I've been getting a little smoke coming out of the seams and on top by where the vent pipe meets the stove on my brand new Jotul 500 Olso. This happens during start-up in the AM and when it cools down at night. Not too much smoke at night, but I've seen puffs coming out. I had to buy 2 top-of-the line air purifiers and run them all day as long as the wood-burning stove is on. Jotuls are not sealed fireboxes, and I'm having a hard time with this--as most new wood stoves are not sealed nowadays--thanks to the idiots at the EPA in Washington, D.C. You'd think they would have addressed this and that if these boxes are smoking during the night and you're breathing it, sooner or later there are going to be lung problems (e.g., lung cancer for one). I did not know this problem after doing a ton of research on the Jotuls and other stoves. I had an Avalon for over 23 years and never had this problem because it was a sealed cast iron box. I miss that wood-burning stove and couldn't bring it when we moved. I wonder if anyone has made complaints to the EPA about this issue on all these new wood burning stoves? Or, is it that the EPA is trying to do away with them?
Smoke issue with brand new Jotul 500 Oslo
- Thread starter PAres
- Start date
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Your avalon wasn't sealed and was an epa approved stove as well. The epa didn't design the stove either they just set standards to meet.
How tall is your chimney and what is your pipe setup?
Avalon never leaked. I get it that the EPA didn't design the stove, but they set standards which may or may not be proper. They're just a bunch of bureaucrats with so-called "experts". Such "experts" as attorneys, who I went at it with over the use of wood burning stoves and Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) formed by incomplete combustion, and several of these are carcinogenic. Beat him on the argument since asphalt, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, car exhaust, etc. all have PAHs.
Chimney is 3 feet over the roof of the house, and it's over 20 feet high. Pipe set-up was done by Jotul installer.
Chimney is 3 feet over the roof of the house, and it's over 20 feet high. Pipe set-up was done by Jotul installer.
Ok so height of the chimney should be fine as long as you don't have tons of elbows. I just don't think it's fair to blame the epa when many other manufacturers and even jotul have met those standards with stoves having no issues. The new 500 is just problematic
Have you heard of others with problems with the new 500? If so, I'd like just the comments (no names necessary).
what might help,is seeing how you find the smoke coming out mostly on cold starts. preheat flue with rolled up newspaper or hairdryer
Masonry/Concrete chimney (Class A?) with stone hearth. Metal Cap is 3 feet from top of chimney & made of brick. Flue is clay.
What size clay liner. Even if it's the smaller 7x7 interior clay that is still pretty oversized and being uninsulated masonry it's going to take more heat and more time to establish and maintain a good draft. Is the cleanout sealed well with no open block cores etc?
It's either 6 X6 or 7 X 7. The cleanout is a steel door that shuts tightly. Once the wood-burning stove is producing a good fire, you can see the smoke coming out of the chimney outside pretty quickly. The problem I have is the smoke puffs coming out of the seams and top where the pipe is connected when I start the stove. When it cools down, there are some puffs also. Not so much, but you can still smell it and see from where it comes out. I don't think they thought this through. Wonder if a wood-burning stove sealant would work to seal the seams?
Those are symptoms of low draft. Tge pipe may not fit well enough. But with proper draft smoke should not escape even if not sealed well. Air would be drawn in. I would make sure there are no open block cores behind the cleanout door. Then run a bead of silicone around the door. When it's time to use the cleanout cut the silicone but leave it there as a gasket.
Those things may make enough difference to make it work. Or the oversized flue may just not be making enough draft for the new stove
Wisco Shepherd
Minister of Fire
I agree poor draft. If you have been having a mild winter like us that can make it tougher as well. Agree with recommendation to preheat the flue or get a nice hot top down start.
