Jotul c550 Rockland vs. Avalon Olympic

[rockreid]

Tomorrow I am going to pull the trigger on one of these inserts. My wife likes the flat appearance of the Rockland. I like the greater BTU's and lower emissions of the Olympic. But review info on the Rockland is very sparse. Does anyone here burn a Jotul Rockland and if so what is the verdict? I previously posted in this forum about my 2700sf colonial I want to warm up. Ang help deciding would be appreciated.

ps... the fireplace this insert is on one side of the house. Depending on how heating goes this next winter, I might put a small insert in the fireplace on the other side of the house.

 

[begreen]

It's pretty early for in depth reviews of the Rockland. Folks didn't start getting their inserts until just before the end of the season. But those that have them seem pleased so far. Have you searched for C550 in the forum posts? Perplexed, soxfan13 and woodheat have them.

The Avalon is proven technology. You might want to check on things like cleaning, fan noise, etc. besides just the specs. Sometimes that (and WAF) can be important deciders.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/16355/

 

[jadm]

I have a 550 but, as BG stated, it was installed in Jan. so I don't have enough experience to help in your decision.


I know I love mine but my space is smaller than yours is. THe stats. for it state it is built to heat 1800 sq.ft.

Much depends on your lay out and how heat flows in your space. My house is 1800 sq.ft. but my doorways are only 6 ft. tall which keeps the heat from flowing to the back of our house which is okay because it is where we sleep. The insert is in a more open area and keeps things at about 72-74*.

Like BG suggested check into old topics for 550 owners and try PMing them to get their opinion. There is one person out there, NoYa Maine, who has had his longer than any of us. If you search in the box up in the left hand corner (forum search) under Jotul 550 you will come across his thread. It's title is something like 'How do I tame this beast'. I know his space is bigger than mine and his ceilings are taller too and he has burning experience when it was really cold and now that it is warmer....

Good Luck

 

[soxfan13]

I have the 550 but as others have said I had mine installed in Feb. so I am a noob with it. I like it a lot. It definitely looks great, like a piece of furniture. Many people have commented on how it looks like it has been there for ever and not just added recently. My wife liked it for the looks too.

As far as performance goes, I don't know if it would heat your whole house. I have a 2700sf colonial with the fireplace on one end. The room with the fireplace has a cathedral ceiling with a ceiling fan. I can heat my whole first floor pretty comfortably with temps in the high 60's to low 70's. While heat will eventually get up to the second floor, I wouldn't say I get a lot of heat. Now that could be a problem with moving the heat because my house isn't totally open on the first floor.

Also, I have to run the blower all the time. I usually run it on high to get as much heat out of the insert as fast as possible. Once the first floor is up to a comfortable temp I will lower the blower.

My house has four heating zones so the stove does what I want it to. I can pretty much shut off three of the zones when the stove is cranking. I haven't tried to heat 24/7 with it yet. I guess you have to see what will work best for you. While the 550 does look great, if it doesn't heat as much as you want, then why bother.

 

[zcab911]

So, I too am trying to decide between the Avalon and the Jotul. The Avalon is a couple hundred more expensive, and I prefer the Jotul's appearance. My concerns are the construction of the Jotul. I plan on burning lots of free wood, which includes oak on the nice end and eucalyptus on the low end, with some fir in between. That's what we have lots of up here in Northern CA.

Unfortunately I have not found a Jotul dealer that has the c550 (or any insert) on display, so I would like some feedback on the following:

1) What pieces, other than the face, are cast iron. Particularly components such as the fire grate and the roof of the insert. Since I will be burning less expensive wood, which burns hotter, I am concerned that the iron pieces, especially those closest to the heat, will distort with use because of the heat.

2) Just how loud is the Blower? I wish these guys rated the blowers in Sones, like they do with Bath fans.

3) One of the things I didn't like about the Avalon was the visible height of the fire... in other words, the opening for tossing wood into the box seems a little slim. What is the effective opening height of Jotul's box?

And, as always, general impressions are always appreciated!

 

[seemack]

I have a 550 rockland and I'm very disappointed in it. I've been up and down the flagpole with the dealer and am just dealing with it. Problems with drafting , smoke in the house, on and on The glass always looks terrible and is way too much trouble to keep cleaning. Wish I had bought something else. I paid way to much for what it is. Worth about $800 at most.

 

[EJL923]

Drafting is not a problem with the stove, it is usually your chimney as its the engine of wood burning. I have no problems with draft.

 

[jotulguy]

I have a 550 rockland and I'm very disappointed in it. I've been up and down the flagpole with the dealer and am just dealing with it. Problems with drafting , smoke in the house, on and on The glass always looks terrible and is way too much trouble to keep cleaning. Wish I had bought something else. I paid way to much for what it is. Worth about $800 at most.

I think i speak for all of us here when we say we want to help. Can you tell us about your install? Inside chimney? How tall? Did you do a full reline? The fact your glass is dirty makes me wonder about your fuel. When sis you get it? Split it and stack it? I am confident we can help you have a better experience with this insert.

 

[bboulier]

This is my second year with the 550 Rockland. We have really enjoyed it, now that we have a good dry wood supply. We don't use it for a main source of heat. We have a mid-1950s split level with the insert on the main floor. It provides good heat (around 75 degrees) for the main floor and upstairs. It takes a while to learn how to operate it, as would be true with all wood stoves. We are happy with the choice and have no complaints.

 

[Biff_CT2]

Am wrapping up my third season with a Jotul Rockland.

Have it on one side of a 2000' colonial on a wall bordering the garage. Burn 2-3 cords per season so far and have taken oil consumption down from 1000 to 400 gallons annually.

I've just paid it off in terms of savings accounting for buying the associated stove paraphenalia, ie. brushes, mauls, maul handles, wedges, chainsaw, renting a pickup truck to haul firewood, ect. vs. oil savings.

For me the stove thing is a hobby that makes me a bit of coin every year. It's an excuse to get outdoors, do some work,swing the hammer, ect. I recommend it if you can carve out the time. It is much better for you than spending time on your duff watching sports on the weekends.

Love the looks of the Jotul, didn't like the price, no issues with the stove (or repairs) in the three seasons I've used the thing. No real issues getting the thing to run reasonably well. The wife, who works from home, has become an expert at opertaing the thing.

I am not familiar with the other insert you're considering so can't offer any direct comparison.