Jotul 3 Won't Light

[Rockwellian]

Hi, first time poster. I have a Jotul 3 gas stove. The pilot works fine but it won't light fire -- unless! I take glass off, then it will light, at which point I put the glass back on. Clearly, this is not a great routine. Any thoughts?

 

[DAKSY]

Have you taken any milliVolt readings on the pilot?
Is there a limit switch wired into the gas valve of this unit?

 

[Kyoufu]

Does the glass removal process involve buckles which jar the unit? If so it could be that your valve is sticking, and just coming unstuck.

Can you give a more clear and detailed step by step explanation of your "remove the glass" lighting process?

Ie do you turn it on, then remove the glass?

Does vice versa work?

When the glass is off can you freely turn it off and on again without issue?

 

[My Jotul 3]

I have a Jotul 3 that wouldn't light. The pilot light would stay lit, but the stove wouldn't light. I took Vmm readings. I replaced the thermopile and also the thermocouple, thinking they are old anyway. It still wouldn't light. I cleaned it thoroughly. Still nothing. Then I read a thread about a guy who replaced the wires that ran from the switch. To check if my problem was the wiring, I took a piece of 10 gauge copper wire and touched the top and bottom screws (where the wires eventually connect to the unit.) Surprise! The stove lit! Of course when I remove the piece of wire it goes out. So now I know my problem. I need to replace the wiring that runs from the unit up to the switch.

 

[49er]

Did you take the copper wire and touch the screws on the switch? Just want to make sure it's the wiring and not the switch itself.

 

[wooduser]

Hi, first time poster. I have a Jotul 3 gas stove. The pilot works fine but it won't light fire -- unless! I take glass off, then it will light, at which point I put the glass back on. Clearly, this is not a great routine. Any thoughts?

Please describe the appearance of the pilot burner flame in detail.

It ought to look like a small blowtorch, with a sharp blue flame engulfing the thermocouple and/or pilot generator.

If the flame has yellow tips or is a soft flame that is easily blown around, or not sharply focused on engulfing the pilot generator, you likely need to disassemble and clean the pilot orifice.

A dirty pilot orifice is the most common reason for a burner that wont turn on, in my experience as a (now retired) fireplace repairman.

 

[My Jotul 3]

Did you take the copper wire and touch the screws on the switch? Just want to make sure it's the wiring and not the switch itself.

I removed the connections at the switch itself, and touched the white wire to the black wire, and the stove did not light.

 

[Millbilly]

Is this a BVent stove? You need to understand where the wires go. Ie is there as spill switch?

 

[My Jotul 3]

Is this a BVent stove? You need to understand where the wires go. Ie is there as spill switch?

I'm not sure what a BVent stove is. My double tube vent comes up about a foot, makes a 90 degree turn and exits through the wall. I also am unfamiliar with a "spill switch." There's a simple toggle switch that turns the stove on when toggled up or down. The middle is "off." It's entirely manual; I don't use a thermostat. I can see the entire set of 3 wires that leave the switch and connect to three points in the unit below. It should be simple to just replace them. Thanks.

 

[My Jotul 3]

I still cannot get my stove to light. The pilot burns beautifully. I put in a new thermopile and a new thermocouple, and new wires that run from the switch down to the unit: 2 black and one white. I also replaced a black wire that runs from the back of the unit out to the front. Still the switch won't ignite the stove. I am attaching a photo showing how when I put a simple wire to the lower screw (THTH) and the other end to the upper screw (TH), the stove instantly ignites. Please tell me what I'm missing! Thanks.

 

[wooduser]

when I put a simple wire to the lower screw (THTH) and the other end to the upper screw (TH), the stove instantly ignites. Please tell me what I'm missing! Thanks.

Please post the complete model number for your stove. When I look for your stove "Jotul 3" comes up as a wood stove. I presume there is a more descriptive model number.

It's confusing to piggy back on an old thread. You assume the the problem is related to the older thread, but that usually is not the case.

 

[49er]

I found this manual, it might be what you have? I'm not sure why you have 3 wires on the switch though, 2 would be enough for a simple on/off switch. The drawing does show a drafthood spill switch like Millbilly mentioned. If this stove is new to you and never used before maybe you have to jumper a couple of wires where a t-stat was meant to be.

(broken link removed to https://jotul.com/us/guides/_attachment/32988?_download=true&_ts=14fdd123f85)

 

[wooduser]

Thank you 49er! I'm finding a manual for the Jotul 3 Classic, a direct vent gas stove at:

file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/3%20Classic%20DV%20(1).pdf


But please start a new thread describing you issues again. It's confusing and misleading to have a mish mash of different problems in the same thread.

You can also look for the rating plate on the stove which will have the complete model number listed. Please post the complete model number of your stove in the new thread.

 

[My Jotul 3]

In reply to "wooduser" I want to clarify that I have a Jotul GF 3 DV Allagash, in ivory enamel. My issue is the stove will not light. I have a beautiful pilot flame, a new thermocouple, a new thermopile, and new wiring to the on/off switch. I do not have any extras, like thermostat control or a blower.

 

[wooduser]

In reply to "wooduser" I want to clarify that I have a Jotul GF 3 DV Allagash,

The manual on this direct vent stove is at:


file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Jotul_GF3_DVII_Allagash_129160D_0403.pdf

 

[wooduser]

<<when I put a simple wire to the lower screw (THTH) and the other end to the upper screw (TH), the stove instantly ignites.


The TH/TP connection supplies power from the thermopile to energize the magnet and turn on the main burner gas valve.

The TH conection is the connection to the main burner gas valve.

So when you connect a wire from th/tp to th, the gas valve should turn on, and does.

That suggests that you don't have the switch wired up correctly.

The wiring for the switch is on page 18 of the manual.

You could have a bad switch, but I'd check the way you connected the wires first for an error.


<<CAUTION: LABEL ALL WIRES PRIOR TO DISCONNECTION WHEN SERVICING THE CONTROLS. WIRING ERRORS CAN CAUSE IMPROPER AND DANGEROUS OPERATION. ALWAYS VERIFY PROPER OPERATION AFTER SERVICING THE APPLIANCE.

 

[My Jotul 3]

Thank you for your help. I did label all the wires before I disconnected them and made a new pigtail, etc. I will try to reverse the two black wires that connect to the switch and see if that helps. But I did try and use a jumper to bypass the switch, and I connected the two black wires together, but it did not ignite.

The link you gave for the manual to my stove is (I think) a file on the C drive of your computer. It is not an online manual. I got an error message when I tried it in Google.

 

[49er]

I think this is the page 18 for your stove that wooduser is referring to. If this is how your stove is actually wired it must have been an error at the factory and a misprint as I don't see how this could ever work.




Here is a scan of the diagram for our Jotul Sebago, if you wire your stove like this it will work properly.

 

[KeithO]

I could not for the life of me figure out how that was supposed to work either unless their terminal strip was unlike any other than I had ever seen.....

 

[wooduser]

I could not for the life of me figure out how that was supposed to work either unless their terminal strip was unlike any other than I had ever seen.....

I agree that it's a poor wiring diagram. I presume there are electrical connections on the terminal block that aren't displayed in any meaningful way on the diagram.

The bottom line is that you need an electrical connection between th/tp and th to turn on the main burner.

 

[My Jotul 3]

My stove was not wired like any in the diagrams when I purchased it. It also had no blower or thermostat. None of the diagrams are for a stove with no accessories. I have tried re-wiring it according to the various diagrams. It still would not light. I currently have it wired like the one on page 30 for the Jotul Sebago, but ... nothing. Then I used a jumper to run between the back screw on the terminal block, and the TPTH screw. It lit up! That meant the defect was the short wire that ran between the TPTH and the terminal block. I made a new one of those and "Bingo" I got fire! Thank you one and all.

I especially appreciated the explanation that the current has to flow between the TPTH and the TH - in whatever circuitous route the various diagrams illustrate. The jumper wire was the key to finding the damaged wire.