Jotul Firelight 12

[Denny229]

I am new to this forum, but I have had my stove for 25 years. It is a Jotul Firelight 12. I attempted to install a new Catalyst Converter and the entire chamber kind of fell apart. I went on line and found the following parts list.
128456-CD Jotul Catalyst Chamber Bottom $80.45
04-128455-CD Jotul Catalyst Chamber Cover $86.16
04-128454-CD Jotul Firelight Catalyst Chamber $519.16
Do I need to replace all of these parts. I know for sure I need the part for $520, but how about the other two, I am not sure what they do?

Denny Miller
East Wakefield, NH

 

[Woody Stover]

@Ashful

 

[Ashful]

Yep... the chamber is the big box that holds the cat, it’s the size of the entire back wall of the stove. They were only $240 in 2012, and $460‘ish in 2014... they go up every few years. The cover is the square piece that covers the opening in the front that you slide the cat into, and it’s held in place by that decorative iron ”inner back plate”. The floor piece, well... no one really knows what that does, but I guess if it wasn’t necessary then Jotul would’ve not endured that added cost themselves, so I always installed one.

My advice, use this as an excuse to finally replace that old stove. If it’s 25 years old, and you’re not already dealing with failing seams and a full rebuild, you very soon will be. Between these chamber parts, a fresh combustor, and a few other minor repairs, you’ve already got half the cost of an average stove going into this antique.

If you like pretty iron cat stoves, I’d suggest you look at the BK Ashford 30, or even take your chances with one of the newer VC’s. Reports from the field are very mixed on the VC’s, but so are they on the Jotul F12. On the other hand, if you don’t need the low-and-slow capability of a cat stove, a new Jotul Firelight 600 will slide right into the place of this old Firelight 12, and no one will even notice you got a new stove!

@bholler and @webby3650 can both chime in, as well. I was an owner of three Firelight 12’s, but they’ve likely worked on many, many more than me.

 

[webby3650]

new Jotul Firelight 600

Unfortunately the 600 has been discontinued. Might find a display at a dealer though.

 

[Ashful]

Wow... end of an era! They have been making that stove platform, using most of the same castings with only a few modifications, for about 30 years!

 

[stovelark]

A sad day indeed hearing that the F600 is gone. The F12 came out in 1993. Some parts are still out there, but I'd replace it with a used F600 or a new F500 V3. Still amazes me how many F12s there still are out there...