Jotul F500 V3 Oslo, I pulled the trigger.

[Amigo Azul]

I currently have a 1979 VC resolute that came with the house when I bought it almost 8 years ago. I have done the gaskets several times and even had the stove rebuilt by the original factory dealer in Vermont. The rebuild was not very good as there was some kind of upheaval in the service area of the company. The right side flame extender is rotting away and getting the part really isn't worth it along with the fact it loves to eat wood and lots of it and always has. The old stove has done its service for 2 owners and deserves a nice retirement to a small guest cabin. Needless to say the stove is being replaced with a Jotul F500 Oslo V3 epa 2020 compliant stove this coming Monday. I'm really looking forward to being the guinea pig for this new stove and will update as I burn it.

 

[begreen]

The original Resolute was a venerable heater and a pleasure to use. I hope the Oslo provides you will even greater pleasure. Please let us know how the stove works out for you.

 

[Amigo Azul]

So my install is off till I address the issue with my chimney. I had a level two inspection done and it is exactly what I thought was going to happen with a 40 year old cement with clay lining non insulated chimney. It needs a full tear down. So my move to stainless that was going to happen later has been moved to sooner. I read the below before putting down a deposit so it wasn't a complete let down, but I can't use my current stove as the chimney is totally unsafe to use. My wife and I are in the camp of glad we confirmed what we knew anyway.

A word of caution always have a masonry chimney inspected yearly .

So this:

Masonry Chimneys

The details as to the building of masonry chimneys are beyond the scope of this document, however there are a few safety and performance issue to keep in mind. It is commonly known in the Hearth Industry that 80-90% (or more!) of the masonry chimneys in the US are constructed improperly. The sad truth is that some masons spent so many years building low-temperature chimneys for oil burners, gas burners and fireplaces that the art of proper chimney construction has become almost lost.

What’s wrong with most masonry chimneys ?

* They are often oversize and not insulated, resulting in poor draft and excess creosote formation

* Proper clearances to combustible (wood framing, siding, etc.) are not maintained

* No room for expansion of the flue tiles, resulting in cracked and damaged liners

 

[Mike.O]

Could you just use a SS Insulated Flex Liner in the existing flue? Tear down is a big job.

 

[Amigo Azul]

Could you just use a SS Insulated Flex Liner in the existing flue? Tear down is a big job.

Unfortunately the chimney is not viable and is not structurally sound anymore. The inspector gave me all the pictures from the inspection and it's bad. The blocks are cracked all the way through in multiple locations and disintegrating visibly(which I knew) on the outside along with cracking all the way through. There is mortar that is fully missing between blocks and is causing a blow by issue with exhaust. My first thought and his answer before I could ask it was it's too far gone for a liner and it wouldn't have helped anyway because of our climate( Zone 4a it gets cold here) and the way the chimney was installed. The chimney is on the side of the house so the tear down shouldn't be to bad.

 

[firefighterjake]

I suspect a lot of us Oslo fanatics will be eager to hear of your experiences with this latest version.

 

[Simonkenton]

OK, Blue Friend. I have followed the same path, I had the VC Resolute, mine was like yours the pre 1993 model. What a great stove.
Years ago I sold it along with the house it was in.
Now I have the Jotul Oslo. You will love this stove.

 

[Amigo Azul]

So, I ordered all the Selkirk Ultra Temp pipe and through wall kit from my local HW store. I ordered enough for a 16ft chimney as the stove manual states quite clearly that this stove requires a minimum 15ft chimney length I went an extra foot as my elevation is 1580ft.

The pipe is the one that the inspector uses when installing new chimneys so I figured if its good enough for them it'll be good for me. The other reason for going with this brand and model is that I can easily source any additional parts as all of the HW stores in the are (50 mile radius) carry it or can order it.

The pipe will be here today and I will be on a ladder this weekend between rain and snow knocking down the old masonry block chimney.

 

[Amigo Azul]

The old chimney is down and in 3 piles at this point. Can someone tell me what the Jotul manual means by a minimum 15 ft of chimney pipe? Does this include the stove pipe length inside the house? I have a call into Jotul tech support but have not received a call back yet.

TIA.

 

[begreen]

Technically it does, but the two 90º turns in the flue path will add drag and slow down the flue gases, reducing draft. The penalty for each 90º turn is about 2' in height per turn, effectively making the 15' rise into 11'. Altitude can also affect the chimney height requirement as well as local terrain. When in doubt, go taller. The stove will perform better, especially in milder weather.

Besides a taller chimney, another option that can help is to use 45s with a little offset instead of the interior 90º turn to soften the angle. Another thing that can help is using double-wall stovepipe to keep the flue gases hotter.

 

[Amigo Azul]

Technically it does, but the two 90º turns in the flue path will add drag and slow down the flue gases, reducing draft. The penalty for each 90º turn is about 2' in height per turn. One option that can help is to use 45s with a little offset instead of the interior 90º turn to soften the angle. Another thing that can help is using double-wall stovepipe to keep the flue gases hotter.

I ordered all the double wall stove pipe and have 2 45s in that order for when they come to install it. As for the Chimney I ordered 16ft. of pipe for the exterior and it seemed excessive. The pipe is all Selkirk that I have purchased so I shouldn't have any mismatch issues or questions regarding that aspect. The other reason I went with the Selkirk is that it's sold just about everywhere in my area. The dealer gave me a quote for the ICC brand they sell and that order only has 3 4ft. sections and 1 18" section. I'll just return a 4ft and get an 18" to match the dealer quote.

 

[begreen]

I ordered all the double wall stove pipe and have 2 45s in that order for when they come to install it. As for the Chimney I ordered 16ft. of pipe for the exterior and it seemed excessive. The pipe is all Selkirk that I have purchased so I shouldn't have any mismatch issues or questions regarding that aspect. The other reason I went with the Selkirk is that it's sold just about everywhere in my area. The dealer gave me a quote for the ICC brand they sell and that order only has 3 4ft. sections and 1 18" section. I'll just return a 4ft and get an 18" to match the dealer quote.

16' exterior is good. I wouldn't go with less. Be sure it is properly supported.

 

[Amigo Azul]

16' exterior is good. I wouldn't go with less. Be sure it is properly supported.

Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Amigo Azul]

I tore down the old chimney last Sunday. I installed the new one this weekend and it's up and ready for the new stove. This spring/summer I'll address the wall issues that showed themselves after the masonry cinder block came down.

 

[Amigo Azul]

I tore down the old chimney last Sunday. I installed the new one this weekend and it's up and ready for the new stove. This spring/summer I'll address the wall issues that showed themselves after the masonry cinder block came down.

i should have added to the post prior that I spoke to mark at Jotul last week and explained my concerns. The 15ft. requirement is including the stove pipe inside the house and is stated in the manual for CYA on their part which is understandable considering all the variables in burning wood. So I'll have over 15ft combined as I only put 12ft. up. It stands 5 feet above my roof ridge at this point, if I need to I can add more.

 

[Amigo Azul]

The stove is on the hearth!

Now I have to extend it out and around as the installers had to go more forward into the room. I knew this was going to happen but wanted to wait till it was here and in its home. I had already purchased some nice 12x24 black marble remnants from my LHS.

I have to wait till the stove gets up to room temp before the first fire as it road in the back of the installers box truck. The suspense is killing me!!

 

[begreen]

Sooo close. You could do a small, kindling only fire to start the process. Let it go out completely. Then do another with a few 2" splits.

 

[Amigo Azul]

Sooo close. You could do a small, kindling only fire to start the process. Let it go out completely. Then do another with a few 2" splits.

As soon as it's up to room temp, its getting lit with the break in fire.

 

[Geoff C]

Do you have a small heater you could point at it?

 

[Amigo Azul]

Fire,Fire ,Fire heh,heh,heh,Fire,Fire,Fire!

 

[edyit]

Nice! You're not that far from me, I play golf up there pretty often, bet you're really enjoying that stove on a day like today.

 

[Amigo Azul]

Nice! You're not that far from me, I play golf up there pretty often, bet you're really enjoying that stove on a day like today.

i sure am enjoying the stove now! I am 1/8 of a mile past the golf course on the left side on the way to Tupper.

 

[Simonkenton]

Looking good!

 

[Amigo Azul]

The new Jotul F500 V3 lights up easy and burns great. I have no regrets purchasing this stove. I've only had it a day but man this thing is so much better than my old resolute( which I loved).

 

[OmegaNorth]

I don't know what I like more about the photo, the dogs or the stove! I also love that brick hearth; my wife and I want to build one out of the bricks from an old chimney we had to take down. Looks nice and cozy. How long does that Oslo burn for you?