Jotul wood stove maintenance video's.

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pauljam52

Member
Jan 23, 2018
7
Dix Hills, NY
I would like to do some maintenance on my Jotul Oslo 500 and I have been looking on youtube for any maintenance videos but all they show are useless stoves burning. Does anyone know of any site that might have some good videos of work being done on these stoves it would really help me and others out. Thanks
 
My Oslo 500 is on order and in the previous months I've been looking for anything and everything on that stove. As you have said - lot's of videos of the fire burning with pan flute music playing in the background!!! ;lol

I did find this video that at least showed me how this particular owner checks his stove over. He starts out with his wood supply and then gets into the stove maintenance.

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Can't comment on how "good" it is, since I don't have mine yet, but at least I got to see how he takes it apart to clean it, how he checks the gaskets, etc.
 
I have my Oslo 10 Years now and it is a great stove but it is just not putting out the same heat it used to give. My stove temps now average 300 to 400 now just a few years ago it was 400 to 550 range, my liner was cleaned and checked out they say everything is good. My secondary burn is not happening much now and I never changed any parts on the stove yet, I just need some advice to get higher temps from the stove.
Thanks again
 
Is it possible that there has been a change in the wood supply? Perhaps this could be due to a different species of wood, shorter seasoning time, different sized splits, wood got a bit damp due to a leaky tarp, etc..
 
Thanks for that video it was useful a true woodburner, but I still need to get some tips to get the most out of my stove.

pauljam - Ah, you were looking for sort of a problem solving video. I've not seen anything like that.

I'll jump in with begreen and say wood could be the culprit. Do you have a moisture meter? If so let us know what you are getting.

When I first joined the forum a wondered what all the buzz was over the moisture meter. I've got one now and wouldn't be without one. For almost any burn issues: hard to start, low temps, little to no secondaries, ya gotta start with knowing the moisture level of your wood.
 
I believe my wood is good, I have 2 sources and one of them is over 2 yrs seasoned the other measured around 17-19 moisture and they both burn about the same temps. I plan to change the ceramic blanket on top of the baffle it looks pretty rough and I would like to know more about the air chamber and how to inspect it.
 
I believe my wood is good, I have 2 sources and one of them is over 2 yrs seasoned the other measured around 17-19 moisture and they both burn about the same temps. I plan to change the ceramic blanket on top of the baffle it looks pretty rough and I would like to know more about the air chamber and how to inspect it.
See if there is ash and sote building up on the blanket or around the flue collar. Or if the blanket is bunched up toward the rear of the baffle and restricting flow.
 
If that blanket is "looking rough", I'd say it doesn't owe you anything after 10 years so replacing that would give a fresh start. I PM'ed you some details on this as well.
 
Can't comment on how "good" it is, since I don't have mine yet, but at least I got to see how he takes it apart to clean it, how he checks the gaskets, etc.

2nd EPA stove I've purchased. The first one we wont even talk about, but it was junk. My thoughts are, nice looking stove, well built, heats my 1600 sq ft house OK. Since I've I replaced the fore mentioned junk stove with a blaze king, I've come to realize that jotul is a nice looking wood eater. I have to load it 4 to 5 times a day when Michigan winter is at it worst. The blanket needs to be changed every other year, and keep an I on the top baffle. The blaze king is in my shop, separate building of equal size. The Jotul had s been my main home heater for 8 years now.
 
2nd EPA stove I've purchased. The first one we wont even talk about, but it was junk. My thoughts are, nice looking stove, well built, heats my 1600 sq ft house OK. Since I've I replaced the fore mentioned junk stove with a blaze king, I've come to realize that jotul is a nice looking wood eater. I have to load it 4 to 5 times a day when Michigan winter is at it worst. The blanket needs to be changed every other year, and keep an I on the top baffle. The blaze king is in my shop, separate building of equal size. The Jotul had s been my main home heater for 8 years now.

Well if the OP has had the original blanket in there for 10 years (and it sounds like he has) - that sure seems like a smoking gun!

I'm curious - what happens to that blanket? After 2 years does the heat break it down and it just crumbles or something? Thanks.
 
It flattens out, so Im told. I was advised by the dealer to change it. I was complaining about lack of performance after the 3 year. It seemed to help but, all in all im kinda disappointing in this stove, especially after seeing the big improvement with the BK.
 
It flattens out, so Im told. I was advised by the dealer to change it. I was complaining about lack of performance after the 3 year. It seemed to help but, all in all im kinda disappointing in this stove, especially after seeing the big improvement with the BK.

So, nothing glaringly obvious with it, but more of a preventive maintenance thing. Hopefully this will be helpful to the OP.

And I know you are impressed with your BK ... I think the writing's on the wall for your Oslo ... that's going to be out of there one of these years and sooner than later.
 
To inspect the secondary air manifold it is best to remove the top. With the blanket out and the baffle plates out ( they slide sort of back then down between the tubes) you can easily access the 3 bolts that hold the top on. Give them plenty of PB power blaster and let them sit a day or so. It's unpleasant when they break.
 
And I know you are impressed with your BK ... I think the writing's on the wall for your Oslo ... that's going to be out of there one of these years and sooner than later.


Sooner is more like it, already talked to the dealer. will have it up and running next season
 
Thanks Guys for your input The weather is not bad so I cut back on the stove usage now. I put my phone in the stove and shot some photos to check the blanket and exhaust chamber it is clear no blockage.This summer I will attempt to try some suggestions starting with the blanket not sure if I want to remove the top of the stove I don't want to make more problems. I live on Long Island and this week the weather will be 60 deg. go figure
 
In the YouTube video in post #2 the Oslo owner cleans out by taking off the oval plate (at 4:15 in the video).
My comment: Don't take off the oval plate. Lift the take off the whole top. You'll have more access to inside of stove.
My comment from old thread:
Leave 3 bolts off top, but leave 2 bolts on oval plate.

It didn't take too long to unbolt top using 10 mm socket wrench (back bolt is a tight squeeze for fingers) but it was easier than I thought it would be from reading previous threads. It really makes it easy to inspect and clean blanket and tubes and access flue. Had a thick layer of very fine ash on top of blanket after 5 burning seasons. Jotul manual has scant maintenance info.
I've burned with top unbolted for first season with no problem. Top has a lot of weight to hold gasket in place. No need however to remove bolts from oval plate (If it ain't broke ...) - since top comes off anyway to access, the oval plate gasket slides around and is tough to set back in place, and there is not much weight to hold plate in place.
 
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In the YouTube video in post #2 the Oslo owner cleans out by taking off the oval plate (at 4:15 in the video).
My comment: Don't take off the oval plate. Lift the take off the whole top. You'll have more access to inside of stove.
My comment from old thread:
Leave 3 bolts off top, but leave 2 bolts on oval plate.

It didn't take too long to unbolt top using 10 mm socket wrench (back bolt is a tight squeeze for fingers) but it was easier than I thought it would be from reading previous threads. It really makes it easy to inspect and clean blanket and tubes and access flue. Had a thick layer of very fine ash on top of blanket after 5 burning seasons. Jotul manual has scant maintenance info.
I've burned with top unbolted for first season with no problem. Top has a lot of weight to hold gasket in place. No need however to remove bolts from oval plate (If it ain't broke ...) - since top comes off anyway to access, the oval plate gasket slides around and is tough to set back in place, and there is not much weight to hold plate in place.

The OP has put this on hold now that his weather has warmed up, but I still find this interesting and helpful. Why not get full access (by removing the top) and leave the oval plate alone, so you don't have to mess with it and its gasket.
 
Mine is a 2000 vintage Oslo. It has the two piece cast iron burn plates. I slide out, to the front the insulation blanket. Then slide out the plates to the front. I can get a paint brush above the tubes to clean the chimney back shelf. I haven't cleaned out the tubes. I looks like the bolts would break. I have a roll of the blanket material. I replace it every 2-3 years. This year i replaced the insulation in back of the burn plate on the side door.
 
Still trying to figure out this whole replacing of the insulating material so frequently . . . I clean above the baffle board and remove the "blanket" to do so every Fall and I didn't replace the blanket until just last year -- 8 or so years in -- and honestly it could have probably gone another few years.

I have chubby fingers (but small hands) and have never had a problem removing just the oval cover plate.
 
Still trying to figure out this whole replacing of the insulating material so frequently . . . I clean above the baffle board and remove the "blanket" to do so every Fall and I didn't replace the blanket until just last year -- 8 or so years in -- and honestly it could have probably gone another few years.

I have chubby fingers (but small hands) and have never had a problem removing just the oval cover plate.

I've been wondering that same thing - I wonder if on the newer stoves with the baffle board rather than the cast iron baffle "plates" the insulation blanket is under less "thermal stress" because of the insulation value of the baffle board???
 
My insulation blanket is 1/2 thick. After a year or two of cleaning and handling it, the top surface gets a bit lumpy. I don't think the heat does much to it. Probably nothing wrong with it but I have the material so I replace it.