Jotul F600, I think it may be finished.

[MustBurn]

Hi all,

Noticed a small ash pile behind my stove. It's a f600 jotul. It's 17-18 years old. To start, I have never drafted through ash door, not once. I didn't even think of it. So I kill the fire and wait to cool. See pictures for what I found. I stopped using the ash tray a few years ago because it was more hassle than just shoveling. At this point, I'm leaning toward a replace rather than a repair. I do know a master welder, but at this point, I'm not sure it's worth it given the age.

Any sage advice?

Looking at a new Hearthstone.

 

[begreen]

Bummer. It needs a base replacement. That should be under $1000 I think. Are you thinking of the Manchester as a replacement?

 

[MustBurn]

Bummer. It needs a base replacement. That should be under $1000 I think. Are you thinking of the Manchester as a replacement?

Manchester may be a better fit. I started looking at the Equinox. Maybe the Mansfield.... I do like the stone exterior.

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[kennyp2339]

17-18 years is an excellent run

 

[begreen]

Manchester may be a better fit. I started looking at the Equinox. Maybe the Mansfield.... I do like the stone exterior.

They are nice looking rocks, but read up on some of the caveat too. Maybe take a look at the Woodstock Progress Hybrid also.

 

[shoot-straight]

That is a cast piece correct?

Regardless the life of a stove should certainly last longer than 17-18 yrs

 

[Woody Stover]

Maybe take a look at the Woodstock Progress Hybrid also.

That's what I was going to suggest when he mentioned stone. Or a Fireview or Keystone (straight cat, not hybrid) depending on the area to be heated, layout, insulation/air-sealing etc. If he's a 'secondary-burn guy' there is a ton of choices..

17-18 years is an excellent run

That is a cast piece correct? Regardless the life of a stove should certainly last longer than 17-18 yrs

Agreed. 17 years might be good for a BK, but..

 

[MustBurn]

That is a cast piece correct?

Regardless the life of a stove should certainly last longer than 17-18 yrs

Yes, cast floor. Crack runs from the ash grate opening (warped grate) all the way to and through the back left corner.

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[MustBurn]

That's what I was going to suggest when he mentioned stone. Or a Fireview or Keystone (straight cat, not hybrid) depending on the area to be heated, layout, insulation/air-sealing etc. If he's a 'secondary-burn guy' there is a ton of choices..

Agreed. 17 years might be good for a BK, but.. [emoji14]

What's a "secondary burn guy"? Am I one? Is that bad? I have a saltbox with a center chimney (3 flue). Middle section is open to the second floor and stove sits in that section and heats the entire house nicely. I burn 6-7 cords a year.

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[Woody Stover]

What's a "secondary burn guy"? Am I one? Is that bad? I have a saltbox with a center chimney (3 flue). Middle section is open to the second floor and stove sits in that section and heats the entire house nicely. I burn 6-7 cords a year.

Secondary burn, as in burn tubes or baffle which reburns smoke in the top of the fire box. No, not bad at all. Other ways to burn clean are a catalytic combustor (cat) stove or a hybrid (cat and secondary.) It sounds like a radiant stove is probably working well for you now, feels warm downstairs while limiting warm air rising upstairs. As opposed to a convective stove, which heats air instead of warming the immediate surroundings with radiation. All stoves are a blend of the two, of course.

 

[MustBurn]

Secondary burn, as in burn tubes or baffle which reburns smoke in the top of the fire box. No, not bad at all. Other ways to burn clean are a catalytic combustor (cat) stove or a hybrid (cat and secondary.) It sounds like a radiant stove is probably working well for you now, feels warm downstairs while limiting warm air rising upstairs. As opposed to a convective stove, which heats air instead of warming the immediate surroundings with radiation. All stoves are a blend of the two, of course.

Yes, burn tubes... Replaced those last year.... [emoji24][emoji35]

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[SpaceBus]

What are your burn practices? A Jotul should never crack under normal use. Many Jotul stoves have been in use for decades without fail. It would be a real hardship to spend thousands on a new stove only to write it off too.

 

[xman23]

Thats been your stove since it was new? How hard have you run it.

 

[MustBurn]

What are your burn practices? A Jotul should never crack under normal use. Many Jotul stoves have been in use for decades without fail. It would be a real hardship to spend thousands on a new stove only to write it off too.

No known over fires, but I do run it 24/7 in the dead of winter. I'll have to do more restarts during "warm winters", but otherwise I would let it cool to do ashs every week, then back on. I'm thinking it's gasket failure regarding the ash pan, either the door or the seal to the base. Since I stopped using it, I wouldn't notice a failure?

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[Allagash350]

How does the gasket on the ash pan look?
If you didn't specifically say you never use the ash door to get it cranking I would have automatically assumed you had been

 

[Sawset]

I remember someone a while back having cracking problems with an f600. Some of the comments were related to air infiltration in critical areas?

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/jotul-f600-cracking-problems.153281/

 

[SpaceBus]

No known over fires, but I do run it 24/7 in the dead of winter. I'll have to do more restarts during "warm winters", but otherwise I would let it cool to do ashs every week, then back on. I'm thinking it's gasket failure regarding the ash pan, either the door or the seal to the base. Since I stopped using it, I wouldn't notice a failure?

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A gasket failure could totally lead to an over fire that isn't easy to detect. Maybe air came in through the ash pan door and cooked the bottom but didn't elevate the stove top temp. I would figure out what led to the failure before replacing the stove you have.

 

[MustBurn]

How does the gasket on the ash pan look?
If you didn't specifically say you never use the ash door to get it cranking I would have automatically assumed you had been

That will require more surgery. I broke the latch knob off trying to open the door. I removed the warped grate and emptied the ash out and the pan inside looks great and moves freely. Also will need to drop pan housing and have a look. Can't do anymore damage at this point....

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[begreen]

Sometimes too much ash builds up behind the ashpan and becomes hard and compacted. This may not be apparent when cleaning out the ashpan area. If there is enough buildup it can push the ashpan forward, against the door. That can prevent the ashpan door gasket from sealing tightly.

With our F400 I let the ashpan fill up completely and tried to keep about 1/2" of ash in the firebox floor as insulation. The stove actually ran a bit better this way then with an empty ashpan.

Yes, burn tubes... Replaced those last year....

If you are in Southern New England, call Preston Trading Post tomorrow and price out a new base, just for comparison.

 

[SpaceBus]

Sometimes too much ash builds up behind the ashpan and becomes hard and compacted. This may not be apparent when cleaning out the ashpan area. If there is enough buildup it can push the ashpan forward, against the door. That can prevent the ashpan door gasket from sealing tightly.

With our F400 I let the ashpan fill up completely and tried to keep about 1/2" of ash in the firebox floor as insulation. The stove actually ran a bit better this way then with an empty ashpan.

I need a coal rake because when I use the shovel, I end up dumping the ash in the ash pan. I would like more ash buildup, any hints? I feel dumb asking

 

[MustBurn]

Sometimes too much ash builds up behind the ashpan and becomes hard and compacted. This may not be apparent when cleaning out the ashpan area. If there is enough buildup it can push the ashpan forward, against the door. That can prevent the ashpan door gasket from sealing tightly.

With our F400 I let the ashpan fill up completely and tried to keep about 1/2" of ash in the firebox floor as insulation. The stove actually ran a bit better this way then with an empty ashpan.

If you are in Southern New England, call Preston Trading Post tomorrow and price out a new base, just for comparison.

I am. Just outside Danbury, CT.

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[blacktop37]

Manchester may be a better fit. I started looking at the Equinox. Maybe the Mansfield.... I do like the stone exterior.

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I have had my Equinox for 5 years. I could not be happier with it. I burn about 3.5 months, the rest of the year it looks like a piece of quality furniture.

 

[Woody Stover]

That will require more surgery. I broke the latch knob off trying to open the door. I removed the warped grate

Warped grate? That points to an air leak/overfire. I would think that in that case, you would see coals glowing in the coal bed further back than you would see if the air wash was supplying the only air..

 

[kennyp2339]

two quick things - take some stove cement to make a temp patch on the stove, also take a look at Woodstock's progress hybrid, the ash grate system looks excellent, lots of youtube videos on the stove.