Looks like my Jotul F45 Greenville has an open seam inside! What am I seeing?!

[From Away]

I picked up a used F45 about 2 years ago in like new condition. It seemed as if the loads wanted to burn from the right side, and the front since I got it, which I thought was odd. I did not remove firebrick and clean it last year, so today I thought to clean it. When I removed the firebrick I found this.

If looks as if there is a seam for construction purposes, Especially down at the bottom is looks as if one piece of the metal is notched into the other.

#1- Is this normal? It is not on the other side.
Maybe it is formed as a box and that is the seam?

#2- Is it double wall, so this is just the inner wall and at worst will only allow draft at that area?
If needed, I will disassemble further to investigate.

#3- Should I get it welded?

There is no warpage on the wall, and in all honesty, I actually burn it low.

Thanks in advance,
Brad

 

[Todd]

That doesn’t look normal to me. I don’t remember seeing that in mine when I placed the bricks inside. Does it look like that on the other side? Almost looks like a steel plate that wasn’t welded? I would take that picture to a local Jotul dealer and have them contact Jotul. Or maybe you could go down to Gorham ME where they built it and ask them?

 

[From Away]

Hey Todd, I was hoping you would see it. You've been a huge help to me learning how to burn this thing. It is not on the other side, it is only on that right side.
I'll reach out to Jotul and check with a dealer here in the area too. I thought to post it here first since I thought I could get and answer faster here than with Jotul, or this dealer in the area.
I'll check back if I hear anything so others can know too.
If anyone else has seen tis, please let me know. I assume I should not burn until I have this figured out?

 

[bholler]

Hey Todd, I was hoping you would see it. You've been a huge help to me learning how to burn this thing. It is not on the other side, it is only on that right side.
I'll reach out to Jotul and check with a dealer here in the area too. I thought to post it here first since I thought I could get and answer faster here than with Jotul, or this dealer in the area.
I'll check back if I hear anything so others can know too.
If anyone else has seen tis, please let me know. I assume I should not burn until I have this figured out?

Sure looks like a crack to me which is crazy.

 

[From Away]

Sure looks like a crack to me which is crazy.

I thought the same thing! And when you look at it, it looks as if it is the seam in the manufacturing process. It looks like it is notched to line up mating the two ends.

 

[Todd]

Yeah I wouldn’t burn it til you get an answer

 

[bholler]

I thought the same thing! And when you look at it, it looks as if it is the seam in the manufacturing process. It looks like it is notched to line up mating the two ends.

Can you pull the cast panel off that side?

 

[begreen]

The shadow line makes it look like overlapping metal. Have you taken off the outside panel to see what it looks like there?
(looks like we are both thinking the same thing)

 

[From Away]

I started taking the outside panel off, but the bottom button head was stripped out. I did finally get it out, but it looks like the side panel is also held on at the top, which looks only to be accessible if I take the top off. I am going to pull it off tomorrow after work, hopefully, and get that panel off.

 

[From Away]

I'll be sure to post up as soon as I get it off. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Crab]

After I bought the F45 but before I burned it I found a large weld hump on the floor of the stove that pushed one of the bottom bricks up substantially. Jotul said don't worry about it, well I ground it down some. I did at that time take a photo of the firebox that shows the weld but also the seam my F45 has. I never removed the side panel. It appeared to me to be a seam that was welded on the outside. I will be interested in what you see on the outside. I have attached the photo from Jan2017

 

[From Away]

Ah! That looks promising! I need to get that side cover off, that will answer it all. Hopefully, I find a weld there, I tried peeking up under it, but the weld I saw looks to be further back from where that seem is when I measure from the front of the stove to the seam, and where the weld is on the side. But again, with the cover off I can be sure.

 

[Crab]

A couple more pics from 2017.

 

[From Away]

I am so glad to see this! I hope the weld is on the outside there and all is well! It looks just like yours, so I am probably fine. But I am going to tear that side cover off just to be sure.

On another note, that cover in the front when removed gives access to the draft slide. My cover was on backwards from yours, and had a fender washer under the side toward the door.

Is that cover supposed to be facing like Crab's, with the bent up part toward the firebox, not the glass? And is there supposed to be a washer under it in the middle?

 

[Crab]

Ah! That looks promising! I need to get that side cover off, that will answer it all. Hopefully, I find a weld there, I tried peeking up under it, but the weld I saw looks to be further back from where that seem is when I measure from the front of the stove to the seam, and where the weld is on the side. But again, with the cover off I can be sure.

I'll be looking forward to your pics and some real good disassembly instructions ...I was not impressed when I saw that weld. The seam looks wide above the notch. I did buy the F45 new.

 

[Crab]

On another note, that cover in the front when removed gives access to the draft slide. My cover was on backwards from yours, and had a fender washer under the side toward the door.

Is that cover supposed to be facing like Crab's, with the bent up part toward the firebox, not the glass? And is there supposed to be a washer under it in the middle?

I just replaced the gasket on the doghouse cover. I certainly could have reversed it but looking very hard and magnified at the parts breakdown it looks like the bend is towards the firebox. Also look at my 2017 pic of the firebox you will see the bend is on the firebox side. I did not have a fender washer??? Not sure where you saw that.

 

[From Away]

I was wrong. That piece can only go on one way. Mine was like yours, but there was a fender washer under it in the middle and no gasket. the pic is of the underside of it with the bend toward the firebox. See where the washer was?

 

[Crab]

I surely do not have a washer but for sure I have a gasket.
The Jotul Part # 224355 Inspection Cover Gasket.
I ordered both that gasket and the flue collar one. Last year I had to remove the flue collar to drill some holes in order to secure the DVL to it and it messed up the gasket. I replaced both a couple weeks ago. Gaskets were cheap enough but shipping wasn't??? I ordered them from Silver Valley Wood Stove Parts but there is a place in New England that never called me back. Can't remember the name of the company.

 

[From Away]

Well then, looks like the owners before me added that washer for some reason. I'll buy the gasket for when I put it back together. Glad I asked!

 

[Todd]

From Away, do you have the V2 or older model? There may be slight differences in the slide mechanism?

 

[Crab]

Parts diagram does show a 8mm fender washer under the slide on both mine and the V2, but its under the slide.

 

[BigJ273]

Sure looks like a crack to me which is crazy.

A BIG one. And pretty uniform. Ur right. Crazy

 

[Crab]

It's a welded seam

 

[From Away]

Hey Todd, it is the V1.

 

[From Away]

I downloaded the manual from Jotul and as Crab said, and posted pics of, it is a welded seam. It can be seen on the exploded parts view in the manual. I am still going to make sure that the weld is not cracked, but this looks to be totally normal.
Thanks for all the help and insight!