F600 top plate

[waxur]

Hello everyone. Longtime lurker here.......read the forum all the time and learned a lot here. We have a Jotul Firelight that heats our entire house very comfortably. Even this past weeks sub zero temps we were toasty warm. I'm hoping to hear from some fellow Firelight burners out there. The oval top plate with the decorative shell in front. Has anyone removed the hardware that holds that down? The owners manual recommends doing this but not in the US section. It seems like this would make cleaning the stove easier. I have new baffles to install and it would make that easier also. Just let me know what you did or your thoughts.
Thanks in advance.
Hoping someone with my same stove might chime in?

 

[begreen]

The plate is held down with shipping bolts. By all means remove them if it makes servicing easier.

 

[Nick Mystic]

I have a Jotul F 600 and like begreen mentioned there are just two bolts holding it in place that are easily accessed from inside the stove. I take them out and lift off the top off when I'm cleaning my flue so that I can vacuum out the bottom of my T-connector. I find it easier to clean it that way than to remove the bottom cap on the T since my stove sits in front of my fireplace making it difficult to get to the T without moving the stove. However, when I finish cleaning the top area over the baffle I put the top back in place and replace the two bolts. I guess I'm one of those belt and suspender kind of guys and I feel more secure with the bolts in place and it's not a big deal taking them in and out once or twice a year.

 

[waxur]

Begreen and Nick thanks so much for your replies. Nick, I can definately appreciate your caution with replacing the hardware. Better safe than sorry.
This site is fantastic. I grew up being warmed by an older Jotul, a Combifire4. That was a smoke dragon next to this stove. This site put me ahead of the inevitable learning curve with this EPA stove. Changed my cutting, splitting, and stacking habits pretty dramatically. Thanks again for the replies and for a fantastic site!
Waxur

 

[firefighterjake]

Well it's a Jotul Oslo . . . but same idea.

The manual said I could remove the bolts holding down the oval plate . . . and folks here at the time said the same thing . . . but like Nick I too am a bit more cautious. I did loosen them up enough though so that when it comes time for the annual or bi-annual cleaning I can actually un-do the bolts by hand which is a bit easier than trying to get in there with a wrench.

 

[begreen]

I've read that the bolts are usually left off in Europe once the stove is installed. The top is fully gasketed which makes is similar to a top loader lid albeit without a hinge. But there's no harm in putting them back in finger tight for extra peace of mind.