Creosote leaking out bottom of Jotul Oslo

[senorFrog]

Hi, Finished my last break in burn three days ago. Have used stove three times since then. This morning I noticed some black sooty water leaking out the back bottom of stove around the outside air kit. Pic attached. Advice needed ASAP.

PS - I am burning dried hardwood.

 

[elkimmeg]

There is a seal problem with that stove not because cresote is dripping but it is being formed there because a gasket or seam is allowing cool air in a condensating and creating cresote when you warm up the stove it drips out indication a poorly seared area.

Another consideration is if you have a full liner then there is a chance water is getting buy the chimney cap collecting cresote and running down the chimney and depositing it to leak out your flue outlet chamber you might want to check the cap and the seal around it keep out as much cold air up there as possible from condensation by cooling your liner. also seal the bottom damper plate.
Is your chimney an exterior location is the liner insulated?

 

[senorFrog]

Elk,

Interior masonry chimney. Clay liner. Good shape. No rain dripping down. Stove if offset 90 degrees from chimney.

I just looked again. The creosote formed during the initial startup of the fire. Now there is none. Here's another pic. Looks like the metal is damaged. Hard to see in this pic, but I can def see w/my flashlight.

 

[senorFrog]

There is a seal problem with that stove not because cresote is dripping but it is being formed there because a gasket or seam is allowing cool air in a condensating and creating cresote when you warm up the stove it drips out indication a poorly seared area.

Should the hole (which appears to be for the outside air kit) right near where creosote is leaking be blocked off? You can see it clearly in pic #2. I am not using an outside air kit. I did not install stove.

 

[elkimmeg]

Hold your horses here IF there is refactory cement bricks or interior liners there, and you stove was a recen build ,Moisture is still stored in the refactory. this is common. also common is the curing of all refactory cement. you are sure it is cresote? and not epoxy/cement from curing. If it has stopped running monitor this situation clean it up and see if any additional cresote or drippings occure? Time not to panic yet. Save all your pictures in case future warranty issues are required. get that stove up to 500 to 600 degrees if you are sure you have adequately broken it in then see if this is a re occuring problem

On the outside air issue MSG is a Jotul dealer lets hope he can shed some knowledge on that issue I don't know it is possible that it is also the same supply for indoor air..

Not all manufacturing process and stoves asre 1005 correct meaning there exist a possibility essembly of yours could have been better. but give it more time and see if this is a continuing problem

 

[webbie]

My suggestion is to wait at least a couple more burns. Certain things in new stoves tend to fix themselves....for instance, small gaps in furnace cement fill up with ash, etc.

This may more be a problem of smoke backing up and the stove being used lightly on the intitial firings.

If it does it after 3 weeks or so of burning, then I'd call the dealer. Until then, I would put a cup under it.

 

[senorFrog]

I first noticed this morning. I saw the drip drip first, so it has happened at least once before. I assume during last nights burn, since I've been monitoring the stove very carefully because it's brand new. This was my third "real" fire. I did the three breakin fires IAW the manual. NEVER have opened the ashpan door to get fire started.

There is damage on the metal on the bottom of the stove. I can clearly see it. Very hard to see in reduced photo. The metal looks worn, scalloped, jagged, burnt, rusted on the entire area with the black sootey water you see in photo. In some areas gap is 1/4 inch. Can't be normal. Stove is one week old.

Not what I expected after spending over $3000.00. Should have stuck with the old franklin.

 

[webbie]

I assume you mean damage to a sheet metal bottom heat shield. It would be near impossible to have damage to the cast iron. At worst, it seems like furnace cement needed.

Question: are you pretty much leaving the air control mosting open (and limiting wood instead) for the break in and first fires? If not, this is a good idea. Keep in mind that water and tar...yes, 20% + water even in dry wood, can seep through the smallest of cracks.

I could be wrong, but as an optimist my guess is that it may fix itself. Since the stove is under full warranty, waiting a week or two may not be a big deal. Of course, I know sometimes it smells pretty bad.

 

[Todd]

I thought someone else had black goo dripping from their Jotul for the first few fires a while back. Can't find the thread. Wonder if it's just some paint that isn't cured and mixed with some wet cement. But if you see 1/4" gaps and metal damage I would call the store you bought it from and see if they can check it out. When I broke in my stove I could see some spots of cement sizzle as the cement cured.

 

[begreen]

I think that was wahoowad's stove during breakin. It went away after normal burning temps were reached.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/901/

 

[webbie]

I didn't even think about it being the water driven off when the furnace cement is curing - that is possible also.

 

[senorFrog]

Not a painted stove, it's blue-black enamel finish. Not sure if that makes diff.

Sorry, I said metal damage, I think it's actually stove cement. With all the gunk back there it's hard to tell what's what.

MSG where are you........?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Not a painted stove, it's blue-black enamel finish. Not sure if that makes diff.

Sorry, I said metal damage, I think it's actually stove cement. With all the gunk back there it's hard to tell what's what.

MSG where are you........?

Doing homework! no time to play today. I have never seen that happen before, but any stove that has been in my warehouse for any amount of time is bone dry. The exception was when i got my stove it was fresh off the truck and it had ALOT of moisture in it. I would wait and see what happens. Call your dealer on monday, i will keep tabs on this thread and if needed i will call them myself. I am with craig, and would guess this is going to work itself out.

 

[senorFrog]

Thanks! Will contact dealertomorrow. Also, update thread after a few more burns.

 

[Rev800]

My Oslo did the same thing in the same spot. Dealer said it was water coming from the cast and sealer. It took awhile for it to burn off but it did eventually stop.

 

[senorFrog]

Thanks Rev! Good to know that I'm not the only one.

 

[mmichaud]

My Jotul Castine did this the first couple of times I fired it up. It went away after the 5th fire or so.

 

[senorFrog]

Real good info! Thanks mmichaud! In about the same spot? Anyone else?

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

Real good info! Thanks mmichaud! In about the same spot? Anyone else?

I also had the exact same issue on my Oslo for the first week of burns.
No problem after that. I fairly certain it has something to do with the
curing process....

Rob

 

[begreen]

SF, sounds like you need to get that puppy burnin! Maybe put a disposable aluminum pie plate under it for a week. Then sit back and enjoy.

 

[senorFrog]

Just like to close the loop on this one. My dealer contacted jotul, who came back with that this is a known issue. They will come out and repair (which is to add some stove cement to area behind fire bricks) but the problem will fix itself as it fills with creosote, soot, etc. This has happened a few more times but not recently. Seems to have happened when I got too much smoke building up in the box which released many water droplets. I have obsevered this. Changed over to top down burn method to minimize smoke builing up in box.

Thanks for everyone who responded.