JOTUL F500 v3 woes (2nd cat replacement in two years?)

[hearthhelp123]

Ok testing with a lighter tells me nothing. We would need an actual measurement taken with the stove burning at a high rate.

Did cleaning in that way clear out any ash in the cat or is it still clogged

what type of tool do we need to test the draft?
anyway, if the cat is clogged wouldnt that affect the draft. all said and done I think that is the issue the cat.
the stove never seems to go over 400 degrees since this issue.


After cleaning I can see the first layer in the front of stove gets clear. dont know what is happening beyond what I can see. the same issue happened after I cleaned it. Maybe it improved for one night as far as starting a fire from the kindling and the window not turning completely black, but it still was not good.
this morning after stove burning at around 300 all night, only orange coals in stove IT STILL smoked when I put a log in. very very upsetting and stressful

 

[bholler]

what type of tool do we need to test the draft?
anyway, if the cat is clogged wouldnt that affect the draft. all said and done I think that is the issue the cat.
the stove never seems to go over 400 degrees since this issue.


After cleaning I can see the first layer in the front of stove gets clear. dont know what is happening beyond what I can see. the same issue happened after I cleaned it. Maybe it improved for one night as far as starting a fire from the kindling and the window not turning completely black, but it still was not good.
this morning after stove burning at around 300 all night, only orange coals in stove IT STILL smoked when I put a log in. very very upsetting and stressful

Draft is measured with a manometer and yes of course a clogged catalytic will effect draft through the stove. You would have to properly clean it first.

If you want the best chance of the stove working you are going to need to properly clean the cat. Confirm you can see through the cells. Then test your draft to see if it is within spec. Also properly test your wood.

 

[WaterloominVH]

Neither of his doors are fulled latched... I'd be concerned about that being overfired...

Re doors: the front door on our Jotul V3500Oslo is a big problem. The door is too heavy for the hinges and sags slightly, making it very difficult to close. The latch doesn’t meet the catch unless we muscle up the door a bit (which I can’t do by myself). Also the spring is very tight—much tighter than the side door, which latches easily. Suggestions for a fix?

 

[bholler]

Re doors: the front door on our Jotul V3500Oslo is a big problem. The door is too heavy for the hinges and sags slightly, making it very difficult to close. The latch doesn’t meet the catch unless we muscle up the door a bit (which I can’t do by myself). Also the spring is very tight—much tighter than the side door, which latches easily. Suggestions for a fix?

If the door is sagging already call your dealer and make them address it. As far as the latch that should be adjustable

 

[Tithis]

Re doors: the front door on our Jotul V3500Oslo is a big problem. The door is too heavy for the hinges and sags slightly, making it very difficult to close. The latch doesn’t meet the catch unless we muscle up the door a bit (which I can’t do by myself). Also the spring is very tight—much tighter than the side door, which latches easily. Suggestions for a fix?

Definitely contact your dealer. We had the same issue with our Oslo's ash door and they fixed it within a week.

 

[Brogan007]

I have a V3. First year I found the stove hard to shut down...full ash box, no air...still burned too fast.
Simple...I installed a flue damper on horizontal pipe right at exit of stove. BAM. Fixed everything.
I burn awesome wood...from my own farm. Clean the Cat with a shop vac, in-situ, couple times a winter.
The stove top runs about 400F. Heats whole downstairs of 3000sq ft house all winter. Yes, we're in Central NC...so no big deal.
Never have to start the HVAC heat but have air handler on Circ.....so it runs 20 mins an hr, 24/7.
We LOVE this stove. Sorry so many of you have issues. We LOVE ours.

 

[F500owner]

Jotul F500 V3 owner here. I would like to give my 5 cents of information and my experience with it.

Purchased the stove 2 years ago. This year is my second winter with the stove.
First thing I did was covered the Ash Pan holes with ceramic magnets (purchased from L or HD store). The stove has a better air control with these holes covered. My chimney is pretty tall and I have enough draft without these being open.

Last week I notice that the stove started to blow out some smoke from the side door when I would load the logs. I called one of my friends who works for the Jotul dealer. He suggested I remove the top plate and clean the combustor.

Removing the plate was a bit challenging, since one of the set screws in the back side was stuck. If this happens, remove the flue pipe and reach with a 10 mm wrench from the flue pipe opening and unbolt the bracket that the set screw taps into.

Cleaning of the combustor was easy. Friend suggested to use a garage air compressor. Do not use anything to scrape the inside. You could also tap the combustor on an even concrete surface to help remove the ash from the inside. I was told that tapping would not damage it. It worked pretty well.

Also, you can rearrange the "noodles" in the combustor to make them a bit more even looking, so nothing is sticking out.

When replacing the cover, remove the front screws with the long pins so you don't damage the element that seats under the cover. Once you have the cover aligned, you could screw the long pin by hand and use 10mm socket to finish the nuts.

I have also been told that Jotul has recently changed the combustor manufacturer and the product has been improved.

I hope this info is helpful. I love the stove for my 2500 sq home. Does absolutely great job. Dry wood is a must. Do not use paper to light the wood. Use torch. Do not stir the ashes inside vigorously, since this clogs the combustor.