condition is the biggest factor.

I burn at the same temps. and get the approx. same burn times you are getting depending on the outside temp. and the load of wood. (I burn mixed hardwoods and the splits are all different sizes and species. If it is cold, I burn harder hard wood. On milder days I use the softer hard woods.)

I have been burning with this insert for 1 full year/winter now and I see improvement in burn times and in how much wood I am using. Hopefully this trend will continue. This insert has been both patient and tolerant with me. ;-P

 

[labrador]

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. The wind chill here in Schoharie valley is about 0 and the beast is running again. Hope to bring up the temps by insulating. Stay warm .