Intermittent problems w/Smart function of Proflame 2, Jotul

[honeypig]

I have a 4-year-old Jotul GF500 LP gas direct vent stove that I've been very happy with until having problems w/the "Smart" thermostat setting (Proflame 2 remote) intermittently not working this past late winter/early spring. This stove is the only heat for my home (not a cabin or vacation home but a 24/7 regular old house!), and thus it is a big deal if the thermostat doesn't work. There has been no problem w/using the remote to turn the stove on or off, but on a number of occasions, the "Smart" setting has failed to either turn the stove OFF when it's reached the set temp, or to turn the stove ON when the temp has dropped below the set temp. It does not seem to be related to new/old battery issues, as the battery icon was not displayed during any of the failures. Also not related to any power outages. Again, this is intermittent issue, not a consistent thing.

An additional, but minor, problem is this one: I decided to do a trial of the remote this AM, since the new heating season is approaching. When I went to use the remote, I found there was not even a thermostat icon on it! Luckily I followed the instructions in another thread here to pull one battery, hold the thermostat button, and replace the battery. That got my icon back.

Then I set it up to run "Smart", and it turned on and off as it should. However, I noticed that now the "on" and "off" thermostat functions are opposite of what the remote says! If I turn it to "on", it will shut off. If I turn it to "off", it turns on. I can live with this, not the end of the world, but wonder if anyone has experience w/this?

My stove plugs into the wall; I believe the only batteries involved are the three in the remote.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Millbilly]

I have a 4-year-old Jotul GF500 LP gas direct vent stove that I've been very happy with until having problems w/the "Smart" thermostat setting (Proflame 2 remote) intermittently not working this past late winter/early spring. This stove is the only heat for my home (not a cabin or vacation home but a 24/7 regular old house!), and thus it is a big deal if the thermostat doesn't work. There has been no problem w/using the remote to turn the stove on or off, but on a number of occasions, the "Smart" setting has failed to either turn the stove OFF when it's reached the set temp, or to turn the stove ON when the temp has dropped below the set temp. It does not seem to be related to new/old battery issues, as the battery icon was not displayed during any of the failures. Also not related to any power outages. Again, this is intermittent issue, not a consistent thing.

An additional, but minor, problem is this one: I decided to do a trial of the remote this AM, since the new heating season is approaching. When I went to use the remote, I found there was not even a thermostat icon on it! Luckily I followed the instructions in another thread here to pull one battery, hold the thermostat button, and replace the battery. That got my icon back.

Then I set it up to run "Smart", and it turned on and off as it should. However, I noticed that now the "on" and "off" thermostat functions are opposite of what the remote says! If I turn it to "on", it will shut off. If I turn it to "off", it turns on. I can live with this, not the end of the world, but wonder if anyone has experience w/this?

My stove plugs into the wall; I believe the only batteries involved are the three in the remote.

Thanks in advance for your help.

When you turn the remote tstat function on, if the desired room temp is at or above the room temp it will shut off. If you turn the tstat function to off you still need to actually turn the stove on..I know this sounds a little confusing but we need to see what the room temp and remote is reading when you are hitting buttons to see if it is working properly. Second, some tstat remotes will call for heat until a degree or 2 above desired set temp. I will check this out tomorrow when I have my hands on a pro flame 2 setup. And your stove should have a battery back up to function in a power outage.

 

[honeypig]

Thanks, Millbilly. I understand that the thermostat function needs to be turned on to make it function as a thermostat. I also understand that when the stove gets above the set temp, it turns off, and when it gets below that temp, it turns on. That's how it's supposed to work, right?

I am not talking about it not turning on IMMEDIATELY when it drops a degree or two below the set temp. I am talking about coming back home after a weekend away to find my house 42 degrees inside, w/a set temp of 55 on the thermostat and nothing happening. Stove was not unplugged, batteries not worn out, not out of LP--no cause that I could find. When I turned it on manually and then turned it back off manually, then turned it to Smart, it worked fine. This does make leaving the house for any length of time somewhat impractical, though.

Similar scenarios have happened several times, such as waking up in the morning to find the house at 48 degrees when the tstat is set at 58. Again, a manual on and off and then turning back to Smart has worked to fix the problem, but it doesn't stop it from happening in the first place.

 

[Millbilly]

Yes that is definitely not right. A degree or 2 swing was normal on mine. I would remove the back up batteries and unplug the stove for at least 2 minutes and then restart it all. Sometimes electronics are funny. I believe the little red button on the proflame 2 module in the control compartment is the sync button, try hitting that listen for a beep and then hit on and listen for a beep.

 

[honeypig]

New developments, somewhat more exciting than I would like...yesterday came home from work (I work nights) and turned the stove on just to take the dampness out of the air, set the tstat only a few degrees above the ambient temp. It came on and burned fine for a while, then turned off when it passed the set point. Perfect.

I laid down and went to sleep only to be awakened by a loud BOOM and my smoke detector yelling "Fire! Fire!" I flew out of bed to find, thankfully, no fire, but that whatever happened had blown the doors open on the stove and sent a small clock I had sitting on top of it onto the floor 5 feet away! To make a long story short, I turned the remote off, waited a bit, and tried to turn the stove back on manually w/the remote. I could see the spark from the igniter, but it wouldn't catch. After about 5-10 seconds, I turned it off again. I waited a few minutes, then tried again. I did this maybe 4 times, and then the stove finally lit. I walked away only to hear, again, a loud BOOM and the smoke detector going off. This time I was well and truly frightened about what might happen next, so I turned off the remote and turned off the gas supply to the stove.

A call to the place I purchased the stove was as unsatisfactory as pretty much all my doings w/these people have been, w/them telling me they could maybe have someone out to take a look at it in TWO WEEKS. I explained that this is the heat for my whole house, and they thought maybe that would snap things up, but they'd call me on Monday to let me know (Friday when this happened).

I ended up calling a different place that I had called last fall when I had a fan noise, and they were able to set up an appointment for me ON MONDAY, at a rate $50 less than the original place. Guess I'll wait for the tech to come and see what's up...I'm glad I've hung onto my kerosene heaters, as it was 58 degrees when I got up and the next few days are going to be cool. Glad this didn't happen when it was 20 below!

 

[Millbilly]

I believe there was a recall on the burner and glass frame on certain earlier units of this model. I don't think that this fact has much to do with your earlier issues but given these new developments you should look into this. What region are you located in? If the place that sold and installed it can not fix it maybe they can get a jotul rep out.

 

[Millbilly]

Just read you are in Wisconsin, I can't really help you much from new England but I would attempt the jotul route if the dealer cant fix this

 

[honeypig]

Millbilly, thanks for the info. I will certainly check into any recalls for this stove.

The service guys just left. They felt it was a matter of the stove being set to IPI rather than CPI and changed the setting. We had the stove start and stop numerous times using the Smart mode and it worked fine each time.

It seems odd to me, b/c I did not change that setting; that is the way it was set when it was installed, and I've only started to have problems recently (started maybe 3-1/2 years into a 4-year-old stove). Is it possible that it was indeed set incorrectly at the start and didn't give trouble until now?

 

[Millbilly]

I dunno maybe? You would be the only one to know if your pilot has been on continuously the past 4 yrs. But yes leave it on Cpi. What about the Booms? Did they inspect the burner? Sometimes stuff (bugs dust etc) builds up inside the air shutter at the burner tube/orifice and can create a delayed ignition under the burner. Also did they mention a burner recall?

 

[honeypig]

They did not mention a burner recall. They also did not actually go inside the stove to do any work. I am not feeling totally confident about the service partly b/c I don't think either of them (trainee and the guy training him) had seen a stove like mine before, and partly b/c as I say, the correction they made was to a setting that had been that way for 4 years and never gave a problem before. They are from a general heating and cooling company, not the specific place that sold me the stove. In the 3 times I've contacted the place that sold me the stove, I have had little luck w/getting service--multiple week waiting times before a tech could come out, service call prices that are half again as much as other places, and flat-out disbelief that what I'm describing is actually a problem and not "normal operation."

However, I have set the tstat a degree or two above room temp a number of times, had the stove light up properly, had the fan kick in as it's supposed to, had the stove shut down when it reaches 1 degree over the set temp, and then had the fan turn off after running a while as it usually does. I'm going to google the burner recall myself and see what I can learn.

I am unsure if they've fixed my problem or not, but at this point, I have no evidence to the contrary, so beyond checking into the burner recall, I don't know if there's any other action for me to take.

I do appreciate all your time and effort in responding to me, Millbilly. Thanks.