Jotul F500 baffle question

[hardcore]

I have a jotul F500. Cleaning it out I noticed that one of the top baffle on the inside of the stove is warped. It is probably sitting about 1/2 in higher where they meet due to the front of the plate being warped up a bit.

Should I be concerned about this? Do I need to purchase new plates?

 

[ansehnlich1]

You may eventually want to replace them. My Oslo has the vermiculite baffle, they went to vermiculate because of this warping issue you have. If you have a rockwool layer above the iron baffles you'll be ok for a while.

Some have fashioned their own baffles, I read here where a guy was using cement board. I've replaced my vermiculite baffle, it is one piece, you have to remove the stove top to do it, it really wasn't too difficult. My dealer said the main purpose of the baffle is simply to provide a shelf for the insulating blanket to lay on,Br there is an added insulation benefit from iron to vermiculite too.

The vermiculite is brittle though, and will crack or suffer crusing damage if one is not careful shoving logs into the hopper.

Brad

 

[SWNH]

What is the purpose of that insulating blanket anyway?

 

[hardcore]

Thanks for the replies. I will see how it is burning this winter and then go from there. Does anyone know how much a new baffle costs? Also, when you take off the top of the stove, do you have to recement it?

 

[sullystull]

I posted a similar question in a different thread with little feedback. Can an older steel baffle be upgraded/replaced with a new vermiculite baffle? Has anyone made this change?

 

[BrotherBart]

Thanks for the replies. I will see how it is burning this winter and then go from there. Does anyone know how much a new baffle costs? Also, when you take off the top of the stove, do you have to recement it?

stovepartsplus.com sells the cast iron ones for $47.09 apiece, two required for the stove. The vermiculite one is $47.89.

 

[ansehnlich1]

Thanks for the replies. I will see how it is burning this winter and then go from there. Does anyone know how much a new baffle costs? Also, when you take off the top of the stove, do you have to recement it?

I say contact your dealer to see if the vermiculite baffle will install where your iron baffles are, I'm not certain if it will but they should be able to find out. I think it will, as I was offered either when I went to replace my vermiculite baffle. My dealer told me to stick with vermiculite as the iron baffles warp and that is why they made the change.

There were three bolts (if I recall correctly) to loosen to remove the top, 2 accessed from the inside front of the stove and one accessed through the pipe opening at the rear. (the tough one to get to but not too terribly difficult)

Lift the top off, replace baffle, place top back on, tighten down, and done. There is no cement, there is a large rope gasket that seals the top and if you are careful not to damage it in any way it's an easy job.

The insulating blanket that lays on top the baffle is instrumental to the operation of the secondary burn system in the Oslo, it assists in keeping the temperatures up in the burn chamber so as to achieve clean burns....

Brad

 

[firefighterjake]

Thanks for the replies. I will see how it is burning this winter and then go from there. Does anyone know how much a new baffle costs? Also, when you take off the top of the stove, do you have to recement it?

I say contact your dealer to see if the vermiculite baffle will install where your iron baffles are, I'm not certain if it will but they should be able to find out. I think it will, as I was offered either when I went to replace my vermiculite baffle. My dealer told me to stick with vermiculite as the iron baffles warp and that is why they made the change.

There were three bolts (if I recall correctly) to loosen to remove the top, 2 accessed from the inside front of the stove and one accessed through the pipe opening at the rear. (the tough one to get to but not too terribly difficult)

Lift the top off, replace baffle, place top back on, tighten down, and done. There is no cement, there is a large rope gasket that seals the top and if you are careful not to damage it in any way it's an easy job.

The insulating blanket that lays on top the baffle is instrumental to the operation of the secondary burn system in the Oslo, it assists in keeping the temperatures up in the burn chamber so as to achieve clean burns....

Brad

+1 to what Anselhich said.

 

[hardcore]

Thanks for the information! I will check out the vermiculite baffle.

 

[xman23]

My Oslo is 9 years old. It's been run hot and long, before I knew it could do damage. My cast iron plates look fine. I wonder what it takes to to warp these things. How many have damaged the cast iron plates? Any idea what may have caused the problem?

 

[semipro]

Thanks for the replies. I will see how it is burning this winter and then go from there. Does anyone know how much a new baffle costs? Also, when you take off the top of the stove, do you have to recement it?

I say contact your dealer to see if the vermiculite baffle will install where your iron baffles are, I'm not certain if it will but they should be able to find out. I think it will, as I was offered either when I went to replace my vermiculite baffle. My dealer told me to stick with vermiculite as the iron baffles warp and that is why they made the change.

There were three bolts (if I recall correctly) to loosen to remove the top, 2 accessed from the inside front of the stove and one accessed through the pipe opening at the rear. (the tough one to get to but not too terribly difficult)

Lift the top off, replace baffle, place top back on, tighten down, and done. There is no cement, there is a large rope gasket that seals the top and if you are careful not to damage it in any way it's an easy job.

The insulating blanket that lays on top the baffle is instrumental to the operation of the secondary burn system in the Oslo, it assists in keeping the temperatures up in the burn chamber so as to achieve clean burns....

Brad

You can also get to the rear bolt holding the top on if you first remove the oval top plate. You may be able to remove the top without removing the stove pipe or outlet. See my post for pictures if interested here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/42686/

Good luck.

 

[DAKSY]

After you've removed the bolts & the top to access the innards,
you can leave the retainer bolts out of it. The damn top section weighs
so much that it's actually not required to be bolted back down.
Just make sure the sealing gaskets are in good shape & it'll perform
the way it's supposed to - with or without the bolts.
If you have to re-access the innards at a future date, you won't
hafta worry about trying to struggle with the bolts.
I got this info from our Jotul rep when he was in the store this week...
I know, I should've asked him about the other models, as well...
My bad...