F55 Owners, Step Inside

[cuttingedge]

I had a Jotul F55 installed in October. I really like the stove and it has been able to heat our entire home thus far. I have a few questions for those that own this particular stove. The metal plates on the right and left sides inside of the stove that hold the firebricks seem to have bowed out a little. Are yours doing the same? What is the highest stove top temp that you have achieved? My stove sometimes reaches 700-750 and I am wondering if I am doing any damage?
Thanks.

 

[wvstriper]

My f50 is doing the same with the plates. I've run it up as high as 750.

 

[7acres]

My f50 is doing the same with the plates. I've run it up as high as 750.

My IR thermometer has displayed 790 once. Ive seen mid 700s a number of times. My plates don't seem any different than when new. My stove isn't damaged at all.

 

[jeffesonm]

18 months with the F55... max probably just south of 700... no discernible difference in plates

 

[7acres]

Seems as good a place as any to report my latest temp extreme. Cast iron top was 950F. IR gun pointed at the steel around the flue read 1090 and the steel around the flue was glowing dull red. No paint smell though. Turned on the blower and closed down the air and everything stabilized nicely. And the stove is fine, btw (so is the house). No damage. I'm not trying to win an F55 torture test contest or suggest what ranges the stove can be run at. Just sharing a datapoint for fellow F55 owners. I did not intend to let it get that hot. Please be kind.

I will however say that I think it got that hot because the blower had been turned off. With it switched on (even at the lowest speed) I don't think the stove can reach that temp no matter what. One more reason for buying the blower, IMHO.

 

[clark77]

those are all stove top temps? what are the firebox temps when the stove top is 700+?

 

[7acres]

When it's in the 700s the sides won't get past 250-280 in my experience.

 

[clark77]

I was referring to shooting the ir gun through the front glass door and getting the inside temps.

 

[7acres]

I was referring to shooting the ir gun through the front glass door and getting the inside temps.

Never tried that. To clarify my last post though; those temps were for the cast jacket on the sides not the steel firebox behind the jacket.

 

[clark77]

im just curious to see what your firebox is firing at when your stove top is 700+. I know when my door thermometer reads 550 that I'm over 1000 inside the firebox. but that's my stove. last night I had 415 on the door and 770 inside.

 

[iluvjazznjava]

F55 is an awesome stove! Simple in design, but simple is good in this case. Puts out the heat without too much fuss.

Haven't noticed any bowing on the steel holding the firebricks, but I haven't checked lately.

Stove temp ... well the wife loaded it up and left it running with the air wide open and went up town to go shopping (she is new to wood burning, she forgot to check the stove before she left). When I arrived home, my stove top thermometer was all the way up to the max - 950F House smelled like the stove was breaking in, except it wasn't. Once I got the stove cooled down several hours later I gave it a good inspection and no harm done - whew! My stove pipe discolored though. I hope it never happens again, but its nice to know the stove can take the abuse if accidents happen. Seems to be quite well made so far ... time will tell for sure.

Only oddity I noticed on mine the other day was some tar-like (creosote?) substance forming a little on the back wall of the stove inside. Anyone else see something like this and have any ideas how I can clean it up? I have an outside air kit (required by code where I am) and it has been suggested that with an OAK the incoming air can be too cold and result in some condensation of creosote inside the stove where the air feeds in. Might be hearsay, but that's my only theory at the moment ...

I don't have the blower - my dealer wanted $400 for it and that seemed way too steep to me, but sometimes I wish I had it just to get the heat moving around quicker. The solution has been to have a large box fan at one end of the room blowing towards the stove ... it works ok, so I'll probably live with it. Anyone think the fan kit is worth the crazy price? Or even better, anyone know where to pick up the fan cheaper?

This seems to be a popular stove right now, so its great to have a place like this for everyone to share experiences and help each other out!

 

[iluvjazznjava]

Here's another question for everyone - how do you typically operate the air control on your stove? No hardwoods for me - I burn dry (<20%) larch and fir. From a cold start, I will run the air wide open for probably 45min - 1hr and get the stove up to around 500F, then I back off to about 2/3 open for about half an hour, then I back off to about 1/3 and let her cruise. If I have a bed of coals, then it all happens a lot quicker. I haven't had any luck operating my stove with less than 1/3 air. If I go below that point it seems I always choke the fire too much and I start to get visible smoke out of my stack. I can get 8 hrs useful heat out of my stove the way it currently runs, but I'm wondering if there might be ways to get a couple more hours out of it with a different approach ...

 

[clark77]

Keep the feedback coming about this stove. I hope to go see one in person this week then make a decision as to get one or not.

 

[7acres]

Here's another question for everyone - how do you typically operate the air control on your stove? No hardwoods for me - I burn dry (<20%) larch and fir. From a cold start, I will run the air wide open for probably 45min - 1hr and get the stove up to around 500F, then I back off to about 2/3 open for about half an hour, then I back off to about 1/3 and let her cruise. If I have a bed of coals, then it all happens a lot quicker. I haven't had any luck operating my stove with less than 1/3 air. If I go below that point it seems I always choke the fire too much and I start to get visible smoke out of my stack. I can get 8 hrs useful heat out of my stove the way it currently runs, but I'm wondering if there might be ways to get a couple more hours out of it with a different approach ...

Yeah, I'm loving my F55 too. My experience is similar to yours except I burn primarily hard wood. I get 10+ hours every night. My standard routine after the load is lit is 1) Air lever 100% open till the fire is rip roaring through the whole load 2) back off to 50% for 10 minutes or so 3) reduce air to 30% - 40% for all night cruise. I load it up at 7pm. At 6am I put in a half load and it catches easily from coals every time. Only if it's super cold will the wife add more during the day. Most days she never touches it. It just stores up and puts out nice even heat.

 

[Knots]

The manual says to measure stove top temps at the corner of the cook top, so that's what I do. I figure Jotul knows what all the other associated temps will be based on that.

I'm burning soft maple and black birch. I load at 300, burn hard to 450/500, and then start backing it down. At 550 I put the primary air to the minimum. The stove top goes to 600/675 and then slowly comes down. I'm getting about 6 hours out of it.

 

[jeffesonm]

I get it going good and then start backing it down in the 400-500 range... never really measure anymore, just wait until it's been raging for a few minutes. With pretty dry hardwood (20% ish) I slowly back it down to about 1/3 or 1/4 closed. With really dry wood (15%) I can get it down fully closed and it still burns well.

 

[Holzstapel]

I get it going good and then start backing it down in the 400-500 range... never really measure anymore, just wait until it's been raging for a few minutes. With pretty dry hardwood (20% ish) I slowly back it down to about 1/3 or 1/4 closed. With really dry wood (15%) I can get it down fully closed and it still burns well.

So far this is roughly what I am doing. I'm burning well seasoned hardwood with the air all the way down.

I'm new to this woodstove and woodstove heating in general. I found that when I shut down the air after reaching about 450, the stove will climb some more and then fall a little. About this time the secondaries start up and the stove will climb to 550-600 and cruise along with the air off.

The difference in temp between the center of the stove and corner were Jotul suggests to place thermometer can be 50-75 degrees. I'm using a Condar Inferno thermometer in the center of the of the cookplate. That is easily the hottest place on the cooktop too; there and straight back to the stove pipe.

 

[clark77]

This is where I'm putting it, not sure if it's right or not. This is my interpretation of the rear corner of the griddle plate. Either way, the center is a lot hotter ( 150+ degrees hotter).


I also made myself a high temp needle out of a piece of safety wire.



The stove heated the house well last night. It did set off the smoke alarms due to the paint cure smell but it all worked out.
So far we are really liking this stove. Just going to take time to learn how to burn it properly.



In this pic, the center of the stove top is 660 and the corner with the thermometer is 520.
The opposite left corner is 15+ degrees cooler. This is with the damper all the way closed.I started this load at 1p.m. with a good set of hot coals.

 

[Creekheat]

I have an F55 as well. We love the stove.
We are burning all seasoned hardwood <20% MC
With good coals I am getting about 8hrs total burn (useable heat above 300*)
It tops out around 700*ish briefly then creeps down slowly to about 550* and cruises. Then slowly drops to about 300 on the tail end. If you include below 300* temps probably about a 9-10 hour burn.
Fantastic stove and the secondary combustion system works great!

 

[7acres]

This is where I'm putting it, not sure if it's right or not. This is my interpretation of the rear corner of the griddle plate. Either way, the center is a lot hotter ( 150+ degrees hotter).
View attachment 153677

I also made myself a high temp needle out of a piece of safety wire.

View attachment 153679

The stove heated the house well last night. It did set off the smoke alarms due to the paint cure smell but it all worked out.
So far we are really liking this stove. Just going to take time to learn how to burn it properly.

View attachment 153680

In this pic, the center of the stove top is 660 and the corner with the thermometer is 520.
The opposite left corner is 15+ degrees cooler. This is with the damper all the way closed.I started this load at 1p.m. with a good set of hot coals.

I like that high temp needle mod!

 

[clark77]

I like that high temp needle mod!

It's working nice. High temp is 575 since I put it there. cruising nicely at 550 now.

 

[Creekheat]

Do you load yours to the tubes? I usually do but if you think lighter loads work better I may try that

 

[clark77]

I just did as lighter load so I can fill it before I go to bed. I haven't quite got a schedule down yet. Today was my first full day burning and I'm trying to learn the stove.

 

[Creekheat]

Me too. Cool

 

[7acres]

Do you load yours to the tubes? I usually do but if you think lighter loads work better I may try that

On a cold night I stuff as much wood in as will fit. Stacked to the baffles and touching them. But I never force anything in.