Jotul F500 V3 - Smoke recently started coming out the door when I open it

[stonewallmike]

I'll start by saying I searched the forum and I've read dozens of posts and none of them seem to address my issue.

This is our 3rd winter with the F500 V3. This year it has started smoking when we open the side door to load. Things we have done/answers to the common causes:

• Flue is nice and hot, happens when stove has been running for hours
• Air intake is wide open, I crack the door for 5 seconds before *slowly* opening fully
• Had chimney cleaned in October
• House is 250 years old, leaks like a sieve, no exhaust fans running anywhere
• Don't have a moisture meter, but wood is 1 year dry ash and maple and smoke is clear-ish

The first thing that comes to mind is that the catalytic combustor has failed and is choking the draft. Pic attached for confirmation. We run it 24 hours a day for 5-6 months, so we'd be nearing the lifespan of 10,000 hours I found online. Last stove didn't have CC, so this is a new aspect for me.

Any other ideas?

 

[stoveliker]

If smoke comes out, then there is an issue with it's path going up .

Same happens when a window is cracked in the stove room?

That cat looks deformed to me. Is there a way to see if it's clogged?
Use a shop vac to see if it gets better. Or take it out and see if you can look through the channels?

Do you have binoculars to look at the chimney cap? With one batch of wetter wood you can quickly clog a cap.

 

[EbS-P]

That cat looks much different than this one

Jotul F 500 V3 Catalytic Combustor

Jotul F 500 V3 Catalytic Combustor (158000)

rockymountainstove.com

 

[stoveliker]

He has the metal cat rather than the ceramic in that pic.

 

[bigealta]

That cat looks much different than this one

Jotul F 500 V3 Catalytic Combustor

Jotul F 500 V3 Catalytic Combustor (158000)

rockymountainstove.com

$720 Yikes!