My "new" Jotul F600 - questions and issues

[garybeck]

Hello, for those of you not familiar with my saga.... My pellet stove died and I decided to go back to wood. I did a bunch of research and found Jotul to be a very respected and reliable manufacturer and I looked around for the F600, the biggest one they make because I am hoping for it to be the main source of heat for me 2000+ sqft, two story house.

It was quite an effort but the stove is in now and I've had fires for a few days. it does put out good heat but i'm having some issues.

the first thing is that I can't push the primary air control lever all the way to the left. it gets stuck at about 3/4. it also is sometimes difficult to move it back and forth even within the range I can move it. sometimes it moves freely but sometimes it is stuck at that 3/4 spot and I have to wiggle it a lot to get it back. it has never gone past the that 3/4 spot. it feels like there is some linkage in there that needs to be cleaned up or greased?

I have never seen flames coming out of the secondary burn tubes. I'm thinking maybe that only happens when the primary air control is all the way to the left, which would explain why. I've gotten it up to 500+ degrees and still no secondary air burning.

It seems to burn wood a lot faster than i thought it would. i've read about 8 hour + burn times, but it seems to need more wood every hour or two. this could also have to do with the air control being unable to go all the way to the left?

Naturally I tried to find some linkage that needs some grease, or something that is causing the lever to get stuck. I took out the ash pan and looked in there and didn't see anything.

If anyone has ideas about how to fix the lever, or other suggestions about how to get this stove to operate better, please let me know.

thanks!
gary in vermont

 

[begreen]

There were some issues with early F500 & 600 air control levers. This may be one of the stoves that didn't get the update. You can pull the doghouse cover and check the operation of the air control. Try spreading some graphite lube in there on the slider valve tracks to make it operate smoother. And contact your Jotul dealer for the updated air control lever.

 

[DAKSY]

 

[begreen]

I just used lock graphite powder on our F400, but that spray will work too.

 

[JVB]

I apply a coat of high temp Never-Seez on the sliding portion at the beginning of each heating season & the air control works smoothly until Spring.

 

[garybeck]

There were some issues with early F500 & 600 air control levers. This may be one of the stoves that didn't get the update. You can pull the doghouse cover and check the operation of the air control. Try spreading some graphite lube in there on the slider valve tracks to make it operate smoother. And contact your Jotul dealer for the updated air control lever.

thanks, i will do that. i assume it's pretty easy to remove the doghouse cover.

 

[begreen]

thanks, i will do that. i assume it's pretty easy to remove the doghouse cover.

Yes, just 2 (10mm?) bolts. Once the cover is off, it's easy to see and service the slider valve. Jotul does have a replacement handle that corrects the problem if yours is an early model.

 

[JVB]

What year did the F600 come out? Mine is a 2004 & that sliding plate requires lubing seasonaly. Don't see how a different handle would cure the sticking plate issue.

 

[garybeck]

What year did the F600 come out? Mine is a 2004 & that sliding plate requires lubing seasonaly. Don't see how a different handle would cure the sticking plate issue.

mine is 2006 i believe. i removed the ashpan cover (4 bolts, 1/2") but I don't see any moving parts still. what else do I have to do to get in there?

 

[garybeck]

Yes, just 2 (10mm?) bolts. Once the cover is off, it's easy to see and service the slider valve. Jotul does have a replacement handle that corrects the problem if yours is an early model.

I guess mine is a little different. there were four bolts and they were 1/2" (maybe 13mm). unfortunately removing that cover did no reveal any moving parts. i'm not sure what is next I don't want to dismantle the whole stove...

 

[DAKSY]

Can you get a pic of what's under the doghouse?

 

[whtl4856]

On my F600 (2019) there are still two and a half or three of the lobes underneath the air control lever to the left of the lever when it is fully closed and three to the right when it’s fully open. I don’t think the lever is supposed to go all the way to the - and + signs.

Regarding your secondary burns and burn times - I typically get flames shooting out of the tubes more when I have it loaded almost all the way to the tubes. When it is not loaded as high I still get secondary burn but it looks quite a bit different, more like blue northern lights that meet between the logs and the tubes.

This is my rookie season with the stove as well so take my information with a grain of salt.

 

[JVB]

I guess mine is a little different. there were four bolts and they were 1/2" (maybe 13mm). unfortunately removing that cover did no reveal any moving parts. i'm not sure what is next I don't want to dismantle the whole stove...

You want to be removing the 5"(?) long cover just inside the front doors. Only 2 bolts to remove.

 

[begreen]

What year did the F600 come out? Mine is a 2004 & that sliding plate requires lubing seasonaly. Don't see how a different handle would cure the sticking plate issue.

They modified the angle of the lever IIRC. That helped push it more in the proper direction instead of wedging it.

 

[stovelark]

Firelight came out in 1993, originally as a top loading catalytic version. This was produced into 1999, then the Firelight 12 CB came out (Clean burn). The side door (right side facing the stove) had the removable stove handle that opened the front doors and the side door.
A couple of seasons later the side door had the handle attached (like the Oslo), it was called the Firelight F600 at that point. The air control handle was refashioned once or twice, I found most sticky air controls, if you remove the dogshack (2 10MM screws like BG said) removed the slider plate and smoothed the edges down (a lot had rough edges from the casting process) that would take care of the issue. All air controls, most did not go back and forth 100 percent to cover the lobes or the - and + marks on the ashlips. For Oslos and Firelights, full charges of wood brought out the visual secondary burning display. If you are able to hig 400-600 stove top temps with your firewood used, and the air control slows down the flames burning, secondary burning is happening. Enjoy your Firelight, that is a flagship stove.