Jotul f500

[Chive]

Hello all. I’m new to this forum and am creating this thread and am looking to see if anyone can provide some input to the pictures provided. Hopefully I’m not posting in the wrong spot. So....I have the ability to purchase a jotul f500 from someone who says the stove is about 8 to 10 years old. She provided a couple of pictures and I am not sure if there are any noticeable defects that may be apparent from just looking at in the pictures. Would love to hear what you all have to say and whether this would be a yay or nay on purchasing. One of the pics I noticed it looks like the refractory brick in the back of the unit has some cracking. And there is another picture that has what looks to be a crack but it could be just a scratch. Can’t wait to read what everyone has to say. I made a couple markups on the images for where I’m referring to. Thanks!

 

[begreen]

The firebrick cracks are pretty normal for a stove this age. They don't need to be replaced yet. Not sure about the dark line near the door. If it's a crack, that's an unusual location for one. It will need eyes on site to determine. Two important things to look for are any cracking in the base around the grate and the condition of the baffle.

 

[Chive]

The firebrick cracks are pretty normal for a stove this age. They don't need to be replaced yet. Not sure about the dark line near the door. If it's a crack, that's an unusual location for one. It will need eyes on site to determine. Two important things to look for are any cracking in the base around the grate and the condition of the baffle.

Thanks for your reply! So assuming there’s no cracking around these two points you mentioned do you see anything else visually from the pics? I did circle one other area in the one picture I forgot to mention along the side wall where it looks like the cement has started to break away. Is this common and is it an easy fix?

 

[begreen]

Thanks for your reply! So assuming there’s no cracking around these two points you mentioned do you see anything else visually from the pics? I did circle one other area in the one picture I forgot to mention along the side wall where it looks like the cement has started to break away. Is this common and is it an easy fix?

The stove looks in decent condition from the pictures. As for the missing cement, that wouldn't be a showstopper for me but it's better to let veteran F500 owners comment on that.

 

[firefighterjake]

Nothing leaps out at me ... from the picks the grate looks to be in decent condition although one end seems slightly higher than the other ... as mentioned you will want to look it over in person.

I'm also wondering if that is a crack in the bricks or a line from ash or char as I've seen this before in my stove. In either case this should not be a deal breaker as the bricks are old and if this is a crack it appears to only be a hairline crack.

What looks to be some missing cement may also not be a major issue ... I end up smearing some new cement into some spots in the firebox at the start of the season where chunks of the inside are missing. Again ... you will want to take a closer look.

The crack ... as Bearden said this would be an odd place for a crack ... this may be a crack or something else.

If the price is right I would take a closer look.

If that pic is showing the baffle above the firebox I would guess the stove is older than eight years ...or the baffle was replaced at some point since my 2008 Oslo baffle is one piece.

 

[Chive]

Nothing leaps out at me ... from the picks the grate looks to be in decent condition although one end seems slightly higher than the other ... as mentioned you will want to look it over in person.

I'm also wondering if that is a crack in the bricks or a line from ash or char as I've seen this before in my stove. In either case this should not be a deal breaker as the bricks are old and if this is a crack it appears to only be a hairline crack.

What looks to be some missing cement may also not be a major issue ... I end up smearing some new cement into some spots in the firebox at the start of the season where chunks of the inside are missing. Again ... you will want to take a closer look.

The crack ... as Bearden said this would be an odd place for a crack ... this may be a crack or something else.

If the price is right I would take a closer look.

If that pic is showing the baffle above the firebox I would guess the stove is older than eight years ...or the baffle was replaced at some point since my 2008 Oslo baffle is one piece.

Thanks for the reply! So is there an easy way to find the year it was made? I know companies like VC actually stamp their year inside the casting firebox. I’m dealing with someone from another state right now so I’m trying to avoid unnecessary driving and wasting of time. There is always that fear of buyer beware so I try and be diligent.

 

[begreen]

The year on some VC castings is the casting date, not the stove date. They could have been cast up 3 yrs at a time.

Usually the stove date is on the UL label on the back of the stove, but I think the F500's may be part of the serial number. If you can post that maybe stovelark can have a tech uncode it. As Jake noted though, the F500 underwent a baffle style change around/before 2005? The old style was a solid iron baffle and was changed to a vermiculite one in newer models.

 

[xman23]

Jake, are you referring to the grate not being level front to back? You don't have that? My 2000 vintage stove has little feet on the grate casting. The gate can go in either way. Elevated in the back or front. I never saw that It makes any difference. I never knew why it was made like that. Anyone know?

Chive, My stove was built before 2000. It has those 2 piece removable cast iron burn plates on top of the burn tubes. Just after that, they made the burn plate a one piece synthetic material. So I think the stove is as old as mine. Some here say you can warp the plates. Mine are not, and they just sit there and slide out. There is an insulation blanket that sits on top of them. I never understood why they changed the plates from a durable cast iron. We only burn on weekends and don't need to run it extremely hot. Overheating can be death to any stove. Besides needing a little cement the seams, The issue I see. What appears to be a crack on the front. That's bad, Stove is done. If there are no cracks anywhere, IMO its one of the finest stove.

 

[defiant3]

Soo, how much? I'd want to pay like $500, but maybe up to $1000. It will need something at some point, I'd not want to have toooooo much into it I guess.

 

[xman23]

i think mine was around $1800 in 2000. Paid more for the glass finish. Which we say was a home run. Done nothing except door gasket and insulation blanket. What are they now?

 

[firefighterjake]

Jake, are you referring to the grate not being level front to back? You don't have that? My 2000 vintage stove has little feet on the grate casting. The gate can go in either way. Elevated in the back or front. I never saw that It makes any difference. I never knew why it was made like that. Anyone know?

Chive, My stove was built before 2000. It has those 2 piece removable cast iron burn plates on top of the burn tubes. Just after that, they made the burn plate a one piece synthetic material. So I think the stove is as old as mine. Some here say you can warp the plates. Mine are not, and they just sit there and slide out. There is an insulation blanket that sits on top of them. I never understood why they changed the plates from a durable cast iron. We only burn on weekends and don't need to run it extremely hot. Overheating can be death to any stove. Besides needing a little cement the seams, The issue I see. What appears to be a crack on the front. That's bad, Stove is done. If there are no cracks anywhere, IMO its one of the finest stove.

Well I have a fire going right now so I cannot check it to be absolutely 100% positive . . . but I'm reasonably sure my grate sits pretty much flush/level.

 

[ron45]

The firebrick cracks are pretty normal for a stove this age. They don't need to be replaced yet. Not sure about the dark line near the door. If it's a crack, that's an unusual location for one. It will need eyes on site to determine. Two important things to look for are any cracking in the base around the grate and the condition of the baffle.

This is not exactly a reply to the O.P. I am new here and I don't wish to hijack the thread. But, I am a New Used F500 owner and have some questions regarding the air control in the bottom center of the front door. There is a small lever you move left or right to adjust air. Feel free to move this post if I should not be posting here.

Meanwhile, my questions concerns clearing or otherwise removing obstructions in the interior of this .... ahhh air inlet I guess, There are two small bolts that I could remove but don't yet know the consequences of that. The lever doesn't move reliably. The force necessary to move it varies.
If I remove the two small bolts to clear the obstruction I'm unsure if the nut or threaded area that mates with the bolt will fall off the end of the small bolt. It does not feel like I can access the area inside this air regulation area. What is the best course of action please.

Ron

 

[begreen]

Ron, that is the doghouse cover. It's ok to remove, but have some graphite powder ready. Most hardware stores have this. Sometimes it's in the key department under the brand Lock-eze or something like that. With the cover off you'll see this is a simple slider valve. Clean it out and liberally dust the track with graphite powder before putting the slider back in.

If the problem persists see your Jotul dealer for replacement parts. There were some stoves that had a bent handle.

 

[firefighterjake]

This is not exactly a reply to the O.P. I am new here and I don't wish to hijack the thread. But, I am a New Used F500 owner and have some questions regarding the air control in the bottom center of the front door. There is a small lever you move left or right to adjust air. Feel free to move this post if I should not be posting here.

Meanwhile, my questions concerns clearing or otherwise removing obstructions in the interior of this .... ahhh air inlet I guess, There are two small bolts that I could remove but don't yet know the consequences of that. The lever doesn't move reliably. The force necessary to move it varies.
If I remove the two small bolts to clear the obstruction I'm unsure if the nut or threaded area that mates with the bolt will fall off the end of the small bolt. It does not feel like I can access the area inside this air regulation area. What is the best course of action please.

Ron

BeGreen covered this pretty well, but yes . . . sometimes ash gets into the doghouse and causes the air control lever to bind up a bit. In the Fall of the year I run my ash vac in there to suck up as much ash as possible and then liberally apply graphite powder to the sliding mechanism which generally will keep it lubricated most of the winter.

To remove the two bolts with washer (there are no nuts) use a 10 mm wrench or socket. Remove the bolts and lift off the doghouse for access inside.

Since you mention that the force varies I would guess there may be some ash build up on the sliding mechanism. Vacuuming this area and then using the graphite powder will most likely fix the issue unless you have one of the defective handles.

 

[kennyp2339]

Hmm, not a owner but if the stove has an ash pan perhaps the odd location cracks formed due to keeping the ash pan door open during start ups? Just some food for thought.

 

[ratsrepus]

I sold an F500 brown enamel, much better shape then this one for $1000. Maybe I sold it to cheap. Had it 8 years

 

[ron45]

BeGreen covered this pretty well, but yes . . . sometimes ash gets into the doghouse and causes the air control lever to bind up a bit. In the Fall of the year I run my ash vac in there to suck up as much ash as possible and then liberally apply graphite powder to the sliding mechanism which generally will keep it lubricated most of the winter.

To remove the two bolts with washer (there are no nuts) use a 10 mm wrench or socket. Remove the bolts and lift off the doghouse for access inside.

Since you mention that the force varies I would guess there may be some ash build up on the sliding mechanism. Vacuuming this area and then using the graphite powder will most likely fix the issue unless you have one of the defective handles.

Thank you very much for the detailed help. I aologise for the delay. I'm 74 and on meds for memory and focus. So far they aren't doing much. I completely forgot I posted here. I only just saw it by accident just now. I agree it's probably some debris in side.

A caution to those with this slider. It gets very HOT and I got a very bad burn during my first burn, I knew it got stuck sometimes and applied a lot of pressure w/my thumb which really enhanced the burn depth. Fortunately we keep Aloe Vera growing in a sunny spot in here. But it took multiple applications and a little time to make it stop.

I am pretty happy with my brief hisory of using the 500. It seems to be fairly ecconomical in it's wood usage.

I'm stingy and frugal with expendable goods of any kind. Got it from my Dad I guess. Much of the advice I get is burn it hot.
I find myself shying away from doing that all the time.

However, I have 2 45 elpows in the flue pipe Purely from necessity. I understand that can mean creosote build up sooner than with a straight run of pipe. My previous stove of 20 years or so was a straight run so creosote build up was not much of an issue.

I tend to use the damper as the burn nears it's end. So I can have some coals in the morning to begin with.

Has anyone seen or heard of a chimney brush thats uses something more like a snake you might use in a sewer line. I'd love to find a commercial version of something like this. I have an old snake that is very much like an old screen dore spring but very long. I thought of finding a way to chuck it up in a half inch drill and weld or braise or otherwise attach the brush to the other end. But am getting lazy in my old age.

 

[ron45]

I can not find the watch thread tab. It's probably why I was so long in responding. I'd prefer an email notification.

Ron

 

[semipro]

BeGreen covered this pretty well, but yes . . . sometimes ash gets into the doghouse and causes the air control lever to bind up a bit. In the Fall of the year I run my ash vac in there to suck up as much ash as possible and then liberally apply graphite powder to the sliding mechanism which generally will keep it lubricated most of the winter.

To remove the two bolts with washer (there are no nuts) use a 10 mm wrench or socket. Remove the bolts and lift off the doghouse for access inside.

Since you mention that the force varies I would guess there may be some ash build up on the sliding mechanism. Vacuuming this area and then using the graphite powder will most likely fix the issue unless you have one of the defective handles.

I also like to remove the slider plate and run it across some sandpaper on a flat surface to smooth out the sliding/sealing surface.

 

[begreen]

Thank you very much for the detailed help. I aologise for the delay. I'm 74 and on meds for memory and focus. So far they aren't doing much. I completely forgot I posted here. I only just saw it by accident just now. I agree it's probably some debris in side.

Has anyone seen or heard of a chimney brush thats uses something more like a snake you might use in a sewer line. I'd love to find a commercial version of something like this. I have an old snake that is very much like an old screen dore spring but very long. I thought of finding a way to chuck it up in a half inch drill and weld or braise or otherwise attach the brush to the other end. But am getting lazy in my old age.

@ron45 We are all getting older. No problem.

Have you looked at the Gardus Sooteater? It works quite well and is designed to work with a drill. Many folks use it here to clean their flue. I do too.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010H5JXA/?tag=hearthamazon-20

 

[ron45]

@ron45 We are all getting older. No problem.

Have you looked at the Gardus Sooteater? It works quite well and is designed to work with a drill. Many folks use it here to clean their flue. I do too.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010H5JXA/?tag=hearthamazon-20

Thank you very much for the link. I looked at those vids, I don't think they have the nylon rods that are much more flexible than the fiberglass rods. Those will go thru a 45 degree elbo. I have two of those in my flue. I have the option to install a T where the exits the Jotul thus eliminating one of the 45's. It's not an ideal flue so I'm trying to do what I can to keep the system free of build up. I check the spark arrestor frequently for buildup and so far it's OK.

I have questions on burn management also, With the 600 to 800 degree range as a target.... [ one day when I first got in up and running I saw a temp of 975. Yikes! ]All I could do was close the air vent half way. I feel like I have the damper to use as well. [ is this a good idea? , as long as I don't close it all the way. I mostly use the air inlet, and the amount and kind of wood I load. I burn Juniper and Pinyon and red dedar from the high mesa regions of Central New Mexico. I don't cut green wood.

This is not Oslo folks or the northeast. Its very dirty, messy wood. We get our share of wind and the bark of these trees is full of sand and grit. But I digress. I try not to fill it up w/wood because I want to keep it under 800. I have an instant read infrared thermometer and keep an eye one burn temp every half hour.This works well so far.

I'm still too new to this to be sure about what I'm doing. So I favor not running it wide open if the temp is close to 800. So I'll back off the air intake maybe 50% sometimes. Will that cause excess build up in the flue. if I make a habit of that?

I thank you all for listening.

Ron

 

[begreen]

Don't be afraid to back off the air further. You can go all the way closed if it doesn't snuff out the fire completely. Running it wide open can overheat the flue as most of the heat will be heading up the chimney.

 

[ron45]

Don't be afraid to back off the air further. You can go all the way closed if it doesn't snuff out the fire completely. Running it wide open can overheat the flue as most of the heat will be heading up the chimney.

These kind of things are what I need to know. You can't beat experience. I can't tell you how many Locals have told me to `run it hot. That can mean different things to me.

I have one more issue please? When I saw how the 500 is configured in the ash removal area it thought oh boy no more ash every where. I MUST be missing something. I open the front in the morning, there always coals, which I like for getting going again. I have a very wide spackle knife, maybe 7 inches..... I rake the ashes/coals back an forth fairly slowly and use the too to clear the spaces between the grates to get the ashes in the pan. Way to much ashes escaping. I live alone in a remote area the don't have Jones's to worry about. I'd rather not vacuum the whole 2K sq. feet on a daily basis.

I'd like to ask another question if it doesn't get me in trouble, I have to admit excess haste in reading over the rules first time I got here. Please... anyone let me know if I'm getting in trouble here.

ASH VAC????? I jordered one of these..... probably erroneously. But I'm desperate to keep the ash more contained if possible. They all say warm ash only. There are always embers in my ashes. While typing this I thought of a possible solution. Rake the coals to their own area ..... That could get tedious, soon. when I get up its usually in the low to mid sixties in here. It's a passive solar affair with tons of thermal mass. But 63 on a cold morning in an empty house except for my two cats, 63 or 4 can seem kinda chilly just out of bed.

My apologies for all the questions. I'd be happy with any amount of input in these areas or anything else I should know.

I saw the Jotul vids on starting fires ..... Who the heck has 12 by 22 or so, blocks of hard wood to stuff a stove with. With all that wood inside he better have a neighbor with cutting torch to get it going and a blower.

 

[firefighterjake]

Thank you very much for the link. I looked at those vids, I don't think they have the nylon rods that are much more flexible than the fiberglass rods. Those will go thru a 45 degree elbo. I have two of those in my flue. I have the option to install a T where the exits the Jotul thus eliminating one of the 45's. It's not an ideal flue so I'm trying to do what I can to keep the system free of build up. I check the spark arrestor frequently for buildup and so far it's OK.

I have questions on burn management also, With the 600 to 800 degree range as a target.... [ one day when I first got in up and running I saw a temp of 975. Yikes! ]All I could do was close the air vent half way. I feel like I have the damper to use as well. [ is this a good idea? , as long as I don't close it all the way. I mostly use the air inlet, and the amount and kind of wood I load. I burn Juniper and Pinyon and red dedar from the high mesa regions of Central New Mexico. I don't cut green wood.

This is not Oslo folks or the northeast. Its very dirty, messy wood. We get our share of wind and the bark of these trees is full of sand and grit. But I digress. I try not to fill it up w/wood because I want to keep it under 800. I have an instant read infrared thermometer and keep an eye one burn temp every half hour.This works well so far.

I'm still too new to this to be sure about what I'm doing. So I favor not running it wide open if the temp is close to 800. So I'll back off the air intake maybe 50% sometimes. Will that cause excess build up in the flue. if I make a habit of that?

I thank you all for listening.

Ron

As mentioned you can turn down the air "completely" if the fire is still burning strongly . . . in fact it is preferred as you send less heat up the chimney and more heat into the home.

Incidentally, it is never shut completely as some air still comes into the stove.

 

[firefighterjake]

These kind of things are what I need to know. You can't beat experience. I can't tell you how many Locals have told me to `run it hot. That can mean different things to me.

I have one more issue please? When I say how the 500 is configured in the ash removal area it thought oh boy no more ash every where. I MUST be missing something. I open the front in the morning, there always coals, which I like for getting going again. I have a very wide spackle knife, maybe 7 inches..... I rake the ashes/coals back an forth fairly slowly and use the too to clear the spaces between the grates to get the ashes in the pan. Way to much ashes escaping. I live alone in a remote area the don't have Jones's to worry about. I'd rather not vacuum the whole 2K sq. feet on a daily basis.

I'd like to ask another question if it doesn't get me in trouble, I have to admit excess haste in reading over the rules first time I got here. Please... anyone let me know if I'm getting in trouble here.

ASH VAC????? I jordered one of these..... probably erroneously. But I'm desperate to keep the ash more contained if possible. They all say warm ash only. There are always embers in my ashes. While typing this I thought of a possible solution. Rake the coals to their own area ..... That could get tedious, soon. when I get up its usually in the low to mid sixties in here. It's a passive solar affair with tons of thermal mass. But 63 on a cold morning in an empty house except for my two cats, 63 or 4 can seem kinda chilly just out of bed.

My apologies for all the questions. I'd be happy with any amount of input in these areas or anything else I should know.

I saw the Jotul vids on starting fires ..... Who the heck has 12 by 22 or so, blocks of hard wood to stuff a stove with. With all that wood inside he better have a neighbor with cutting torch to get it going and a blower.

If you can use the side door that is preferred . . . one frequently mentioned "issue" with the Oslo is its annoying habit of accumulating and dumping ash on the lip which then proceeds to fall on to the hearth.

As for ash clean up . . . always go slow. The slower you go the less ash gets stirred up into the air . . . a good habit to get into when stirring the ashes, dumping the ashes, sweeping the ash off the hearth, etc.

Ash vacuums really should only be used (in my opinion) for a cold stove clean up or clean up on the hearth. I use mine maybe once or twice a year at the start and/or end of the burning season to clean things up.