Jotul F600 cement and air channel locations

[Heinrich]

We inherited an F600 when we bought our home 4 years ago. It has seemed to work well but had evidence of overfiring in the past. We keep a thermometer on it, and to my knowledge it hasn't run too hot since we've had it.

This past spring, however, it suddenly got to where I couldn't damp it down enough. A full stove would want to run away from me. So I stopped burning until I could do some gasket work. During a partial disassembly to replace the gaskets, I noticed that a lot of the cement is cracked. I know I should take it apart for a proper fix, but I'm trying to get through the season with some seam sealing.

I've knocked out a lot of the loose cement and plan to fill the many nooks and crannies of joints. But I don't know how the air flows through the stove, and I don't want to seal anything important. I'm aware that the air comes in at the rear bottom of the stove, but where does it go from there? I know some of it goes up to the reburn manifold, but how does the air get to the front of the stove and inside the doghouse?

Can anyone explain the specifics of the airflow in this stove? I know that some of you have done rebuilds, and I'd be grateful to hear from you. I know this isn't ideal, but it's where I am. I'd also like your thoughts on which cement you used and which you've found to work well.

Thanks from Pennsylvania!

 

[begreen]

The most common gasket issue is with the ashpan door. The cement may still be sealing the joints ok. Take a bright flashlight and shine it on the interior seams while a helper looks for light leaks showing through to the outside.

 

[Heinrich]

Thanks. I'll do the flashlight test you mentioned. I have replaced that ash pan gasket in the past and plan to replace several others while the stove's apart. (Last spring we got a puff of smoke out from under the top front corner. That gasket is very brittle and others are showing their age. I'm replacing the manifold while it's apart.


Having knocked out the crumbled cement along the inside joints, I hope to fill the grooves back in with fresh cement. I just don't want to plug any important air channels. And this is all in the hopes of getting through the season until I can do a more proper fix.