Jamestown J1000

[mtalea]

If anyone has one or had or is familar with the jamestown j1000 here is my question.

Does the J1000 burnpot need a gasket where it sits on the fresh air intake box?

 

[Corie]

Early Jamestown stoves had a gasket there, but I believe they did away with that around 1998 (give or take). Your instruction manual should say, but I don't think its necessary.

 

[mtalea]

actually the manula doesnt refer to it at all....when it spells out the maintenance schedule for gasket replacement it doesnt mention it,but there is a 3/8"d x 3/8" w grove all around the fresh air box where I think a gasket could/should go. what r your thoughts?

 

[restorer]

I have a 2000 model and have the recess around the mount, but have no gasket. Mine works fine without one. Because of the positive pressure and the fact that the air is drawn down through the burn pot, I don't think there is any need. Besides, with a day or so of burning the recess is filled with ash anyway. It is important that the pot sit cleanly in the frame, or the flame will be lazy and very inefficient.

 

[mtalea]

well on mine Isnt that the fresh air intake? it has to be as there are small holes in the burn pot and the big hole in bottom is to fresh air intake.right now mine is burning very lazy...but i think it is the cheap ass pellets my son bought from walmart.I dont have a gasket in it now and the burn pot is a lil wobblely.and since that air flow up from bottom there is no suction correct?

 

[Corie]

I don't think it would hurt to put one in there, as I said, there used to be one, a while back. Also, do Jamestown stoves still have the slide intake air control of the left side of the stove? You could always try to correct the flame that way. Are the holes in the pot clean or as the cheapy pellets clogging them up quickly?

 

[restorer]

Let me clarify, I have the J1000 made in the year 2000. Dumb mind made an assumption on the first response.

The combustion air is actually drawn from the air inlet, passed through the firebox, under the burn pot (it's the round hole on the right rear next to the fire pot), through the chamber below the burn pot where heat is recovered and then through the blower to the actual exhaust pipe. Air is drawn down and through the baffles around the stove. The area below the burner is their "Ash Pan" too small and hardly adequate. Essentially the burn air enters the stove from the rear and is sucked up through the burn pot around the stove and baffles and then back out through the bottom. At no point is air "pushed" through the firebox.

What you are experiencing sounds like an air leak. Check to make sure the door to the ash pan is tight (this has a gasket) check the burn pot for proper seating, do the dollar bill test on the door to make sure the air is not leaking there. If this all checks out, "fiddle" with the damper (the sliding lever on the side below the control box. Mine had a couple of sweet spots one for high setting and one for low. At low the damper is in the middle range about half open. at high it is at about 3/4 open. More than that it gets too much air and throws the pellets all over the fire box.

Another problem I have experienced is blockage in the chambers behind the baffles not allowing enough air to move through the stove. Pay particular attention to cleaning behind all the baffles. I adapted a snorkel tube for my shop vac to clean the narrow space. 5/8 inch poly tube works great. I also used a long hqandled bottle brush to clean out the air intake.

I use my stove as primary heat, so it gets a work out. I do a full clean each week, or after four bags of pellets. Takes 20 minutes, but the stove really responds efficiently to the attention.

 

[mtalea]

what baffles do you refer to.do you mean the heat exchange tubes up top?

 

[restorer]

what baffles do you refer to.do you mean the heat exchange tubes up top?

On each side of the firebox are two panels about three by five held in place with a single screw. You need to remove them to access the space behind. On the walls of the "back panels" are another door/access panel, same thing. If you have never removed them and cleaned there, boy are you in for a surprise. Also below the ash pan are two access plates that lift out, there is the bottom chamber I previously mentioned. In a lot of ways this is easier than removing the baffles in my other stoves, but it needs to be part of your regular maintenance.

That ash problem you didn't think you had, welcome to the real world..... If you have any specific problems with this, PM me and I will try and talk you through them, but not until Sunday late afternoon.

A word of caution, make sure your stove is COLD before you vacuum. You don't want any surprises in the vac can.

EDIT: Now where is that spell check button? Really sloppy, sorry. UR

 

[mtalea]

yes I have.the side ash pockets....clean them often but you are saying in back of those are another access door?

 

[mtalea]

chit you are right..I saw them for the 1st time.held in by a hex screw..ok what is behind those doors?
yes I have 2 small circle plates below ash pan..found those.all I missed is the recessed doors behind ash pocket doors..anything else?

 

[restorer]

Sounds like you've found all the hidden compartments. On the Jamestown of the older vintage the fire box is in a box and in another box. Air has to circulate through out the stove to transfer the heat to the panels (heat exchanger and tubes) and in turn to the room air. I am not sure the configuration of the panels, but you will see a marked change in the performance of your stove if you clean these chambers. Off hand I can't say how deep the second chamber is, but it's about the same width as the first. You may want to use a bent heavy wire to loosen the ash, if you have not cleaned it to make sure it isn't clumping. Last Spring I tented the stove and plugged the air intake and went after the insides with my compressor and a 6 inch dust collector. I was shocked by the amount of ash I had not cleaned with the vacuum alone.

 

[mtalea]

I went out 1st thing this morning and bought 3 hoses a 1/4" a 3/8" and a 1/2" hoses all 2 feet long..I can hook them to my vac and snake them thru these hard to reach areas.

Thanks for your help. The pdf file I have on Jamestown does not show any of these locations for cleaning.Now I am heavily armed with all the tools I think I need for this stove.As well as more knowledge on it.

Thanks UR



Matt

 

[restorer]

I feel a little guilty and responsible for a bad memory. I spent a few minutes with afternoon cleaning my stove. It was this first cleaning this year that I removed the burn pot and there was a rope gasket. I know I previously stated it didn't need one, but late last Winter after running the stove almost two seasons without one, I did stall one. It did improve performance a little. I had completely forgotten about it, sorry my bad. With a small investment you could try it and see if it helps your stove efficiency. It looks like I used a 3/8" piece and worked it tightly into the slot. If nothing more, I think it settled some rattling noises.

 

[mtalea]

No problem. I already installed one on mine since my burnpot is uneven,but thanks for the info all the same..

 

[mtalea]

I have yet another question. I know I am suppose to see the popcorn effect but what does it mean when they are popping right out of the burn pot?

wouldnt that be a waste of fuel not being burned enough, or what ?

 

[restorer]

I have yet another question. I know I am suppose to see the popcorn effect but what does it mean when they are popping right out of the burn pot?

wouldnt that be a waste of fuel not being burned enough, or what ?

You have an excess of combustion air. I try and keep the air damper at the lower end to reduce the popping. It's a fine line between efficient in pot burning and throwing the half burned pellets over the side. Active flame is the goal, so dial it back a little and you will notice a small rise in temperature generated, but the larger black ash will decrease.

I use softwood pellets, so I can only speak to them, but a little fiddling with the air does make some difference.

 

[mtalea]

thats what I was thinking it was to much air..OK right now I am burning pure fire brand which is a hardwood i think. But the next ton will be softwood.I was told pure fire was a softwood brand then I bought them and found out on net it isnt softwood.But they burn great..much much better than energex.

 

[LoonieBBQ]

First time I try this forum, please be kind.
First language is french so accept my spelling, wrighting mistakes.

I own a Jamestown J-1000.

Only own it for a week. Bought it second-hand.
Can anybody tell me if the convection fan is supose to blow High CFM as it is said on Jamestown website.
I can only feel a tiny hot air stream enough to push a kleenex or so.

On setting 2, I can use it for 20 minutes befor the High temperature sensor shut the auger motor.

I see everyone having thermal brick in the feeding wall, I don't.
This brick, could it be a part of my problem.
It doesn't solve the weak convection blower.

Desperatly in need to warm my familly.
Thanks verry much.

 

[Shane]

It is likely the unit shutting down is due to the missing refractory (brick) panel. I would replace this then burn the stove to see. As for the convection blower check the convection chamber and make sure there are no foreign materails etc. If not then direct connect the blower power leads to electicity and see if the blower spins faster than your high setting on your stove. If so you may have an issue with the potentiometer in the control board. Do you have a manual for the stove?

 

[LoonieBBQ]

Thanks for a so fast anwer.
I have the manual on the web, it is not exacly has my stove but all the general is ok.
Are all Jamestown onw refractory????

My neigbor sold it to me this summer. I will ask him if he removed something around the blower when he changed it.

could anybody send me a picture of what there blower casing looks like?!
As I look at it, I dont see the easiest way for the air to leave the blower is by the convection tube,
it looks to me it just move the air in every direction but the one I need.

 

[mtalea]

Ok I have a Jamestown J1000 also. First thing is there is no separate fan for convection fan....the fan speed rate is controlled by the same knob as pellet feed rate.More pellets fed = more heat = more fan speed.

 

[LoonieBBQ]

I vacuum clean all my stove, including the hiden trap.
too bad a screw broke, i had to drill it and put another one. So next time don't rush to touch those screw, leave it tight enough for the covers not to move but loose enough for moving the cover without touching it text time. Do what you want but thats what I'll do.

Than I removed my convection Fan, pluged it directly on the electricity.
I saw no difference in speed It is still not a strong wind maker.

I put it back on, and remarked a large Gap that allows the air of the fan to leave before entering the convection chamber.
I will buy high temp silicone and fixe it tonight.

Anybody maked any modification to his Blower for it really moves the AIR?

I use Energex pellet and it seems Ok to me! Although never compared other bran.

 

[LoonieBBQ]

A larger fan might help!

 

[mtalea]

but if you have the newer circuit board you can max the fan speed rate on that so it will blow on hi all the time.