Jotul Oslo F500 Mid-January Report

[jotul8e2]

The Jotul Oslo continues to be one of the most popular and most asked-about stoves on these forums. With that in mind, I thought I would give new and prospective owners a mid-January report of actual operation.

Today's high was 18 deg. f. It has been slowly dropping all day and is forcast to be on its way to 0 deg. overnight. The house temperature is a very comfortable 70 deg. back at the bedrooms, and 71 deg. upstairs. I have no idea what it is in the family room where the stove is - pretty warm, though! At 6:00 pm I loaded for the fourth time. I happened to notice that the stove top temp had dropped to 350 deg. f. before loading.

At roughly five hours between loads, I am not quite pushing it to the max, but it is getting close. At these temperatures I need to open the air control after about four hours (about mid-way) to keep the stove temps up and to prevent an excessive build up of coals.

The fastest way to get the stove up to maximum temperatures on a reload is to open the air up to 3/4 open or so, put in just three or four sticks for about 10 minutes, then finish the load. If I do that on a good solid bed of coals I can have secondaries in five to 10 more minutes. I then close it down to 1/4 open, or a bit less.

If it does drop to 0 deg. tonight I can (a) turn the furnace back on, (b) get up about 2:30 am and reload, or (c) just deal with a house that is 64 or 65 deg. come 6:30 am. The last is not a good option as it would take all day to get the house back up to 70 again if it stays that cold outside. Should it warm into the mid to upper 20's a single good load will warm the house back up.

People often ask about cleaning the glass. I clean mine regularly. Got it the last time in March, sometime. It's about due again.

Stipulations: The stove is slightly undersized for the size of my house; I chose to be a bit undersized for the rare extreme cold events so that I could comfortably use it more often during the long shoulder seasons we have here. The well-insulated house is over 2500 sq. feet on two levels, plus another 1200 sq. ft. in the unfinished basement. I burn seasoned oak and hickory - cut, split, and stacked for three years. The stove is centrally placed in a semi-open floor plan. The 6" flue is straight up for 30'.

 

[Game warden]

I am new this week to the F500 Oslo. I too purchased the ivory enamel. I moved my Jotul 3 into the basement for hooking up to the second chimney flue. The Oslo fills the old space beautifully. My main reason for posting this is to share my stove break-in story. I did not have the same horrible experience that others have had in the break-in procedure. I had little to no smoke...there was for sure a new stove smell for the first three burns, but very tolerable. I've burned all day today and can occasionally smell that paint and cement baking in....but that's expected. For sure, two weeks from now there will be no smell at all...given there is much (or any) burning in the warm weather coming. The only reason I'm burning now is to get the stove threw the break in prior to the full-on season. Many people complain about the ash falling onto the front ash lip when you open the door. This DOES happen....but what do you expect?? Big deal folks....it's easily removable...a pair of gloves and a metal ash bin....done and done. It's called heating with wood. I do not yet know what to expect with the ash pan, I've yet to remove it and empty it. I know two people with this stove who just shovel it out. I'll make that decision as I learn to play this stove....after all...they are like instruments......they all sing their own tune and they are only as good as the musician playing them. A tall round liner (24+ feet) is a must for a good draft. Also, get the steel cook plate to replace the enameled top if yours is painted, or it will soon be "not painted". The cook plate will run hotter than the rest of the stove, so if you're going to cook on it, get a small cast iron pan....if you're going to just use a steam pot, get a 100% copper kettle or the like....casties just rust like hell. So far, this stove is very easy to control...no hint of over fire issues. I run the air control between 1/3 to 1/2 open....at about 410 to 425 degrees seems to be this stove's sweet spot....nice soft rolling flames with hot blue runs within fire yellow, silk like waves that ease from the fuel wood. I'm sure I'll fire it a bit hotter as the single digits roll in...today it's 50 deg. F....and I have four windows open on the first floor to let the heat out.....thermostat has said it's 87 degrees in here all day with the windows open....the stove can throw some heat, no doubt. Almost 3200 sq. ft home. No issues getting it into the house, although I did not have to go up or down a full flight of stairs...backed pick up right to double door and with one buddy hand trucked it off with ramps into the house and into its location with use of lifting straps to get it off the shipping pallet. Done...(hint, take out all removable parts, both doors, bottom grate, side interior panel, ash pan, flue adapter and the bricks)...should come close to 100 lbs removed from the 445 you start with. Good luck to you Jotul owners!!

 

[firefighterjake]

I am new this week to the F500 Oslo. I too purchased the ivory enamel. I moved my Jotul 3 into the basement for hooking up to the second chimney flue. The Oslo fills the old space beautifully. My main reason for posting this is to share my stove break-in story. I did not have the same horrible experience that others have had in the break-in procedure. I had little to no smoke...there was for sure a new stove smell for the first three burns, but very tolerable. I've burned all day today and can occasionally smell that paint and cement baking in....but that's expected. For sure, two weeks from now there will be no smell at all...given there is much (or any) burning in the warm weather coming. The only reason I'm burning now is to get the stove threw the break in prior to the full-on season. Many people complain about the ash falling onto the front ash lip when you open the door. This DOES happen....but what do you expect?? Big deal folks....it's easily removable...a pair of gloves and a metal ash bin....done and done. It's called heating with wood. I do not yet know what to expect with the ash pan, I've yet to remove it and empty it. I know two people with this stove who just shovel it out. I'll make that decision as I learn to play this stove....after all...they are like instruments......they all sing their own tune and they are only as good as the musician playing them. A tall round liner (24+ feet) is a must for a good draft. Also, get the steel cook plate to replace the enameled top if yours is painted, or it will soon be "not painted". The cook plate will run hotter than the rest of the stove, so if you're going to cook on it, get a small cast iron pan....if you're going to just use a steam pot, get a 100% copper kettle or the like....casties just rust like hell. So far, this stove is very easy to control...no hint of over fire issues. I run the air control between 1/3 to 1/2 open....at about 410 to 425 degrees seems to be this stove's sweet spot....nice soft rolling flames with hot blue runs within fire yellow, silk like waves that ease from the fuel wood. I'm sure I'll fire it a bit hotter as the single digits roll in...today it's 50 deg. F....and I have four windows open on the first floor to let the heat out.....thermostat has said it's 87 degrees in here all day with the windows open....the stove can throw some heat, no doubt. Almost 3200 sq. ft home. No issues getting it into the house, although I did not have to go up or down a full flight of stairs...backed pick up right to double door and with one buddy hand trucked it off with ramps into the house and into its location with use of lifting straps to get it off the shipping pallet. Done...(hint, take out all removable parts, both doors, bottom grate, side interior panel, ash pan, flue adapter and the bricks)...should come close to 100 lbs removed from the 445 you start with. Good luck to you Jotul owners!!

Use the ash pan . . . it's honestly one of the best features of this stove . . . just be sure to shovel out any ash that falls in behind the ash pan before replacing the pan . . . otherwise the ash pan door may not shut and seal correctly.

Welcome to the forum . . . and the Order of the Oslo Association by the way. Guessing you are busy this time of year since I can only assume wherever you are in New England is deer (rifle) hunting season.

 

[Game warden]

Use the ash pan . . . it's honestly one of the best features of this stove . . . just be sure to shovel out any ash that falls in behind the ash pan before replacing the pan . . . otherwise the ash pan door may not shut and seal correctly.

Welcome to the forum . . . and the Order of the Oslo Association by the way. Guessing you are busy this time of year since I can only assume wherever you are in New England is deer (rifle) hunting season.

Yes....one would be amazed at the amount of foul play that occurs....it'll be nice to come home after long nights and nap by the Oslo before heading back out in the field!

 

[firefighterjake]

Yes....one would be amazed at the amount of foul play that occurs....it'll be nice to come home after long nights and nap by the Oslo before heading back out in the field!

I would not be surprised at all . . . my wife said she heard some gun shots just the other night. And you are correct . . . nothing beats coming inside and plunking down in front of the woodstove in the easy chair after being outside all day on a raw November day.

 

[Game warden]

I am new this week to the F500 Oslo. I too purchased the ivory enamel. I moved my Jotul 3 into the basement for hooking up to the second chimney flue. The Oslo fills the old space beautifully. My main reason for posting this is to share my stove break-in story. I did not have the same horrible experience that others have had in the break-in procedure. I had little to no smoke...there was for sure a new stove smell for the first three burns, but very tolerable. I've burned all day today and can occasionally smell that paint and cement baking in....but that's expected. For sure, two weeks from now there will be no smell at all...given there is much (or any) burning in the warm weather coming. The only reason I'm burning now is to get the stove threw the break in prior to the full-on season. Many people complain about the ash falling onto the front ash lip when you open the door. This DOES happen....but what do you expect?? Big deal folks....it's easily removable...a pair of gloves and a metal ash bin....done and done. It's called heating with wood. I do not yet know what to expect with the ash pan, I've yet to remove it and empty it. I know two people with this stove who just shovel it out. I'll make that decision as I learn to play this stove....after all...they are like instruments......they all sing their own tune and they are only as good as the musician playing them. A tall round liner (24+ feet) is a must for a good draft. Also, get the steel cook plate to replace the enameled top if yours is painted, or it will soon be "not painted". The cook plate will run hotter than the rest of the stove, so if you're going to cook on it, get a small cast iron pan....if you're going to just use a steam pot, get a 100% copper kettle or the like....casties just rust like hell. So far, this stove is very easy to control...no hint of over fire issues. I run the air control between 1/3 to 1/2 open....at about 410 to 425 degrees seems to be this stove's sweet spot....nice soft rolling flames with hot blue runs within fire yellow, silk like waves that ease from the fuel wood. I'm sure I'll fire it a bit hotter as the single digits roll in...today it's 50 deg. F....and I have four windows open on the first floor to let the heat out.....thermostat has said it's 87 degrees in here all day with the windows open....the stove can throw some heat, no doubt. Almost 3200 sq. ft home. No issues getting it into the house, although I did not have to go up or down a full flight of stairs...backed pick up right to double door and with one buddy hand trucked it off with ramps into the house and into its location with use of lifting straps to get it off the shipping pallet. Done...(hint, take out all removable parts, both doors, bottom grate, side interior panel, ash pan, flue adapter and the bricks)...should come close to 100 lbs removed from the 445 you start with. Good luck to you Jotul owners!!

I've burned three times since this last posting...and happy to say there is no smell at all. Ash pan is great, stove is a machine! Thirty six degrees outdoors tonight and dropping a little more...but a rather cozy 80 inside with a nice slow burn at 400 deg. Very pleased with this Oslo so far.

 

[firefighterjake]

I've burned three times since this last posting...and happy to say there is no smell at all. Ash pan is great, stove is a machine! Thirty six degrees outdoors tonight and dropping a little more...but a rather cozy 80 inside with a nice slow burn at 400 deg. Very pleased with this Oslo so far.

HehHeh "a rather cozy 80" to me is more like "a sleep to coma inducing 80 degrees." Although truthfully we tend to run the stove so that the temps in the room are in the mid to high 70s . . . which may explain why I tend to fall asleep a lot while watching TV.

 

[heavy hammer]

As said above nothing better than a cruising stove on a cold rainy night. I'm very happy with my new stoves, but the five years I had my Oslo it was a great stove. Plenty of heat operated very easily, great stove. You will have many years of great heat from it enjoy!