Firelight handle stuck

[SPED]

Has anyone with a jotul firelight with the air control handle sticking taken it up with a dealer? Mine is less than a week old and my handle is stuck, I can't even move it and the stove is running.

Those who grease it what kind of grease do you use.

This is pretty p!ss poor for 2100 dollars

 

[stonehouse]

I use the tip of the removable door handle like a hammer to move mine.
When the stove is hot it only takes a few taps.
In the morning I have to really hit it.
I usually slide it against the ash lip for stability.
Mine started this less than a week old too.
There's a thread about it, someone will probably link you to.
Probably the best thing to do is get a new one and replace it in the spring.
Piss Poor is an understatement.

 

[stonehouse]

Hey, Where are you?
I'm in Highland, right outside New Paltz.
My stove came from the place on 28 just west of Kingston.

 

[SPED]

Thanks stonehouse, I'll give it a shot, I was afraid I'd bend the handle that sucker is stuck!! I'm gonna give the dealer a call in the morning and see if they'll help out too. It's too bad cuz other than this I absolutely love the stove so far.

 

[SPED]

I'm in halfmoon, about 15 min north of albany, but do travel down that way sometimes for work.

 

[stonehouse]

yea, the handle don't bend.
I hit it hard, my wife hits it harder.
I can imagine the look on a dealers face if you came in with a bent handle. WTF???
It's a great heater.

 

[kjklosek]

Talk to your dealer. My 500 does the same thing and I got a new handle and block off plate from Jotul.

They(Jotul) seem to be aware of the problem, but maybe not all of the dealers.

The folks who sold you the stove will be able to call the rep and get a replacement for you.

J.P.

Edit: you can call Jotul direct at 207-797-5912. They will most likely refer you to your dealer as they only have like 3 reps for all of the U.S. At least that is what my dealer told me.

 

[SPED]

Thanks Joe, that number may come in handy if the dealer can't help out, will post with what they say, i'm waitin by the phone for them to open ;-)

 

[jbrown56]

Sped, See my post under "Jotul Damper Control"

 

[SPED]

Well I called and they said take it apart and see if something is stuck in there or if there is a burr YOU file it down. I didn't want to tell them I already looked... They said go ahead and take it apart and see if that's the case if not call back. Well in the process of taking it apart again, just so I could double check for burrs before I called back, I had to bend the handle down cuz it wouldn't clear the doors now, prob from me pushing on it and now the dang thing works fine.... what a pita. BTW, they also said they never heard of a new handle replacement for this stove......

 

[SPED]

Ok called again she said she will call jotul rep and call me back.... woohoo progress She said it may take a day or two since they are just getting back from a show. Glad I was really polite. I'll keep you guys posted

 

[SPED]

One of the service guys from the place I bought it just called back, tried to tell me it was furnace cement where the handle pivots. I said no I'm looking at mine that's not it, call the rep back. So he's gonna call the rep back and then call me back I guess. Still denying that there is any replacement handle to fix this.

 

[SPED]

Alright I talked to the guy again, and he said after talking to the rep, the rep finally admitted they are aware of the problem. The guy from the stove shop said this is the first he heard of it and it sounded like jotul was being close mouthed about it. So he said they are working on the problem and the replacement parts will be available in a week or two, they will ship one to the stove shop for me. He gave me the option of putting it in myself and I said sure ship it to me and I'll do it. He wasn't given a part number, but when I get it I wil post the new handle and I think plate and the part numbers. In the meantime gonna rub a pencil on it ;-)

Thanks guys for the help.

 

[begreen]

Fortunately this is not happening to every stove, so I can see where some dealers might not know about the fix. Not every customer complains and not every stove has the problem. We know about it here because this is where people come for help, often with a problem the dealer couldn't solve. Good to hear that you've got the new part coming.

 

[SPED]

Yep I can see why they do it that way, cuz if they said there may be a prob to everyone who bought one, all the sudden everyone's handle would be stuck ;-) If it wasn't for this site, I wouldn't have pushed it this far, not that I was rude, I was very polite as was the stove dealer, all in all a very good solution.

 

[quinn]

Thanks Sped,

I have just printed this entire thread off and faxed it to my dealer. I called him earlier today and he was going to check into it and I am sure what you have written will help him if it comes to having to press his supplier or Jotul. Thanks for your leg-work.

 

[SPED]

Tom glad to do it, hope it all turns out for you as well, let us know what happens.

 

[kjklosek]

Here are a couple of pics of the replacement parts,that supposedly do not exist, I received from my dealer.

The part # for the lever is 128363 and 103344 for the plate.

I will probably replace the parts next week and will post results and comparisons in a new thread.

J.P.

Edit: These are for the 500, however from what I can tell both the 500 and the 600 have the same issue.

 

[begreen]

Nice, SmokinJoe. If you get a chance, when you get the new parts, can you take some close up, side-by-side comparison shots of the old part next to the new? It would also be helpful to get a shot of the binding point in the stove and where they corrected the problem with a change in the new lever.

It will be interesting to see why Jotul made a replacement part rather than a tech bulletin with a small field modification.

 

[kjklosek]

Will do BeGreen.

J.P.

 

[BotetourtSteve]

Smoking Joe - dealing with Acme? I got mine from them at the Harrisonburg store. Just checking to see so that way they will already know what I am talking about. Mine is "sticky" at the same point everyone refers to, but at this point it is still manageable. Frustrating though because I specifically asked before purchasing if there were ANY problems or issues, however minor, that ever came up with Jotuls and was told "no." In less than a month of ownership, I have had to replace fan once already (quit working), cement joints at multiple locations (leaking) and now have this sticky handle. I am still holding out filling out a review of the new stove for this site because at this point I fear I would be a tad jaded. I am pleased with the heat and burn times, but it's the little things that tend to stick with you.

 

[kjklosek]

Smoking Joe - dealing with Acme?

Yes, I'm dealing with ACME in Charlottesville. Brian Parlee is the owners son and he has been helpful. The replacements seem to be news to him, although he did order a few new plates from Jotul as spares. When I was in there to inquire about mine there was another person who had a 600 and had the same issue. Both Brian and his Dad were suprised with the issue but did take interest in solving the problem.

It appears as if Jotul is waiting for folks to come forward before handig out the replacements. Although it was no problem getting the parts, it was just odd how the situation was being handled by the corporate office and the dealers. Seems as if the dealers are being kept in the dark for some reason.

I doubt you will have any problems with getting the parts, just curious if ACME will make a service call to install? I haven't looked into that part.

J.P.

 

[stoveguy13]

the replacement lever is still in the "testing stage" i have put about 5 or 6 it fixed all but one it seems to bind when hot and fine when cold the lever has a diffrent bend which takes some of the tension of the slide plate.

 

[SPED]

Smoking Joe - dealing with Acme?

Yes, I'm dealing with ACME in Charlottesville. Brian Parlee is the owners son and he has been helpful. The replacements seem to be news to him, although he did order a few new plates from Jotul as spares. When I was in there to inquire about mine there was another person who had a 600 and had the same issue. Both Brian and his Dad were suprised with the issue but did take interest in solving the problem.

It appears as if Jotul is waiting for folks to come forward before handig out the replacements. Although it was no problem getting the parts, it was just odd how the situation was being handled by the corporate office and the dealers. Seems as if the dealers are being kept in the dark for some reason.

I doubt you will have any problems with getting the parts, just curious if ACME will make a service call to install? I haven't looked into that part.

J.P.

Joe, that is the exact impression that I got from my dealer as well that jotul was trying to keep them in the dark if possible even telling them to have me check for stove cement first. My dealer had to make two calls to the rep, I'm glad he was persistent. I'm surprised that jotul is handling it this way. But on the plus side, I'm very happy with the dealer I picked now.

 

[kjklosek]

Seems like the dealers are having a harder time with Jotul than the customers.

Maybe Jotul is trying to avoid any bad press.

Hey Stoveguy, did the Jotul rep tell you the levers were still in testing? My dealer said the plates were re-designed and he had no word on the levers until I let him know what I found on this site.

J.P.