Trouble with flame height, Jotul GF 160 DV

[Justin3356]

I recently purchased a Jotul GF 160 DV, on LP gas service. The stove is pictured below.

The stove is functioning and heating the room. But, the flames are extremely small and almost entirely blue, with the exception of one or two flames. Linked here is a video of the stove operating at the highest flame setting. The flames are considerably smaller than those in videos I have seen of the GF 160 DV.

So far, I have verified that:

• The LP gas inlet pressure (into the manifold) is within limits. Measured with a manometer.
• The manifold pressure (downstream of the regulator) is within limits. Measured with a manometer while increasing the flame level from the lowest to highest settings. The manifold pressure incrementally stepped up from the minimum to maximum pressure per Jotul specifications.
• The air shutter is set to maximize flame height. It is set to the position that restricts air to the maximum extent permitted with the LP gas conversion kit.
• The Vent Restrictor Plate is set to the appropriate position. It is set to position “B,” per an 8’ vertical rise and 1’ horizontal run.

I am at a loss for how to proceed with troubleshooting. Any guidance would be greatly, greatly appreciated. The stove manual is linked below.

Best,
Justin

Jotul GF 160 DV Manual

 

[DAKSY]

Try closing the air shutter in 1/16” increments. Wait about 14-20 minutes between each adjustment. The flames should get more yellowish & taller. If you get to the point where they appear orange with dark tips, you’ve closed the shutter too much.

 

[Justin3356]

Hi Bob, thanks for the response. I previously tried what you suggested — at this point (in the video), it is fully closed (to the max extent possible with the LP gas conversion kit).

 

[Fingerlakes Fireplace]

I would restrict the vent a little more.
And close the venturi a little.
You said you have it closed the whole way, but I do not believe it.
If it was closed, the flames would not look like that.

 

[Justin3356]

I would restrict the vent a little more.
And close the venturi a little.
You said you have it closed the whole way, but I do not believe it.
If it was closed, the flames would not look like that.

Well, you were correct. I thought I had the shutter fully shut. I did not. It was stuck on a small piece of gasket material. The flames are now considerably higher. I will experiment and find a good balance. Thank you.

 

[Justin3356]

I added the rock wool and ember stones. The fire is now significantly larger and yellow; I might actually open the air shutter a bit. An updated video is linked.

If I’m reading the Jotul manual correctly (below), the ember stones can only blocks the back ports, while rock wool can be placed on the front ports. Does anyone know the basis of this? While I trust the Jotul engineers, I don’t really get the logic of it.

Thanks again to everyone who chipped in on this thread earlier.

 

[Lennox65]

The proper placement of logs, stones, and ember material is critical. The fireplace is designed with different sized holes in different locations on the burner to effect the desired flame appearance. If the logs or other media are placed improperly it can cause impingement of the burner flames before complete combustion is achieved. This will result in black soot on the inside of the fireplace and the exterior of the house.

 

[Justin3356]

The proper placement of logs, stones, and ember material is critical. The fireplace is designed with different sized holes in different locations on the burner to effect the desired flame appearance. If the logs or other media are placed improperly it can cause impingement of the burner flames before complete combustion is achieved. This will result in black soot on the inside of the fireplace and the exterior of the house.

Agree. It was interesting to me that, seemingly, the back ports were permitted to be covered with ember stones, and the front ports (as I read it) were permitted to be covered by rock wool.

 

[AdkAl]

I just joined this forum and you might not need any additional information. I installed an LP-converted Jotul Sebago 400 B-vent last fall, so this might be apples to oranges. It replaced a fairly old Vermont Castings LP Radiance.
I followed the directions by first placing the log set and then the ember rocks. (Wool was not included for this stove, but I have it in a Hearthstone stove in a different camp.)

I started with the shutter wide open and the gas on high. The flames were very yellow and high, so I ran it at about half output. After a few weeks there was significant sooting. I called the dealer and he recommended removing the logs and then running it. I went further and took the logs, ember rocks and brick liner kit out and ran it on full output, air shutter fully open with the fire box empty.
The flames then looked exactly like the ones in your photo, very blue and not too tall. The heat output was strong and most of the soot burned itself off. After a week or so, I added the ember rocks being careful not to cover any of the burner orifices even though that wasn’t stated in the installation directions. I also kept them away from the edges of the burner plate as per the instructions. I ran it that way for a few weeks and the flames were still mostly blue and not tall.

Lastly, I reinstalled the log set over the rocks (the reverse of the instructions.) The flames became yellow and much longer above the logs but were still blue coming out of the burner. There isn’t any evidence of sooting after almost a week. I did not reinstall the brick liner kit.

I have a few takeaways from this learning process and also observing my 10 year-old Hearthstone DV.

I feel that it’s best to keep the orifice openings clear of obstructions right on the burner. The first few inches of blue flame might not look like a wood fire but it indicates clean combustion.

When the flames are close to each other and they swirl together, that produces the yellow flame on top of the blue. (It did this with an empty fire box.) That’s from Jotul’s burner design that they like to tout.

With the logs installed the tops of the flames similarly turn yellow when obstructed by the logs.

Finally, as the stove heats up, the yellow flames become somewhat taller. The dealer said this was normal.

Sorry for being so wordy. I hope that any of this is useful. I can’t find websites that allow you to rate gas stoves which would be helpful when considering a purchase, as these appliances are hardly inexpensive. I’ve had fairly good luck with all three of my stoves, albeit with learning curves and repairs along the way. Good luck!