Jotul F500 Problem - Is the stove choking itself??

[Wolfetone]

Hey!
So I finally got them back out! A few of you guys nailed it, and I thought for people following the thread it would be good to upload a pic!
So the cap was choked with creosote! Badly, for 3 years use and maybe 9 cords of wood!

They said that it wasnt their fault (not that I want to blame anyone) that they dont normally clean the cap when the chimney is cleaned (but they do say they inspect the chimney as part of the inspection and clean, which they didnt....anyways)

So thats the issue, they said it wasnt installed right as there should be a gap??

What do you guys recommend so it doesnt happen again?
Id get rid of the wires in the cap to stop the issue, but I dont want bats coming into the home in spring and summer either!

 

[weatherguy]

Hey!
So I finally got them back out! A few of you guys nailed it, and I thought for people following the thread it would be good to upload a pic!
So the cap was choked with creosote! Badly, for 3 years use and maybe 9 cords of wood!

They said that it wasnt their fault (not that I want to blame anyone) that they dont normally clean the cap when the chimney is cleaned (but they do say they inspect the chimney as part of the inspection and clean, which they didnt....anyways)

So thats the issue, they said it wasnt installed right as there should be a gap??

What do you guys recommend so it doesnt happen again?
Id get rid of the wires in the cap to stop the issue, but I dont want bats coming into the home in spring and summer either!

I had the same problem my first year, I kept the screen on and would just go up sometime in the middle of burning season and clean it. I live in Mass too so you know that' not always possible. I was working on getting a new cap with no screen but changed stoves before I ever bought one. With new stove the cap hasn't been a problem so I left it. You can look at other caps or try and cut some of yours out with a grinder.

 

[bholler]

Hey!
So I finally got them back out! A few of you guys nailed it, and I thought for people following the thread it would be good to upload a pic!
So the cap was choked with creosote! Badly, for 3 years use and maybe 9 cords of wood!

They said that it wasnt their fault (not that I want to blame anyone) that they dont normally clean the cap when the chimney is cleaned (but they do say they inspect the chimney as part of the inspection and clean, which they didnt....anyways)

So thats the issue, they said it wasnt installed right as there should be a gap??

What do you guys recommend so it doesnt happen again?
Id get rid of the wires in the cap to stop the issue, but I dont want bats coming into the home in spring and summer either!

You could just clean more often 9 cords is allot of wood between cleanings

 

[Wolfetone]

You could just clean more often 9 cords is allot of wood between cleanings

yep i agree, annual from here on in
still
if they dont clean to the top which they clearly didnt then you could clean it 10 times a year and still the cap is blocked

 

[bholler]

yep i agree, annual from here on in
still
if they dont clean to the top which they clearly didnt then you could clean it 10 times a year and still the cap is blocked

Yes i should have said a good cleaning more often

 

[EG GREV NED MIN ELD]

Try pulling the cap off the bottom of the Tee. While the stove is not running of course.

You should be getting good draft on a cold night. Use some matches to check. If you are getting decent draft there, than I would start checking the stove/baffle

 

[semipro]

That seems like a lot of build-up to me even after 9 cords. I've never seen nearly that amount of build up on our screen.
Are you sure you're burning that Oslo right?
I'd bet your wood is not as dry as it should be.