Thoughts? Jotul Stove Fire Dies When Door is Closed

[jcbmv11]

I recently purchased a Jotul Oslo, which I'm told is a top-of-the-line wood stove. This stove has a small air-intake adjustment knob on the front and an ash-box door on the bottom. When the ash box door is open, a ton of air is allowed to enter the stove from the bottom grate and the fire rages. However, the stove should not need this door open to grow and maintain a fire. In fact, the manufacturer recommends not opening the ash door at all when the stove is in use. That being said, we are finding it virtually impossible to grow a fire with the ash door closed and the main intake knob all the way open. When we do have a fire going, it will slowly die if the ash box door closed and the knob is all the way open. Thoughts?

 

[bholler]

I recently purchased a Jotul Oslo, which I'm told is a top-of-the-line wood stove.

What moisture content is your wood at what type size and height chimney do you have

 

[jcbmv11]

What moisture content is your wood at what type size and height chimney do you have

About 20% moisture content. Our chimney is a traditional masonry chimney about 30' tall.

 

[begreen]

Using the ash pan door to feed air to the fire is a sure way to crack the stove base which is a very expensive repair. Definitely don't do this.

About 20% moisture content. Our chimney is a traditional masonry chimney about 30' tall.

The behavior is very similar to the way our F400 behaved when I was feeding it wet wood. The wood was 2 yr seasoned maple, but water had puddled on the tarp and eventually worked its way down through the stacks. How is the moisture content being tested?

Is this a basement stove? If so, try opening a close by window or door an inch and see if that livens up the fire. Is there a 6" stainless steel liner in the chimney? If not, what is the ID of the chimney tile?

 

[bholler]

About 20% moisture content. Our chimney is a traditional masonry chimney about 30' tall.

What is your procedure for testing that moisture content?
What size is the liner in the chimney? How is the stove hooked to it?

And running the stove with the ash door open will destroy the stove eventually

 

[jcbmv11]

What is your procedure for testing that moisture content?
What size is the liner in the chimney? How is the stove hooked to it?

And running the stove with the ash door open will destroy the stove eventually

i have a moisture meter.

The stove is hooked to the chimney via damper plate replacement and flue pipe as shown in figure 14 of the manual

 

[kennyp2339]

So you taking a room temp piece of wood, splitting it and checking the fresh split face with the meter right?

 

[moor]

Are you splitting the wood first and testing the fresh face? Also if the wood is cold it will read lower than it really is. Make sure you are bringing it in overnight to get it up to temp before testing it. When i first started my wood was reading round 18-20 cold and 24-28 when it was warmed up.
Edit- I see kenny beat me to it

 

[begreen]

i have a moisture meter.

The stove is hooked to the chimney via damper plate replacement and flue pipe as shown in figure 14 of the manual

If the stove is direct connected to a fireplace flue, that could be the issue. Often fireplace flues are too large. Do you know what the ID of the chimney is?

 

[bholler]

i have a moisture meter.

The stove is hooked to the chimney via damper plate replacement and flue pipe as shown in figure 14 of the manual

How are you using the moisture meter? And are you saying you just have a stub of pipe run through the damper of a fireplace?

 

[jcbmv11]

So you taking a room temp piece of wood, splitting it and checking the fresh split face with the meter right?

yep. just measured 23%

 

[bholler]

yep. just measured 23%

That's a little wet but I am sure the biggest problem is the chimney setup

 

[jcbmv11]

That's a little wet but I am sure the biggest problem is the chimney setup

could there be some sort of manufacturers defect with the air intake? or is there a way to test the chimney setup? it seems to be drafting fine. no smoke comes in the house

 

[SpaceBus]

That's a little wet but I am sure the biggest problem is the chimney setup

I thought there was no possible way Jotul would suggest a "slammer" type install. However, I was mistaken.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Not to repeat advice that’s already been given but don’t ever open that ash pan door when there is any kind of fire or coal activity in the stove. It will turn it into a forge and crack the stove. Worse even, if the ash pan is opened after ignition and then fails to seal again, ie there is a gasket malfunction, you will have no way to control the fire.

We have owned an F400 and an F600. Wood at 23% moisture would definitely have given us trouble on start up, especially if it was hardwood. Those stoves liked DRY wood.

 

[bholler]

could there be some sort of manufacturers defect with the air intake? or is there a way to test the chimney setup? it seems to be drafting fine. no smoke comes in the house

I seriously doubt it. The chimney is what drives your stove and your chimney is drastically oversized for your stove meaning it just won't work properly

 

[bholler]

I thought there was no possible way Jotul would suggest a "slammer" type install. However, I was mistaken.

View attachment 309065

That is a direct connect not a slammer. Still not good but better than a slammer

 

[SpaceBus]

That is a direct connect not a slammer. Still not good but better than a slammer

It's not even direct connect. They say to stop the stovepipe at the same point as the tile liner starts with no coupling. I can't believe their lawyers let this go.

 

[bholler]

It's not even direct connect. They say to stop the stovepipe at the same point as the tile liner starts with no coupling. I can't believe their lawyers let this go.

That's how they are all done. There is no way to make a real coupling

 

[SpaceBus]

I guess you can't get up there to make a block off. It seems unsafe to do at all without a full length liner.

 

[bholler]

I guess you can't get up there to make a block off. It seems unsafe to do at all without a full length liner.

Oh it is a bad setup for sure. Not saying otherwise. Just not as bad as a slammer

 

[begreen]

I thought there was no possible way Jotul would suggest a "slammer" type install. However, I was mistaken.

View attachment 309065

That's not a slammer, it's a direct connect. If the blockoff plate fitting is sloppy then that will further dilute the draft.

Note the caveat with flue sizing for this stove.

The chimney flue size should not be less than the cross-sectional area of the stove flue collar, and not more than three times greater than the cross-sectional area of the flue collar.

 

[jcbmv11]

That's not a slammer, it's a direct connect. If the blockoff plate fitting is sloppy then that will further dilute the draft.

Note the caveat with flue sizing for this stove.

The chimney flue size should not be less than the cross-sectional area of the stove flue collar, and not more than three times greater than the cross-sectional area of the flue collar.

the flue is rather small….maybe 10” in diameter. So, I don’t think it’s oversized.

 

[kborndale]

the flue is rather small….maybe 10” in diameter. So, I don’t think it’s oversized.

Your stove is supposed to have a 6" flue, 10" is definitely oversized.

 

[begreen]

With dry wood and a full-length, insulated, 6" stainless liner connected to the Jotul you will think you have a whole new stove.