Questions about a used stove: what am I looking at here?

[Tuthmose]

Greetings all from a first-time poster!

I've got a line on a used Jotul at an absurd price, BUT....

The stove is filthy, and in a way that raises questions. It is white enamel, and has smokey discoloration along the bottom edges, all the way around. This sooty-looking crud is worst at the bottom, and fades as one moves up the panels. Does anybody have any clues as to what I'm looking at? Leaking joint cement? Hideous over-firing? Somebody lit a fire with the ash-door open?

Long story short, should this be an indicator that I should cut and run, or is it probably just dirty?

Any experience or suggestions are greatly appreciate!

 

[begreen]

Something went wrong during this stove's lifetime. I'd just be guessing what that was but would be concerned about overfiring. The bubbling of the enamel looks very suspicious. It almost looks like it was previously on a hearth that caught fire or it was retrieved from a house fire. Inspect carefully but based on the pics I'd likely pass on this one.

 

[Alpine1]

Not a Jotul expert here, but looking at the side panel seems that the stove has been over fired to the point of boiling the enamel. I’d leave it where it is, I even doubt that such damage can be fixed since such temperature has probably warped some parts. How does the ash grate looks like?

 

[Tuthmose]

Not a Jotul expert here, but looking at the side panel seems that the stove has been over fired to the point of boiling the enamel. I’d leave it where it is, I even doubt that such damage can be fixed since such temperature has probably warped some parts. How does the ash grate looks like?

What appears to be bubbling on the side panel is actually a design element - a little ship and some waves. It's hard to see under the dirt. I have not seen the stove in person yet, so I cannot comment on the ash grate.

I was wondering if a fire with the ash grate open could have left that soot line. I don't know, as the stove we are running now (a Woodstock soapstone) doesn't have an ash grate, and I've never personally seen the results of that kind of screw-up.

Dirty I can fix. Gaskets I can fix. Warped and fatigued . . . not so much

 

[Tuthmose]

They just sent this image. Correct me if I'm wrong (I've no experience with enamel stoves) but looking at that enamel loss around the door, I'm now assuming they over-fired the heck out of it. If I'm assuming incorrectly, please let me know, but I'm guessing that sweet deal . . . isn't :-(

 

[begreen]

Yes, the interior is where you will need to closely inspect. Whatever the cause of the exterior sooting, it seems unlikely that it is related to how the stove was started. Overfiring problems would typically appear in the interior and at the top, particularly near the flue collar. The glass appears also fogged, not sure why. If the ashpan door had been frequently used to start the fire there is a good chance the base is cracked. You may need to remove the grate, clean out the stove and run a damp rag around the base at grate opening to inspect for hairline cracking. Also look for warping and/or sagging secondary rack and any other interior cracks.

I completely forgot about that detail on the side of the Castine. Must be getting old.

 

[begreen]

They just sent this image. Correct me if I'm wrong (I've no experience with enamel stoves) but looking at that enamel loss around the door, I'm now assuming they over-fired the heck out of it. If I'm assuming incorrectly, please let me know, but I'm guessing that sweet deal . . . isn't :-(

It's possible they ran the stove for a long time with poor or shot door gaskets.

 

[Tuthmose]

I think there are just too many "ifs" at this point. I'm all for a deal that requires some elbow work, but this just doesn't look like it's worth a two-hour-each-way drive for a closer inspection.

Hey, if anybody is more adventurous than me - this thing is in the Harper's Ferry, WV area. Have at it!

Thank you all very much for sharing your experience and help!

 

[begreen]

I think there are just too many "ifs" at this point. I'm all for a deal that requires some elbow work, but this just doesn't look like it's worth a two-hour-each-way drive for a closer inspection.

i would do the same. Keep an eye out for a better cared for stove or maybe pick up a new one made in your neighborhood by Englander.

 

[Alpine1]

Right choice Tuthmose, too many “ifs” on that stove. If I were you, I would have done the same choice.