Hello Folks - My husband and I bought a used Jotul firelight 12 for $1000 two years ago off craigslist and we love it! (It's the top and front load model, with the foot pedal). Last week, we ordered the 2 interior burn plates which were getting warped and starting to crack. We took the front plate out no problem - it's the one with the design on it that looks like an eye. The one behind that, which surrounds the catalytic converter chamber, was a bit harder to remove but, being warped, we were able to wrench it out. I just picked up the 2 new parts and wanted to surprise my husband by installing them before he got home. I just spent 20 min trying to get the interior plate into the stove through the front and top openings. It does not fit. It is the correct part and is the exact size of the one we pulled out of there. I am starting to think we need to pull the entire back off the stove to get it in. Has anyone done this before? All advice is welcome.
Do I need to take a Jotul 12 apart to install the interior burn plate?
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
Don't pull the back off! You will seriously regret that. The secret is... pull the top off! It's much easier than it sounds, as it's only held with two bolts, and gasketed (not cemented) in place.
First, open the top load door, and make sure it's supported against something (stove pipe?) so it can't flop over backwards. Remove the two philips head screws holding the door raising lever in place, and carefully set the door back down. Be sure that door does NOT flip over backwards, or the hinges will likely snap off.
Remove the andirons to have them out of your way, then pull out the inner burn plates on either side of the stove. They just lift out thru the front doors.
Stick your head in the stove and look up at the top. You'll see a large bolt on either side, going up into the top. Remove them. Get yourself a blanket or something to set on the floor, so you're not fumbling for it with the top in your hands. When you get that ready, just lift the top off, and set it down on the floor. It's not heavy for a guy, but according to my wife, I'm a real bad judge of what's too heavy for her. Just whatever you do... make sure that top load door stays down!
Now you'll be able to lift out the old burn plate (although I guess you already did that), and install the new burn plate, easy peasy. You'll want to put a new gasket behind it, which is usually just held in place with masking tape, while you get the new plate bolted in. I can't remember if that gasket runs behind the bypass damper housing as well, or if it's a separate gasket for the burn plate.
Check / repair the gasket on the bottom side of the stove top (watch the door!) before you reinstall that, and while you're in there, you'll probably want to repair or replace the bypass damper gasket as well.
Not a big or difficult job, but definitely a good 2 - 3 hour job for a first timer.
First, open the top load door, and make sure it's supported against something (stove pipe?) so it can't flop over backwards. Remove the two philips head screws holding the door raising lever in place, and carefully set the door back down. Be sure that door does NOT flip over backwards, or the hinges will likely snap off.
Remove the andirons to have them out of your way, then pull out the inner burn plates on either side of the stove. They just lift out thru the front doors.
Stick your head in the stove and look up at the top. You'll see a large bolt on either side, going up into the top. Remove them. Get yourself a blanket or something to set on the floor, so you're not fumbling for it with the top in your hands. When you get that ready, just lift the top off, and set it down on the floor. It's not heavy for a guy, but according to my wife, I'm a real bad judge of what's too heavy for her. Just whatever you do... make sure that top load door stays down!
Now you'll be able to lift out the old burn plate (although I guess you already did that), and install the new burn plate, easy peasy. You'll want to put a new gasket behind it, which is usually just held in place with masking tape, while you get the new plate bolted in. I can't remember if that gasket runs behind the bypass damper housing as well, or if it's a separate gasket for the burn plate.
Check / repair the gasket on the bottom side of the stove top (watch the door!) before you reinstall that, and while you're in there, you'll probably want to repair or replace the bypass damper gasket as well.
Not a big or difficult job, but definitely a good 2 - 3 hour job for a first timer.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Wow, been a while, but I believe it's 1/4" braided round. In fact, all doors are the same generic 1/4" braided, if I recall. Glass is 3/16" round,as is some of the behind-the-scenes stuff.
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So the gasket under the whole top plate not just the top loading door is 1/4 as well? Also i have almost everything apart and im re doing all the gaskets the manual states 1/4 for all the doors but nothing else. What size should i be using for the damper housing and inner back plate?
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Top plate is probably 1/4", too, as I don't remember buying anything else when I did mine. Sorry, that's the best I can remember.
I honestly don't remember what I used on damper door or behind housing. I'm guessing 1/4" on door and 3/16 on housing, but it's only a guess. You should be able to gauge by comparing the old lid gasket to an old door gasket (is it smaller or the same?).
Inner back plate was an item of debate in a thread here, a few years back. 3/16" seemed a tad small when I did my first two F12's, but when I used 1/4" on my third I had trouble getting it snugged down tight enough to get inner side plates in and out without prying. So, I'd go back to 3/16". That gasket goes in dry, no cement. Use masking tape to hold it in place while installing.
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I honestly don't remember what I used on damper door or behind housing. I'm guessing 1/4" on door and 3/16 on housing, but it's only a guess. You should be able to gauge by comparing the old lid gasket to an old door gasket (is it smaller or the same?).
Inner back plate was an item of debate in a thread here, a few years back. 3/16" seemed a tad small when I did my first two F12's, but when I used 1/4" on my third I had trouble getting it snugged down tight enough to get inner side plates in and out without prying. So, I'd go back to 3/16". That gasket goes in dry, no cement. Use masking tape to hold it in place while installing.
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GREAT! thank you for your help I really appreciate it as this is my first stove rebuild. One last question.. for now.... I noticed the cat chamber has a little bit of play between sitting all the way back in the stove and tight to the inner burn plate. Does it need to be tight to the inner plate to make a seal so the exhaust is forced through the cat and not around it or is it okay to have a slight gap between the plate and chamber.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Good question, but I don't know the answer. I would ask Mark at Jotul this question. Just claim you're a dealer when you call (use your local dealer's contact info), or they will refuse to speak with you. This is a big part of the reason I don't own a Jotul today, as they try to force you to get all support thru dealers, but most of their dealers didn't know squat about the internals of their stoves.
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Hello Mnardi- Almost certain that the Top plate gasket on your stove is 3/8 in 7 feet worth. That obviously is important to get sealed up properly. , the corners should be filled in with furnace cement where the corners meet, to prevent leakage. The door gaskets (front and ash) both use 1/4 in gasket, with an 18 in piece of 3/16 self adhesing gasket down the front door seam where they seal. About the cat housing, its probably worn a bit, it should create a seal behind the innerback plate panel, so as you said, flue gases cannot go around the cat chamber and up the flue. The top load gasket is also 1/4 in, some stoves (1993-96) had the gasket on the stove top, the last couple of years of production (1997-1999), the gasket was part of the top griddle. Most parts are still available from Jotul, but some have gone no longer available, as that model has been gone now over 15 years. I will send you a complete list of all the gaskets for the FL Cat tomorrow from work, and I'd look on Jotul's website at www.jotul.com and download a copy of their Firelight cat manual they have posted, it listed most of the gaskets and their sizes. As to expecting most Jotul dealers to know the insides of every Jotul model produced and their operational intricacies, that's being a little unrealistic. I wouldn't expect the sales guy at my local Ford dealer to know detailed knowledge about my 2001 Ford F150 but that's just my opinion. Jotul does want you to try and resolve most issues with your local dealer, that is their policy but one can call their local number and ask for technical assistance. Good luck.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Stovelark, Jotul will now give customer assistance? That was definitely not the case in 2013-2014. Reception would tell you to call your local dealer for support, rather than put you thru to tech, if you said you were a end user.
I agree, it's not practical to expect dealers to know the inner workings of every stove their brand has ever produced. This is why Jotuls policy is so frustrating.
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I agree, it's not practical to expect dealers to know the inner workings of every stove their brand has ever produced. This is why Jotuls policy is so frustrating.
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Well, I'm sure Jotul would still prefer someone go thru a dealer, but sometimes if a satisfactory answer cannot be obtained, Jotul will help out a customer if possible. There's times when you as a dealer just can't give the right answer, such as a clearance issue, finding an old part number not listed, etc etc.
Ohlson35
Member
I am trying to remove the rear plate ,no luck gets jammed up on the channel for the foot peddle and the metal nub under the damper.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
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