# Jotul c550 Rockland tips thread



## rockreid

Seeing how this large stove is new I think there needs to be a ongoing thread about how to operate this popular insert.

As a complete n00b to wood burning I have found through 3 days of experience that stacking a few splits stacked high and keeping the throttle on about 1/2 to 1/4 gives a good secondary burn for a long time on relatively little wood. My wood so far is not seasoned that well, although I have yet to break into my main oak cord and a half that has been stacked in full sun all summer long. 

Yesterday and last night I was able to keep the house in the upper 60's and even up to 71 or 72f despite dropping outside temps to 46 or so. The wife made me fire it up again early in the day but by choice I might not have done so. I am balancing trying to keep the wife happy and saving wood for when it gets really cold here in January-March. I adjusted the blower fan to about 1/2 speed all day. My plan is to try to drop oil burning use by 1/2 this year. We'll see. But tonight there is one more burn because temps are supposed to drop to 40 before weather heating up the rest of this week.

Also, I have been having a problem keeping the large glass area clean, I suppose because of my wood quality. I have cleaned it every day with newspaper and ash. Not fun. I hope I don't have to do this every day. For those Rockland burners with well seasoned wood I would be interested in hearing if you too have a clean glass problem.


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## soxfan13

I would be interested in exchanging strategies and ideas.  I lit the first fire of the season yesterday.  In my short time using this stove it does throw a lot of heat, but I haven't gotten the long burn times though.  I think the longest I have gotten is 5 hours.  Part of it is that I like the fire aspect so if there is no fire or mostly coals I will put more wood in even though the stove is still throwing some serious heat.  I guess I could let it go another hour or so before the heat output would have changed significantly.

I have been cutting the air all the way back.  I do get good secondaries but not for a super long time....maybe 1/2 hour to an hour.  I guess I thought cutting the air all the way back would give me a longer burn time but.....maybe getting a longer secondary burn would in the end produce more heat which would make for a longer burn time.

-still very tired sox fan


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## woodheat

I agree, lets try to keep a thread going about best ways to burn the 550 Rockland. Having my 2nd fire of this year tonight. Burned for a month or so at the end of last season, but still have much to learn. I too have only been able to get 5 hours max out of the stove. I would love to find a way to get it to go 8 so it would last through the night.

The two fire this year so far I have tried the top down lighting method. I see how it is beneficial in the fact the fire does not collapse on itself, but I have to practice on getting the correct kindling / split size ratio. The first fire was very slow to get up to temp. the second fire was better using more kindling and a little smaller bottom splits. I did not need to add wood for 2 hours after lighting and the fire did not collapse on itself.

I was having an issue with the blower affecting the burn when I turned it up the flames in the top would start going crazy. I used stove caulk and sealed the inside bottom back shroud and it seems to have stopped the effect. I am not sure yet if it helped the burn time because We have just had small fires so far. 

Many recommendation talk of raking coals forward before reloading, I will try it tonight before bed.


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## rockreid

wow...I definitely do not have an air sealing/blower problem with my unit. It seems very airtight and easily adjustable using the airflow slider control. 

I am learning that keeping my half-seasoned wood away from the glass helps a great deal in keeping it clear. What really seems to cloud the glass is turning the air control down all the way when I go to bed. I want to try some Liberty or Bio Bricks to see if dry fuel helps in this regard, but I called a place today that would deliver to Stamford one ton for $370 total... I don't think that makes economic sense.

Right now it is dropping to 40f tonight and the house temp is 70f using only the Jotul. Bear in mind this is a 2600sf house or so. I'm very happy to not be using any Oil fuel at all so far. Hopefully I can get away with not using any oil at all until the dregs of winter set in late December or January.


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## soxfan13

I move the coals around to cover the whole stove evenly before I put more wood in.   Also, I have a magnetic thermometer where the air is blown out from the blowers.  I can get it to regularly read in the 600 - 700 range.


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## Willman

> I want to try some Liberty or Bio Bricks


I read that BBricks will void Jotuls warranty. Easy to overfire I guess.


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## rockreid

yes, I heard that too. If I did experiment with Biobricks I would start out with just 4 bricks stacked in a tight cube and see what that does. I think the overfiring happens when people stuff the whole stove full of these compressed wood bricks to try to get overnight burn times.


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## feuerundflamme

Please continue to share your experiences. We just had ours installed and are waiting for a needed heat shield under our mantle before we fire it up. OK, that's all I have to share for now. Nothing to contribute yet. First post 

Thanks & a good night now


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## johnnywarm

feuerundflamme said:
			
		

> Please continue to share your experiences. We just had ours installed and are waiting for a needed heat shield under our mantle before we fire it up. OK, that's all I have to share for now. Nothing to contribute yet. First post
> 
> Thanks & a good night now




Will you be able to post a pic of the Mantel's shield installed??

Thanks John


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## woodheat

Last nights results - The stove was down to coals around 9:30 pm ( 250 degrees reading with IR top center where air blows out. I raked all the coals to the front as some have suggested to do ( there were a lot of them). This left a space in the back all the way down to dead ashes. I put 2 splits in the back right on top of each other and one in the front on top of the coals I raked forward, then I put one more on top between the 2 top ones. The splits were half moon about 4 inches thick and 16 inches long. I left the air control wide open for 1/2 hour then reduced it to 1/2 the all the way closed 15 minutes later. The chimney did smoke quite a bit after reload because it seemed to take some time before the front log on the coals got going well.  I woke up around 3:30am and the stove was down to coals, but still burning bright, The temp was back down to 255 and still putting out heat. That was 6-6.5 hours from 250 up and back down to 250. This is the longest burn time I have gotten yet. 

Next time I am going to try 18 inch logs maybe a little bigger and see if I can get 5 splits in instead of 4. I could have easily fit 1 or 2 more in last night, but the shape of the logs made me concerned that one might roll toward the door, so I left it out. I am also  going to try a couple kindling pieces under the front log when I reload to kick start it hopefully reducing the heavy smoke after reload.


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## rockreid

anyone heard a bang come from inside the Rockland?

Two nights in a row, the secondaries were firing up good and I hear a bang or thump from inside the insert... my IR temp reader indicated 650 at the top of the stove inside the blower air outlet near the pipe. I hope I'm not overfiring, as I only had 3 splits + a solid bed of coals going with the air control in between 1/2 and 1/3 open. I have never stuffed the insert full of splits.


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## soxfan13

I have not heard an atypical loud bang....just the stove expanding.  I have a thermometer located at the blower outlet and I regularly have temps in the 600 to 700 range with no issue.  I have gotten the thermometer up to 800 with no issue...I think


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## bdog

Hello from a new member.

Reading your comments etc I have to ask, are you happy with the Rockland?  

We purchased one a couple weeks ago and it is scheduled for installation this Friday.  Our fireplace flue tile is cracked in multiple places and when we loked at the cost of relining etc, and the wasted heat of the fireplce, we decided to go for an insert (I've been wanting a stove for a loooong time - the house I grew up in was only wood heat)  

There were a few other units I liked a little better, but my wife really insisted on a flush face unit, and something that looks more like a fireplace or "Ben Franklin" than a typical stove (I have to admit, I like the cast iron face as well, it reminds me of the stove we had in the house I grew up in).  Also, from our local dealers, the Rockland was the largest firebox we could find in a flush face unit at a reasonable price.  I liked the Napoleons, but the prices from the only dealer that had any were too steep for my wallet.

Also, any other tips and suggestions regarding this unit would be appreciated.

Thanks!!


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## rockreid

so far so good. 

I think the Jotul Rockland is a compromise unit, and a good one. It is the same story over and over here on this forum that the wife decides the Rockland (or the other flush-faced units) are the only ones that will be allowed in the house without protest. It is true that as far as raw efficiency and heat output there are better units on paper, but one cannot discount the wife factor and keeping a happy home. Yes, I am whipped.

With temps again down to 40 last night, I still have not fired up the oil furnace this season, so far so good as far as the Rockland being able to reasonably heat my home. I have been burning about a week now with just half-seasoned oak. This next week starting today will be heating up a bit so the Jotul will sit idle and hopefully I won't have to burn through any more cordwood before winter really hits.


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## labrador

Let's all keep this Jotul 550 Rockland thread going. There are enough of us out there to mutually solve any problem any one of us might have. The temps up here, (Schoharie county, NY) have been 32 for the past two nights and the 550 has more than done its job. By morning there are still some coals and and the house temp is 62. It is heating the second floor of a ranch home at least 1600 sq. ft. on one floor. Wife and I have built a second woodshed to accomodate even more wood. Size is 16x6x8. That should do it.


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## EddyKilowatt

woodheat said:
			
		

> Next time I am going to try 18 inch logs maybe a little bigger and see if I can get 5 splits in instead of 4. I could have easily fit 1 or 2 more in last night, but the shape of the logs made me concerned that one might roll toward the door, so I left it out. I am also  going to try a couple kindling pieces under the front log when I reload to kick start it hopefully reducing the heavy smoke after reload.



Have you got any splits that are square-ish and 6 inches or more on a side?  I think that big cross-sections of wood is one of the biggest factors in getting a long burn time... regardless of stove.  They are more difficult to fit in the firebox, and they take longer to get going... but those thick cross-sections are what gives the long burn time in my experience.

Eddy


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## bdog

Labrador,

Sounds great!!  I cannot wait until mine is installed on Friday.  The weekend is supposed to be pretty warm, so it should be good for some small break-in fires (assuming I will need to open the windows).

Built another wood shed, eh?  How much wood do you have ready for this winter?  As we decided a little late in the year to move ahead with an insert I think I am going to be short.  Right now I have about 3.5 cords of well seasoned wood (all over 2 years, some 3, mostly ash, elm sugar maple and cherry).  I'm thinking about buying a cord to top off the wood piles and give me a better sense of comfort.  Did you have the Rockland last year?  If so, how much did you burn?  

For next year off to a great start with 2 cords of red oak from a few LARGE trees a neighbor had removed, and another 1.5 cords of ash and a cord of sugar maple.  

Regards, bdog


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## gibson

Count me in.  Hooking mine up this week.  Good thread.


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## bdog

My Rockland actually went in a day early.  Looks great.  Had the first break-in fire today, no problems.  Gonna do another one Saturday.  

Yesterday I also scored about a cord of maple from a local tree service.  Half is from a silver maple, half is sugar maple.  Some pretty good size rounds.  I figure free heat is free heat.  Should be done processing by Sunday, have it stacked and ready for winter of 09-10.  The catch was I also needed to take about 1/4 pickup load of small stuff.  I guess I'll mix this in or burn it in the outdoor firepit.


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## labrador

Bdog and Manny, This will be my first winter using the 550. Using cubic feet I think I have about 4 cords (full cords) of wood . The house holds the heat pretty well and since it faces south we get alot of solar heat. No panels, just slilding glass doors. I wish I could get FREE wood. Out here the tree people usually keep it and sell it. A cord aroud her goes from $175-250. So I scrounge all the wood I can get. Enjoy heat for the next two nights. BTW is your cast iron surround flush with the outer wall of the fireplace? How did you manage that? Mine sticks uot about 1" on the top of the surround.


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## FrankMA

soxfan13: Where did you place your magnetic thermometer? I've been trying to find a suitable location to place mine to get fairly accurate readings. I have not had any big burns yet so I have not been able to experiment too much. This is my first year burning so I'm a noob.

Thanks for your help.


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## tomgil

just had my Rockland installed this week...so far so good.  My only issue is the fan noise.  Sounds like something rattling around in there at mid speed consistently, then it comes and goes at higher speeds, ok at lower.  Anyone seen this?  Thanks for starting this thread.


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## leakypuppy

Sometimes I have to adjust the black grate that covers the fans for this to stop.


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## bdog

Just a quick update - 

Been burning the Rockalnd the last week or so, mostly first thing in AM and then overnight.  Overall, VERY happy with the results.  Still trying to figure a few things out about air control etc, but things are going good.

Given the temps and time of year I've been burning a lot of the less than best wood - stubbs, dried punky wood, etc.  Generally, once we get it going,  I've been able to keep the house temp up to 75ish in the main living areas (and warmer near the stove) to high 60's/low 70's in the more distant parts of the house, and I've got a 3,000 SF house.  I have ceiling fans in most rooms and I have most of them running at low speed when heating, really moves the air.

Three nights in a row I was able to get an "overnight", with only 3 good size splits.  Lights out at about 11:30, up at 6 AM and the house is still warm, with enough coals to start up the morning fire. 

Little nervous about the wood supply, as we made the decison to install the Rockland late in the year.  I have about 10 face cords.  1 is kinda junky, but the rest are pretty good (good splits of ash, oak, elm, beech, hard maple and cherry, all aged 2 years, courtesy of an ice storm last October).  I have another 2 to 3 face cords of ash fom trees felled last spring by the power company, but not cut/split/stacked until this fall.  I would like to try to hold that for next year to get the most BTU's out of it.

Overall very happy with the unit!!


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## labrador

Bdog, I'm very happy with my 550 also and so is the wife . Have had it running quite a lot these past few days and nights, last night the temp went down to 24 degrees and the house was comfortable in the morning. By morning I still have some coals left. My automatic setting on the thermostat doesn't seem to work. I leave it on manual all the time. Even when the stove has been burning for several hours and I set it to auto it does not come on. Maybe I'm impatient. the noise you hear may be as suggested is the grate in front. Try it without the grate. Hope your wood last , sound like you have 3 full cords which may not be enough for western NY.


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## bigdaddybry

I've noticed it takes a while for the fan to kick on as well. The stove could be cranked up to 500+degrees on the top center and still no fan. Is this normal?


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## Roxburyeric

I am also new to wood burning and had the 550 put in this summer.  We've been burning for a couple weeks off and on depending on the weather and have been happy with the heat output for our very open floor plan 2,550 sq. ft. house.   Early on I had a good overnight burn 7 hours with good coals in the am (got excited), but since then, it has been a bit of a struggle to get more than a four hours.  I think my issue is my wood being not seasoned enough.  The glass has also been getting black during the day time, when I'm at work and my wife tends the stove.  I'm sure she doesn't watch it as closely as I do.  Learning as we go and thinking my only real problem is my wood not being dry enough.  I have 4.5 cords of wood (2 cords of oak purchased this summer (split in the early spring) and 2 cords of ash and some cherry cut over a year ago and split early spring and 1/2 cord of ash cut and split early summer. The cherry is great, the 1 yr. old ash is OK, the oak is burnable but not great and the 1/2 yr. old ash is so-so.  I also have 2 cords of oak cut down last year and just split - for next year.  With the price of oil down so much I have considered using oil and letting my wood season for next year or maybe even waiting until the real winter comes.  But then I say why did I  invest $4,000 on the whole setup and then not use it.  Sorry about rambling on.  Let's keep this post going guys.


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## Roxburyeric

Forgot to mention my fan also takes a little while to startup in auto even when the stove is hot.  I think it must take the switch a little while to activiate, regardless of the current stove temp.  No noise problems here.


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## woodheat

We have been burning our stove on and off for a total of around 10 day of burning this year and 3 of the overnight burns lasted over 8 hours filling it with large splits, the stove was still over 200 degrees. I definitely helps to use large round or square pieces as EddyKilowatt suggested We burned the stove for over a month last year and I could not get better than 5 hours out of no matter what I tried. 

Last year I did notice that when I had a good fire going, there was a significant difference in the flames in the upper secondary burn area when I put the fan on high and the stove would eat wood much faster relating to the air speed, I wondered if this was part of the design to have the stove run hotter to compensate for the blower taking heat away. I mentioned this in an earlier post on another thread. I ended up getting some stove caulk, pulling out the blower fans,and sealing up the gaps in the air channel at the bottom that lead to the back of the stove. Right behind those gaps it where the air inlet is for the secondary burn tubes. The blower fans were forcing air into the secondary burn tubes making the top of the fire get excess oxygen. After I did this my burn time increased significantly. Does anyone else notice a difference in their secondary flames relating to the blower speed. Who knows if this was intended by the manufacturer or not, but I did not like the lack of control, If I want it to burn hotter I will open the main air supply.

When I first got the insert the fan came one pretty quick, but now if I put it on auto it takes very long and I want heat out of it sooner than that. Now I just leave it on manual. I found that the thermal sensor is mounted on the underside front edge of the firebox. The ashes that collect in the bottom of the stove insulate the sensor from the fire and cause it to slow its response.


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## bdog

Fellow Rockland Owners:

I copied the following from the Rockland owners manual:

Blower Settings / Air Control

Use the following guide for best performance.

Burn Rate......Air Control Setting......Blower Speed
Low......Fully Closed......Low / On at 30 min.
Med......Low 1/16”-1/8”Open......Low / On at 30 min.
Med......High 3/16”-1/4”Open......Low / On at 30 min.
High......Max. Open......High / On

I know that most of the time it takes my stove some time (maybe 30 minutes, but I think often less) for the blower to start.  I leave mine on auto and must confess, turned up to a high speed all of the time.  I really have not played around with it too much.

Labrador - yeah, I really think I am going to be short on wood.  Although I refer to face cords, most is cut to 21 or 22 inches, and my 8' long stacks are actually more like 5' tall, so from a cubic feet viewpoint I think I've got closer to 4 cords.  But, I love my stove and I burn too much, so I'm gonna be short.  I also need to be better at letting the "burn cycle" happen.  I grew up with an old, leaky parlor type stove.  when the fire was low, you added wood, piece at a time mostly.


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## jadm

My 550 was installed last winter so I had some time then to learn it's ins and outs.

I get expansion noises too and don't usually worry about them.  Figure it's the metal heating up.  Had same noises with my other insert too.  Some of the noises are 'pings' and others can be louder.  Don't know what to look for on the outside if there is a problem on the metal inside.  Seems to burn the same.  No smoke leaking into the room or flames shooting out of it so I just burn along...

Dirty glass - mine will get dirty if I shut the air down too soon.  All is dependent on the temp. inside and outside.  I experiment.  Don't know how you all cut back on air so quickly.  If I cut back too soon I get smoke out of the chimney. I also get smoke if I leave it shut down and the secondary flames slow down.  As they slow down I gradually open the primary air back up.  I try to keep chimney with no visible smoke as to not irritate my neighbors.  Strict burning bans in the area I live in...

Overall my glass does stay clean except in the front lower left hand corner.  I have read somewhere that this is common with Jotul so, again, I don't worry too much.  I use a sharp razor blade to clean it and it comes right off.  If I want to be messier I use vinegar and water....

For those of you who load your inserts up at night and then shut the air down - how do you keep the temp.  from going over 800*????  I put 3 splits on today - on top of a good coal bed and the temp. on the top (Taken with my IR therm.) got up to 810*.  That temp. was on the center area only - sides on top were in the 600*-700* range.  Turning the blower on high cooled it down to where I was more comfortable...

I manually set the blowers on mine and generally have it on low once things in the room heat up.  Have a ceiling fan on low in the same room so things stay pretty even.  I try to keep the temp. around 72*-74*.

I am usually home during the day so, like someone else said, I tend to add wood when temp. in the room begins to vary.  I just play it by ear and haven't tried to get longer burn times as some of you have.   I tend to fiddle with it when I feel like it....Something comforting about tending a fire. 

 My house is well insulated so on warmer days I only have to burn a few hours to get the room temp. up and then I let it burn down and the warm cast iron surroung and low blower speed is all that is needed.  I know this will change when Dec. hits.  For now I enjoy it and the fact that it is very easy to get to my wood piles. ;-)


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## bdog

I have not tried the razor blade method to clean the glass, worried about scratching, etc.  What I do is when the glass is coll, I take a small amount of white ash, mix it with a little water, then use a damp paper towel, put a little ash paste on the damp towel and wipe way (some needs a little scrub).  Then wipe the glass again with a clean damp paper towel - clean glass in about 2 minutes.

When loading for overnight I don't have too much of a problem with the fire running away.  I make sure I have been burning for a couple hours to get the unit warm and have a small bed of coals (even just a small fire).  I rake all the coals to the front (just behind the ledge with the andirons) and push the ash to the back or remove it.  Then I pack 2 large splits and 1 medium split (although when colder I would image 4 might be better, my larger splits are usually 6"x6" on the end, or even a little larger). into the box.  Largest split in the back behind the coals, medium in front of that, touching the coals, and othe large on top of the 2.  Maybe place a 2 or 3 small pieces of kindling on the coals depending upon how hot they are and then close the door with air open to full.  Usually within 10 to 15 minutes I have good flame, then close air to half.  I take the dog out.  When I bring her back in the wood at the front is burning well, I close the air almost all the way and go to bed.  In the AM (maybe 7 hours later), the adjacent room is always at least 69 F, and there are still coals in the box.  If the morning is cold then I basically repeat the evening process, but with smaller splits.

Couple of things that really seem to help me: 

1) although my house is fairly large (almost 3,000 SF), and the insert is in kind of a back room all of the downstairs rooms have a very open plan, with large archways rather than door ways.
2) the front foyer is open to the second floor with a wrap-around balcony for access to all of the bedrooms and my home office
3) the insert is in a large brick fireplace, floor to ceiling brick maybe 10 feet wide, so the brick gets warm and radiates heat back
4) I seem to have a great draft, even the installers commented on this - even in the open fireplace I could light a wood match and flame practically got sucked up the chimney - with the full length liner it is even better
5) the old fireplace opening was fairly large (45" wide, 35" tall, 30" deep) and well lined with very heavy brick (it was a custom fireplace build contracted by the prior homeowner) - My installer had a custom extended surround fabricated from heavy steel.  I think the large fireplace box, bricks and surround also hold a lot of heat and radiate it back 

My worry is that sometimes I am not burning the unit hot enough.  I still tend to manage it like the old leaky stove I grew up with, and need to control my urge to alwys be feeding the box.


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## jadm

I use sharp razor blades and have never had a problem.  Did it that way on my old insert as well.

When people said 'loading up the box' I imagined it packed full of wood as some do with other units.  I usually reload with 3 splits too - maybe 4 depending on the size.  I still have to be careful cutting back on the air though and I do watch outside for smoke. 

If you go back into last years threads you will find more info.  Most with Jotuls say that they can handle the higher temps.  I know mine does like to be hotter than my other unit.

Don't remember who it was who changed the blower configuration but I wouldn't do that as inserts have no way to really shut down all the air in the event of a run away fire.  The blower is my main way of cooling things off if they are going too high.  Also obliterates the warranty....


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## soxfan13

Has anyone noticed the affect the blower speed has on burn time?  I generally run the blower high to med. high for most of the time.  I figured I should run it on high overnight to get the most heat away from the unit, but maybe I should put it on low to get a longer burn.  I have a ceiling fan that also moves the heat.

I also get temps 700 + with my thermometer.  Usually cruise between 500 - 600.  I can say I have never filled the firebox and still get plenty of heat.


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## woodheat

Yes, I posted a reply regarding this in this thread. The flames in my upper secondary area would be noticeably more active when the blower was on high. The air from the blower was getting out of the back of the stove through spaces in the shroud forcing air into the secondary tubes. I sealed the openings under the stove behind the blowers with stove cement to stop it. I still get good secondary burns, but they no longer change when I turn the air up to high. I can now get over 8 hours of burn time with temps over 200 after doing this, before I could not get more than 5 hours no matter what I tried. If you pull the bottom grate off and look inside behind the blowers there are spaces that go out to behind the stove. The secondary air intake is in the back of the stove right behind these spaces. No one else has seemed to mention having this issue, but I spent a lot of time turning the air up and down and watching the flames in the upper part of the stove start to dance like crazy when I turned the blower up. Maybe it is something with my particular installation that was causing it, but it is not doing it any longer.


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## bdog

Woodheat,

Interesting fix.

I've played around with the blower speed on my unit and it does not appear to really make much of a difference on the secondary burn.  I think that as the fire cools down, if you leave the blower on high it circulates more air around the box and therefore causes a faster cool down.  Just an observation on my unit.


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## Custerstove

Here's a tip for getting a longer burn with the Jotul Rockland - and it may sound counter intuitive at first - let the stove cool down to about 200-250 F before filling with enough wood for an overnight burn. You might even be able to go cooler than that - I liked to try 175 F next time. After you quickly load the stove with large wood pieces immediately close the door and immediately turn the air intake all the way down. I usually leave the blower on medium for now. The idea here, is to add so much wood to the stove that it may actually take an hour or two for the wood to flame up - but that's extra time added on to an overnight burn! And trust me it will light up - it just takes awhile, in fact, the longer it takes the better. Just make sure your wood is dry. I read that damp wood can blacken the glass. I think some of us are flaming the wood up immediately after loading that stove and that shortens the total burn time. You want to start the stove off cool, and then maybe an hour or two later the stove slowly begins to heat up.

The key to longer burns is the stove temp.  For example, last night I loaded the stove at 250 F. At first the temp may even drop below 200 F from the addition of wood but an hour or 2 later the temp should start approaching 400 F or above with good secondaries. Seven hours later my stove was at 150 F and the addition of small pieces of wood in the morning fired her up within fifteen minutes.  With harder and larger wood I should be able to get 8 hours - maybe more.

Plus, it's easier to add wood to a cooler stove (200 F) - perhaps you can fit more pieces in and position them better than if the stove was searing hot.


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## HopWallop

I am in.  My 550 is getting installed this afternoon.  Break in burn tonight.  I am new to stoves so this forum has obviously been great.


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## FrankMA

Good for you, HopWallop. Make sure you season your insert as described in your manual - several small fires over several days. Gradually build larger fires each day and resist the urges to build a big fire before it's seasoned properly. You may also want to have a window and/or door open to let out some of the funky manufacturing process odors. You'll be burning off oils and curing the paint which can produce some wild smells.

Got mine going as we speak and it really does produce a comfortable heat. It looks really good as well - my family and I are very happy with our c550. 

Great forum here - you can really learn alot from the knowledgable folks who peruse this site. I know I have.

Best of luck with your c550. Stay warm!


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## labrador

Congratulations HopWallop, You need to celebrate the install with a small break in fire and a bottle of champagne. Here's to a very warm winter for you.  I had to learn to be patient about the fan kicking in on automatic. When you get your first big fire the auto mode will kick in when when the snapstat reacts to the heat.  Sometimes I use the manual override and then switch to auto. Don't be alarmed if you get smoke when you open the door. I find that happens only at the beginning of a fire, not when it is really going. Also I have been cutting my wood to 18". My Lab and two cats approve of the Rockland and vie for the best place on the rug. Labrador


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## HopWallop

Thank you.  First break in last night.  I will follow up with two more tonight and tomorrow.  It fugures that I will be out for work on Thursday night.  It did kick off an odor and we had to open the door next to the stove (thanks for the heads up woodsy).  It fits well, with exception of a stone on the one side sticking out on the top corner.  It makes for a 2" gap on the side.  I will have to cut or chip out that  a portion of that stone.  I did kick the fan on manual to see how loud it was.  Not that bad.  It is nice that you can adjust it.  Did get some smoke in the face and learned that if you crack the door a little the smoke works is way up the chimney.  My lab also found her place front and center.


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## bdog

Hopwallop,

Not sure how large your first fire was, but I made sure that each break-in fire was a little hotter than the one before.  Three fires did it for me, no more smell.

Congrats on the Rockland.


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## soxfan13

[quote author="Custerstove" date="1225306849"]Here's a tip for getting a longer burn with the Jotul Rockland - and it may sound counter intuitive at first - let the stove cool down to about 200-250 F before filling with enough wood for an overnight burn. You might even be able to go cooler than that - I liked to try 175 F next time. After you quickly load the stove with large wood pieces immediately close the door and immediately turn the air intake all the way down. I usually leave the blower on medium for now. The idea here, is to add so much wood to the stove that it may actually take an hour or two for the wood to flame up - but that's extra time added on to an overnight burn! And trust me it will light up - it just takes awhile, in fact, the longer it takes the better. Just make sure your wood is dry. I read that damp wood can blacken the glass. I think some of us are flaming the wood up immediately after loading that stove and that shortens the total burn time. You want to start the stove off cool, and then maybe an hour or two later the stove slowly begins to heat up.

The key to longer burns is the stove temp.  For example, last night I loaded the stove at 250 F. At first the temp may even drop below 200 F from the addition of wood but an hour or 2 later the temp should start approaching 400 F or above with good secondaries. Seven hours later my stove was at 150 F and the addition of small pieces of wood in the morning fired her up within fifteen minutes.  With harder and larger wood I should be able to get 8 hours - maybe more.



When you are burning at that low of a temperature, do you worry about the formation of creosote?  Your plan sounds like a good one.


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## gibson

Questions:

How many of you guys installed an SS liner?  Did you insulated it?
Did you need to ovalize the liner at any points?  How did that work?
How many used a block off plate?

Mine is going in on Thursday!  Can't wait..


----------



## gibson

Questions:

How many of you guys installed an SS liner?  Did you insulated it?
Did you need to ovalize the liner at any points?  How did that work?
How many used a block off plate?

Mine is going in on Thursday!  Can't wait..


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## FrankMA

I had mine professionally installed. The installers used a full, single wall SS liner in my outside wall chimney. They removed the damper plate and screwed together the connection to the top of my insert.

I've had several various size fires and have not had any problems.


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## HopWallop

My stove went in this week and I have the same set up as woodsy.  I did ask the installer about an insulated or double wall.  He said that the 316T is a great liner that is guaranteed for life with them and that they have not had any call backs.  As far as insualtion he said that the plate at the top of the chimney blocks in the warm air created by the liner and the air actually becomes an insulator.  I am not sure about how legit this all is.  He seemed to be knowledgable and was very helpful when answering my other questions.  This thread and the thermometer thread have been a great resource for me with the 550.

I have had some problems trying to get the smoke going up the chimney at start up.  I know the hotter you can get it the better.  I can no longer stick my arm up in to the chimney with a lit piece of newspaper.  How do you guys build your fire?


----------



## FrankMA

HopWallop: Try the "top down" method of starting your fires. You basically place 2 or 3 small splits on the bottom of the insert, then place your larger kindling on top of that, then place your smaller kindling on top of that. I use 2 or 3 fire starters in between the kindling (some people use newspaper rolled up lengthwise and tied in a knot) and then light the fire starters. There is video on this site that you can pull up by seraching under "top down fire" or something similar which shows all the steps I've described.

As it burns, the coals settle on top of the larger kindling and splits and the fire begins to catch fairly quickly. I leave my door open just a hair to feed air into the box until it begins to burn hot then I close the door completely. Once the coal bed has been established I add a couple of larger splits and let that get going. I eventually add more splits when the fire is well established and the fans eventually kick-on. Be patient with the fans on automatic mode - it takes a while before the snapstat closes and gets the fans going.


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## Custerstove

Soxfan, you're right burning at a lower temp could create more creosote - so you probably can't burn at too low of temp. It might be a good idea to burn a really hot fire following a slow over night burn to clean out any creosote. In all reality, I prefer to burn at higher temperatures and will only burn at lower temps on some nights. I've also started using the automatic blower for overnight fires - this helps keep the coals hot in the morning.

The manual says to load the stove with smaller pieces of wood first followed by the largest pieces - I've noticed this helps to balance the wood and allows one to fit more wood in the stove. I keep thinking, if I can fit more wood in the stove, it will extend the burn time. Right now the weather is a bit warm for a large overnight fire, but on the next cold night I'd like to let the stove cool down to 250 F, even out the coals, and load small pieces over the coals, followed by a very large hardwood log and anything else that fits.

Ideally, for me, I'd like to burn overnight, wake up 7-8 hours later, throw in 5-7 pieces of kindling to get the stove started. In the past, the stove temp was about 150 F in the morning (after 7 hr burn time) and the kindling lite up with in 20 minutes with flames dancing wildly - that gives me enough time to wash up or eat a quick breakfast while waiting for the kindling to light up.


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## Custerstove

Hey Wallop, I'd highly recommend purchasing some firestarters as Woodsy mentioned. They are made of saw dust and wax and can be purchased at most hardwood stores or sometimes the grocery store. I generally only use the firestarters when starting a fire in a cold stove. Right now the weather isn't really cold enough to keep the stove going during the day, so I usually use a small piece of a fire starter in the evening to get the stove going. I start by crumbling up old newspapers and covering the ashes, then I load the wood and light the firestarter - never falls. I sometimes leave the door open if I really want to get the fire started quickly but that can sometimes get a little smoke in the house.

Last year, before I had firestarters I would crumble up so much newspaper that I filled up a couple of beer cases. That way I always had extra paper ready to go - kind of like a pile of wood. So keep practicing, eventually you learn how to start a fire in a matter of minutes. Enjoy that Jotul, it's a great stove!


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## bdog

I never use firestarters. I tie several newspaper notes (better than crumpled paper) and use about a half dozen or so pieces of kindling (mill ends of 2x4's etc, split into small pieces perhaps 4 to 6 inches long). Never have a problem starting a fire. 

Overnight burns have been easy for me. I make sure I have a fairly good bed of coals, and hot box/chimney. I do this by making sure I have a good fire going maybe 2 hours prior to loading for the night. 

I rake the coals towards the front, almost exposing the bottom of the insert at the back of the box. I place a large split (maybe 8 inches diameter, 20 inches long) along the back. Make sure this back split is a good coaling wood like oak, hard maple or cherry. I place a smaller split (half the diameter of the back split) along the front, almost against the back split, this will be on top of the coals. I then put a 4 to 6 inch round on top of these. Let the front split start charring, get some flame going, close the air to about half. Then I take the dog out, come back in about 5 to 10 minutes, and close the air down almost to close.

Everytime I do this, I get good warmth all night and 7 hours later have enough coals to restart. I rake the coals front, shovel out some ash from the back. Add a few small splits to the back, put some kindling on the coals and a few small (1 to 2 inch) rounds or splits over the kindling. Total process takes me less than 5 minutes.  Crack the door on the stove for a few minutes to really get the air moving. Flames start, close the door and within 30 minutes the blower kicks on.

The Rockland is a great unit.  We are very pleased with the choice of this unit.


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## Custerstove

Hey BDog, just curious as to the rockland stove temps you have in the morning after a 7 hour burn? Some of my best burns so far had temps of 150 F after 7 hours with plenty of coals to light kindling. Nonetheless I have room for improvement. I could probably fit larger and denser logs in the stove.

A friend of mine, who was really good with wood and coal stoves, is great at fitting wood in the stove in a way that's not overly tight. To accomplish this, he would sometimes stand short logs (10 in or less) up vertically in the corners after loading the big logs horizontally in the middle of the stove.


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## JJEGLBS

Just had my 550 installed on Tuesday and have been enjoying break-in fires the past couple of days.  So far, so good.  I have a question on measuring the temperature with an IR thermometer -- what should I point it at?  Just testing it out, I'm getting my hottest points on the fire (duh) and on the back firebrick.  Is this what everyone else uses to get an accurate reading on temperature?  Suppose to get cold this weekend, so I'll really be able to fire it up!  Thanks.


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## soxfan13

welcome to Rockland world....I think you will see that this thing throws some serious heat.  I don't have an ir thermometer so I put my magnetic one right in the slot where the air from the blowers comes out.


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## HopWallop

Welcome jjeglbs.

Custer -  I set up my fire this morning in a cold stove with half of a firestarter.  I had an old box of them from my fireplace days.  I should have had a stove much sooner.  This is my first non break in fire and it has had the house warm all day.  I used your method for building the fire and it worked perfectly.  Lit it shut the door and came back to a nice fire going.  I am going to try the Bdog method with the paper knots.  My brother swears by this method.  The Nantucket knot makes sense for a Sox fan.   Manny will most likely not need his knot skills in LA.

I will set up for my first overnight burn tonight.


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## soxfan13

I use a quarter of a super cedar with some wood from pallets to get the fire started.  I usually leave the door open a crack when I start a fire.  Have not used the stove in about a week due to the warm temps.  I think that will be changing in a couple of days.


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## mcollect

Great site! I just found this thread thanks to Be Green. This is my first season and therefore my wood is not dry enough. I have now resplit the splits and moved some inside to help drying. Will this work? Also I notice when I have a good fire going and I open the door just a crack the fire acts like a forge blower is being cranked real hard, is this normal? My unit is inside of a double sided stone fireplace so the back is open, can I place a fan in that side to circulate air to the other side of the house? Thinking of ordering more wood for next season right now a cord is $125 delivered and stacked, how do you stack four or five cords outside and not get it too wet and still allow it to season?


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## HopWallop

Hi mcollect.  I agree on the thread.  Everyone here has been very helpful.  My wood is in single rows about 4 feet high x 8 feet long with a tarp just over the top of the stack.   It keeps it pretty dry and open to the air.  There are a bunch of pictures of stacked wood in the main forum that show some different ways.  I did buy 2 full cords of seasoned wood (found on craigs list) to supplement what I had to get through the season.  My property is filled with maple, oak and poplar that I am now collecting for next year.

I usually crack my door a little and let the fire adjust to the rush of air coming in from outside before I open it all the way up.  I think it is a combination of the flow from the stoves air tubes and the outside air.  The perfect storm in a stove.

As far as the fan pushing air to the other side.  I am going through a similar trial with my heatilator.  It seems that the only real heat in the fireplace is radiant from the liner.  For my unit it has not been enough to use the heatilator.  It has been a constant experiment trying to move the heat around the house.


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## Roxburyeric

The forge blower is normal - You're just allowing the draft to take off.  You should open the air control full for a few seconds before you open the door.  Doing this keeps the blower action down a little.  Just be careful opening it up.  $125 for a full cord is a great price (4X4X8?)  if so I would jump on it if it is hard wood.  You almost can't cut and split it yourself for that much.  Send some up to CT.  I stack of pallets and I just covered my wood for this year. I am collecting for next year and haven't cover it yet.  I will probably just cover the top of next years wood to keep the snow off.  I would try the fan on the back side, It can't hurt.  I'm just learning the 550 also.  I think I need to get it hotter and some of my wood is not seasoned enough as I have some smoke outside and the window tends to get black.  Learning the stove can be fun.  Best of luck.


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## labrador

hi mcollect, The best way to store wood and forget about it is building a woodshed. I just fininshe building one for about $200. Tarps dont always keep wood dry, sun ruins them. A 4x8  sheet of metal roofing or plywood works better. Welcome to the jotul web site and have fun with your rockland. Labrador


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## HopWallop

The fan on the left side of the stove does not run at the same time as the other.  Has anyone noticed a trend to its operation?


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## leakypuppy

Does it run at all?  My experience has been that they both run simultaneously.  Perhaps you have a bad fan?


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## Korasdad

One of the fans on mine had a loose connection after the install. The thermocouple is also quite questionable. I run it on manual mode after letting the box get hot. Works Ok. Not as much heat as I was expecting but I think that is more a consequence of my failing memory of the wood "furnace" in my parent's house in Northern MN when I was a bit younger... 30 or so years ago... Maybe more, the memories get thinner...

I like this insert and the wife likes the look. This combination is killer for a happy home. I'll work it hard this winter and try to teach these children of mine how to at least keep a fire going.

Later, KorasDad


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## jadm

HopWallop said:
			
		

> The fan on the left side of the stove does not run at the same time as the other.  Has anyone noticed a trend to its operation?



Mind did the same thing.  I called the dealer I bought it from and she told me how to adjust both so they worked together.  

You might try calling your dealer too.  I did it last winter and I can't remember exactly what I did or else I'd tell you.  I do know it was no problem to fix though...


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## HopWallop

It is not the connections.  I did call the dealer and we could not resolve it over the phone.  They are coming out next week to service.  It is weird because it will kick on for a minute and then go off.  I think Korasdad called it.  I am thinking thermocouple.


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## Custerstove

Hey Wallop, best of luck with that fan. Let us know how the problem gets solved. I haven't observed that problem, but I'll probably keep a closer eye on it since hearing your story. I keep thinking the automatic setting on the fan is acting up on mine - sometimes the stove seems hot enough but the automatic setting doesn't allow the fan to come on - especially on the colder nights?


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## firebug360

Howdy Rockland friends,

I recently purchased a Jotul 550 and have been having difficulty with the air control adjustment - it doesn't seem to be doing much of anything in terms of airflow.  I first noticed the problem soon after I had the unit installed back in late September.  The insert would only hold a flame with the door cracked open.  As far as I can tell, the draft feels strong with the door cracked with lots of air rushing in resulting in a large flame.  But as soon as I shut the door, the fire would go out.  I called the dealer and he assured me that as soon as the temperatures get down later in the year, the draft will be much stronger and the unit should pull air in on it's own with no problem.  The past few nights have been around 33 and I am still having the same issue.  If I get a really strong flame going and shut the door, a flame may last 5 minutes at the most and then slowly die out, often with most or all of the flames hovering around the air tubes at the top of the unit during that time period, not around the wood.  With the air control left fully opened at night, all of the wood will slowly burn down to ash and embers, so the unit is getting some air, but not enough to keep a flame, and not enough to visually differentiate between the air control being fully openned or partially closed. 

Before contacting the dealer, I wanted to see if anyone else has experienced anything like this where I can learn from their experience.  Here's a few other facts that may help in troubleshooting.

- The mixed hardwood we are using is dry, seasoned for about 2 years.
- My external brick chimney is about 20ft high with a full liner installed.
- Keeping the door cracked with flames, it doesn't appear the unit is creating a ton of heat.  Enough to maybe heat the room it is in.  Our house is 1800sq feet with about a quarter of the house closed off, the remaining rooms in a fairly open setting w/ 8ft ceilings.  I'm wondering if I am getting it hot enough, thinking of getting a thermometer.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!!


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## Custerstove

Are you sure that wood is dry? Wood begins to dry once it is split. Rounds could take 2 or more years to fully dry. Bottomline, if you split the wood it will dry faster - perhaps 6 months for medium splits or even faster for smaller kindling. To test for dryness, some people on the website have suggested burning 2x4's which are kiln dry. If you can't burn 2x4, I'd be really surprised.

Also make sure you start with kindling (1-2 inches in diameter) to build up a bed of coals.


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## firebug360

Hi Custer, thanks for the quick reply!

The wood has been split and drying for over 1 year, mostly medium size pieces.  I want to rule out the wood so I think I'll test out your recommendation on the 2x4's.  I also have some wood pallets I should be able to cut up for testing, think that will be good?  I noticed that there is smoke coming out of my chimney, it's not as clear as I'd expect from some other postings i've read.  There isn't a lot of smoke accumulating within the firebox... I can usually get it to clear out by opening the door slowly.  However, there is still a bit of carbon on the bottom left and right corners of the glass which hasn't burned off during the day with a stronger fire.  

Where exactly does the air enter and is there a way I can test proper damper functionality?  With the damper fully open, shouldn't I at least see the coals glow bright much as they do when I crack the door opened?  There doesn't seem to be any difference in coal glow as I open and close the air control.

Thanks again!


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## bbeals

Hey CTJotul.  I am thinking the same way Custer is.  Has your seasoned wood been recently rained on?  We installed our 550 in August and have been enjoying it's grace for the past few months.  We have noticed that you really want to ensure you are burning good, dry wood.  Additionally, we do not see a big boost of air rushing in with the damper wide open.  Remember these stoves are efficient machines and only consume between 10-25 cubic feet of air for combustion every hour.  If opening the door is the only way to get it going, then I would try the 2x4 method or pick up some kiln dried firewood from the gas station.  Good luck, I assure you that once you get this problem licked, you will be loving Jotul land.


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## Custerstove

Are you starting with kindling or trying to light up with medium sized splits? If not, get that maul out and start hacking away.

As far as the air control goes, make sure the lever is open the entire way when starting a fire (slide it to the right for open, slide it to the left for close). From what I understand the air enters at this lever - can anyone else confirm that is where the air enters the stove? I also believe that the damper is always open on this stove - you can't control the damper - you can only control the primary air intake. Let us know if you have any success.


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## firebug360

Yup, I'm using kindling.  When I first start the fire, I use the top down approach placing rolled up tied pieces of newspaper on top of small dry kindling pieces which are placed on some medium kindling (1.5 inch).  It seems to work very well as long as the door is cracked open.  I then slowly increase the size of the peices of wood I put on the fire until I have a good strong fire going, all with the door very slightly cracked open and the air control set to full open.  If the door is shut with the air control fully open, the fire goes out and the ember glow slowly reduces but does not completely go out.   At night I'll put some medium-sized logs leaving the air control fully opened.  In the morning I'll then clear out some of the dry grey ash, spread out the still glowing embers, let the embers get some air by opening the door, and then throw some more small/medium kinding on top.  

We have been doing this cycle for about 4 days now and the cummulative heat building seems to be doing a much better job in terms of heating the house.  In fact, we lowered our thermostats down around 50 last night and the entire house was heated to about 65 with the Jotul!  That was a pretty good feeling! Within the next few weeks i'm going to be adding some extra insulation in the attic (right now it's pretty thin) and hopefully replacing an old sliding glass door where I believe we are getting a lot of heat loss.  Now if I can get the unit to respond to the air control, and get the carbon cleaned off of the of the corners of the glass, I think I'll be in pretty good shape.


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## HopWallop

Hey CT,

I have knocked my splits in half like Custer is recommending.  It is allowing me to get the fire hotter faster.  My fire always seems to die down if I load it with too many large spliits, so I save the big odd ball splits and stick one of them in the back for the over night burn.  The smaller splits also make it easier for my wife to load it up while I am at work.  There is nothing like coming home and the stove is still going.

You should be able to shut the door with air control fully open and get a nice hot fire with kindling.  It does not seem like your stove is operating to its full capacity for you.  One of my fans is not working and I called my stove supplier to come in and fix/replace it tomorrow.  We paid a nice chunk of money for our unit and feel it should be in a position to back up its return on the investment.


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## jadm

CTJotul550 said:
			
		

> Yup, I'm using kindling.  When I first start the fire, I use the top down approach placing rolled up tied pieces of newspaper on top of small dry kindling pieces which are placed on some medium kindling (1.5 inch).  It seems to work very well as long as the door is cracked open..



I watched the video on 'top down' last winter and tried lighting a fire with that method. I ended up with lots of smoke, a fire that took ages to start producing heat and also couldn't close the door for a long time.

I went back to my 'bottom up' method - kindling, Rutland fire starter squares and a few thin pieces of pine with a piece of hard wood balanced on top.  This produces a quick bed of hot coals and warms the flue and stove up preparing it for a load of hard wood to get it up to 600*-700*.  Door can be closed much more quickly this way for me and then I can begin to close down the primary air.

You should see a difference when you begin to shut down the air on your unit.  I know my air has to be closed down in stages allowing it to adjust.  That all depends on stove temp and outside weather conditions too....lots of variables.  

I know that for me shutting the air down is the trickiest part.  Some days all goes smoothly.  Other days I end up baffled because it will be burning hot with good secondary flames and no smoke out of the chimney when all of a sudden I loose flame off the wood and secondary flames go out and then the chimney starts smoking all over again.....have to open air up and start all over....Haven't figured out yet what I'm doing wrong.....but am having fun learning...


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## FrankMA

CTJotul550: I think the corners of the glass remain dirty because the position of the fire is mainly in the center of the fire box. Mine does the same thing - others have suggested cleaning with ash and water or using a razor blade to scrap the soot off.

perplexed: I feel your pain brother in terms of the damper control. It's like cracking a safe, one false move and your back to square one. I sometimes leave the door cracked open a bit to get things going again. It always seems to happen whenever I have added larger splits and made a damper adjustment. I may have to wait longer for the splits to catch fire before making my adjustments. I'm new to all of this myself so I think it's just a matter of getting some time and experience under my belt.

Great thread - let's keep it going for all of our sakes.

Good luck to all you fellow 550 Jotuler's!


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## HopWallop

I have had 3 medium splits going for 3 hours now.  They are glowing bright and there no longer is too much flame jumping off of them.  My thermomter has been at 550 for the last 2 1/2 hours.  It is hard wood and one of them was a round.  I would like to try to get the most out of the wood I have.  If anyone has found an effective way of burning efficiently, please throw it out there.

My stove shop came in yesterday and they think the one fan is bad.  They took it with them and will be back to replace it.  I feel like I am only getting half of what the stove has to offer.  I am looking forward to getting to 100%.

I am with woodsy.  Keep it rolling.


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## labrador

Hopwallop, Two fans make all the difference, hope you get yours fixed soon. The temperature here in Schoharie county has not been above 30 for the past several days  the morning lows are in the teens and I have had the 550 running 24/7. Two splits and one 6"round keep the fire burning till about 3-4 am and there are more than enough coals to feed it so there is a good fire at 6am. I also get buildup on the corners of the glass door, possibly because I burn 16-18" wood. I just cleaned out the ashes from burning the stove since Tuesday night but after adding no wood since 2 this afternoon there were still plenty of coals at 9 pm. the 550 is super heater. Glad I decided to buy this unit. Keep the thread going.


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## FrankMA

Been in the 20's here all week and this has been my first opportunity to burn 24 hours a day for the past three days. WOW! I had to throttle the 550 back a bit because my house was too warm (70ish) and that's with the outside temp's in the mid 20's. I did not have a big burn going either, just a couple of good size splits at any given time. I did load it up a bit more at night before bed and awoke to a good bed of coals. The whole house is happy with this purchase, even the dog.

I think this is going to be a very warm winter!


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## Custerstove

Lows in the 20's are resulting in lots of wood burning here too. Recently, I was burning the biggest logs I could fit in the rockland stove (2-3 large splits fill it). It takes a good coal bed and surface temperatures of 300 F or above to get them started. Eight hours later I have just enough coals to start a fire with kindling - no matches or paper needed. When loading the stove for over night burn I rake the coals to the front of the stove - especially the front corners, clearing out a space in the back of the stove. I then load the largest split in the very back. Then I fill the stove with more wood. I've noticed that the glass only gets dirty if some coals or wood come in contact with the glass. Therefore you want to load the wood so that nothing will fall against the glass when you're not looking.

Only problem with large splits is that they tend to produce huge amounts of coals - sometimes the entire stove is full of hot coals. And that's fine for an overnight burn of 7-8 hours. But to really get the stove heated up I tend to use one large split and several medium splits (about 3 inch diameter). Sometimes I use medium sized splits exclusively. These smaller logs keep the flames dancing around without excessive coals and really get the temperature kicking.

Another trick I just started today is using a lamp timer to get better control of the blower. Basically, I keep the blower on high using the manual stove setting, but I set the timer to turn the blower off at 4am - that way the coals stay hotter - until I wake up and start another fire. Most hardware stores sell digital lamp timers that can be set up on different schedules through out the week.


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## labrador

Custer;  Thanks for the great idea of putting a timer on the fan. I have been running it 24/7 on manual. I have several sitting around the house and never thought of it. Does anyone run their 550 on the automatic setting? I have always felt that while the auto is warming up I am losing that much heat I can be putting into the house. This mornings temp at 7am was 18 and still colder tonight. Btw are you a follower of George Armstrong?


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## soxfan13

I use the manual setting for the fan usually.  I think it takes to long for the fan to start on auto setting.  I am getting heat much quicker with the fan on manual.  I will put it to auto when I go to bed.  Good idea on the timer.  I might have to try that.


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## bbeals

Soxfan,  I am running the same way.  In the morning after I get the coals roaring into a fire again, I switch the fan to manual, drop the kids at school and flick it back to auto when I get home.  We leave it on auto through the night and occasionally we get lucky and there is enough heat coming off the unit at 6:00 AM that fans are still cranking out heat. That has only happened once and I could not have put another splinter of wood in the firebox.  ;_)


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## gibson

I will not go into a long song and dance as to why it has taken so long, but I hope to be burning a break-in fire by 2pm tomorrow.  Great thread.


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## gibson

It is in!  After failing the first time at a self install and getting blown off by numerous chimney sweeps, we got it done today on the second try.  We were not able to get the liner down the first time, but with a bit of ovalizing today, it went down pretty easily.  Had to cut out a bit of the damper and attaching the cast iron surround was a PITA.  Messing around with the surround and block off plate was the biggest hang up. Break in fire was burning at 5:00 pm.  Good draft, pretty flames, a little bit smoky and smelly from the paint fumes, but not bad.  It was a very hard days work today, but worth it considering that I saved between $500-800 on installation.  Loved that first fire!  Here is the finished product...


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## labrador

Carl; Congratulations on the install , looks great. Plus the $ savings means more firewood. After the first break in fires enjoy to 550 and its heat output. Question- does your outside surround get too hot to touch after you have been burning for awhile? Labrador


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## gibson

I will let you know once I get the stove going all out.  I am hoping that it does get hot.  The cast iron will retain the heat a little longer and radiate it out into the room.


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## woodheat

My surround gets around 115-125 degrees reading with an ir thermometer. I do not have a block off plate at this point, but am planning on putting one in. I will be interested to see if the block off plate makes the surround get hotter than it does now.


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## 88steve

hi all ive had the 550 for 4 days have done the 4 break -in fires , im also having a hard time keeping the fire going unless i have the door opened a crack. can anyone please explain the correct way to get this stove lit? i have no clue as what to do , the manual was not very helpfull, i can have a roaring fire with the door open when i shut the door the fire will die in about a minute. all with the lever in full open mode, seasoned wood. any help appreciated, thanks.


----------



## gibson

88steve said:
			
		

> hi all ive had the 550 for 4 days have done the 4 break -in fires , im also having a hard time keeping the fire going unless i have the door opened a crack. can anyone please explain the correct way to get this stove lit? i have no clue as what to do , the manual was not very helpfull, i can have a roaring fire with the door open when i shut the door the fire will die in about a minute. all with the lever in full open mode, seasoned wood. any help appreciated, thanks.



Use plenty of newspaper and dry kindling and get it roaring real good with the door cracked.  Once you've got a good hot bed of coals, however you get there, you should be good to go.  If it goes out with a hot bed of coals then it sounds like a draft issue.


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## bbeals

Do you have a full stainless steel liner?  Also, make sure you are not trying to set the world on fire.  Start with kindling and small "dry" splits, let the fire establish well before adding to it.  If you add before you come up to temp you could have problems.  Once you get the bed of coals, look out, this thing will amaze you.  It might seem tricky at first, but once you get a couple of fires going, you will be well on your way and should be amazed at how easy it is to build and maintain fires your 550.  I rarely crack the door open on mine, I put some paper (occasionally a fire starter) and small splits, open the vent (full right), light it, shut the door, open a beer and enjoy the fire. :coolsmile:


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## firebug360

88steve said:
			
		

> hi all ive had the 550 for 4 days have done the 4 break -in fires , I'm also having a hard time keeping the fire going unless i have the door opened a crack. can anyone please explain the correct way to get this stove lit? i have no clue as what to do , the manual was not very helpful, i can have a roaring fire with the door open when i shut the door the fire will die in about a minute. all with the lever in full open mode, seasoned wood. any help appreciated, thanks.



Steve - I have the same problem. I've been working with the folks on this forum and also my dealer to try to figure it out. Here's a few things I have done in my troubleshooting efforts:

- Waited for the temperature to outside to get COLD. I had the unit installed in Sept when the temp was still in the 50-60's. With the temps below 30 now, a temp issue should be ruled out.
- Test with DRY wood. The folks in this forum recommended I try some cut up 2x4. After letting the unit run for 3 days to heat up the chimney, I built up a 2in layer of hot red embers, then layed the 2x4 chunks on top. With the door cracked open, I let the wood char up with a nice flame, then shut the door with air full open. After about 1 minute, the flames go out. Wood dryness shouldn't be the issue as far as I can tell.
- Increase air pressure inside by cracking open a window (recommended by the dealer). Didn't work.
- Placed Condar ChimGard thermometer on the left/front of the unit, opposite the air control lever. The wood stove place I bought it from said the temp should show about half what it actually is inside. I've been keeping it running between 200 and 300, which should translate to 400-600. I can't get it any higher than that, possibly because I can only keep it running with the door cracked, allowing too much heat up the chimney.

I'm still in the same position where it needs the door cracked to keep a flame. My dealer hasn't come out yet to take a look, but he believes the issues is due to two possibilities: 1. the chimney is too short and/or 2. not enough insulation in my ceiling. I have a 1 story 1800sqft ranch with between 2 and 6 inches of insulation in the attic depending on where you measure. Does anyone have any experience with this? They believe lack of insulation will result in lower air pressure in the house, which will affect draft. Regarding the chimney height, from the bottom brick on the chimney to the top brick, it's about 14ft. Then I have the cap on top elevated above maybe another foot. The fireplace sits higher than the bottom bricks, so the full height may be 13 feet or so (it looks alot higher when you look at it as opposed to measuring). Does anyone have any thoughts on this as well?

Thanks everyone!   Steve - let us know how you are making out.


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## FrankMA

CTJotul550: I'd definately get the dealer out to your house and get some answers, especially if it was professionally installed by them. Have them do everything that they suggest and see how they make out. It could be an installation problem, some sort of blockage in the damper or even a defective component within the insert. I'm in the same boat as The BI Guy -  small dry splits and kindling (I use a couple of firestarters), establish a bed of coals and your off and running.

Hope everything works out well for you, I'm sure that it will.


----------



## bbeals

Is is safe to assume that you have a full SS liner?  Have you pulled your baffles and looked up or down the stack to make sure you have a clear unobstructed view?  Could be that they over elongated the pipe where it goes through your damper.  Just thinking out loud, as I am stumped.  Can't think of an easier stove to burn.  Good luck, one day soon you will be enjoying the fire.


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## soxfan13

CT,

You said that your chimney height was about 13 feet.  The minimum requirement in the manual is a chimney height of 15 feet.  I wonder if you need an extension to your chimney of some sort.  I am no expert so I don't know what kind of difference 2 feet can make but maybe it is a big deal.


----------



## HopWallop

CT - I had similar problems getting my fire going.  I started using fire starters and they seem to give it the strong consistent push it needs to get things moving up the chimney.  My chimney is about 25 ft. and I think it may have played a part in my problem.  The other thing that seems to help is to leave the door shut tight once I light it.  Leaving the door cracked is great for giving things a jolt after adding a few logs to a established fire, but seems to throw off the air flow when I am starting up a cold stove.  I use a few pieces of newspaper to get the firestarter going and I have a small split in the front and in the back with one on top.  It works for me.  Good luck!


----------



## firebug360

Thanks for the input and ideas!  I spoke with the dealer today, and he is pretty insistent that there is nothing wrong with the unit or the installation.  Considering the unit has never operated as advertised with the door closed, I don't think anyone can really say for sure the unit and installation is 100% without physically double checking and then actually get it to operate correctly. He's now doing some research and is going to get back to me. 

BI Guy - I believe it is a full SS liner.  My itemized receipt included a 25 foot liner, which only partially needed to be used since my chimney is not that high.  I'll have to double check again and ask him.  I prefer not opening or taking anything apart to check things on my own, since it may void the product and/or any installation warranty.  The dealer should really check it out.

Soxfan - I noticed the minimum requirement as well.  If this turns out to be the problem, this really should have been pointed out to me before the installation during the pre-install assessment.  Wouldn't you agree?  I'd like them to test this out if they believe it is the problem.  Anyone have any experience with testing or installing a chimney extension with this unit?  What's involved?

Regarding the insulation above our ceiling - does anyone have any thoughts on that?  I've been googling around and haven't been able to find any information on how ceiling insulation in an attic can affect chimney draft.  I've been looking around to see if there is anything where air will be escaping before it gets to the fireplace, but I'm not really seeing anything yet.  Maybe I can try to use a barometer to read atmospheric pressure within the house?


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## 88steve

hey ct jotul i think i might also have a chimney problem mine is about 12 ft high, also the left side fan stopped working not a thermocoupler problem, it siezed up. hotwallop also mentioned the same side on his going bad,so far the stove is ok, i ran it all day on sunday with outside temps 30 and windy and the stove did perform well before the fan crapped out, i hope these little kinks will work out  i like the stove so far, will post pics when it is totally finished, also what does the secondary burn look like, when should i see one in action/, thanks to all who replied,teve.


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## 88steve

hey ct jotul i think i might also have a chimney problem mine is about 12 ft high, also the left side fan stopped working not a thermocoupler problem, it siezed up. hotwallop also mentioned the same side on his going bad,so far the stove is ok, i ran it all day on sunday with outside temps 30 and windy and the stove did perform well before the fan crapped out, i hope these little kinks will work out i like the stove so far, will post pics when it is totally finished, also what does the secondary burn look like, when should i see one in action/, thanks to all who replied,steve.


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## jadm

Height of Chimney - Mine was about 12 ft. and worked fine with my last insert which was a lot smaller than the 550.  I didn't want to take any chances when installing this last winter so I had my sweeps extend it  with chimney tiles to 15 feet as per manual instructions.  It was a very ugly set up.  Saw the Extend-A-Flues that Craig (Webmaster) makes and bought one and had it installed and it is a beauty sooo if you do extend your chimney I highly recommend one of his to do the job.  

Don't let store blow you off which can sometimes happen after they have your money.  Insist that they come out, or send a Jotul rep. your way, and demonstrate how to operate your insert.  Having someone actually show you how to do something really can make a big difference.

I know I have to keep the door cracked for awhile when starting up a new fire or when the temp. gets below 300*.  Remember - your fire has to heat the chimney and then 550 pounds of steel and cast iron!  As stated by someone else- outside temps. do make a difference in operation.

The key to mine seems to be in monitoring the coal bed and waiting until it is good and hot.  I also use firestarter squares and small kindling and pine split to small splits to heat it up before adding hard wood.  I only add one piece at a time in the beginning making sure all has caught and stable.  Once that happens I load up 2 more splits and begin the shut down process that can take up to 1/2 hour - all depending on how things are going.

The tricky part for me remains in shutting down the air.  Some days I can get lower than others.  I know this all just takes practice and I am still new to this insert.

There really isn't a good place on the face of this insert to put a magnetic therm.  Many put theirs on the slot on top where the blower air exits.  I use an IR therm.  and when my insert is cruising it is usually at 600* or higher.  On any of the front panels the temp. reads about 200* below that.

Be patient with yourself.  Be persistent with the store that sold you the insert and let us all know how things resolve themselves and then enjoy your well earned heat. :coolsmile:


----------



## bbeals

CTJotul,  It's your call, but I would pull the secondary burner bars (stainless tubes at top of fire box) and pull the baffles so you can take a peek up the stack to see if they crimped your liner.  This in no way should void your warranty and your Jotul manual has the user instructions for doing this, as it is a necessary step in cleaning.  We have a 24.5 ft SS liner and it performs well.  The fireplace before did not perform worth a crap and we kept getting smoke in the house.  My gut tells me that a 13 ft lined chimney ought to give you all of the draft you need for that to perform well, however; it can depend on chimney height to house, location, tress, etc...  If you are not burning now, I suggest you take a peek up the stack, if they screwed it up, it would be good to know for yourself before they show up instead of having them just tell you its installed right.  I would like to think that your dealer is reputable, but then again, I would like to think that he could have taken an hour out of his day to stop by and deal with the issue by now.  I am frustrated for you, but I am confident that you will get it figured out and working right.


----------



## jadm

CTJotul550 said:
			
		

> Thanks for the input and ideas!  I spoke with the dealer today, and he is pretty insistent that there is nothing wrong with the unit or the installation.  Considering the unit has never operated as advertised with the door closed, I don't think anyone can really say for sure the unit and installation is 100% without physically double checking and then actually get it to operate correctly. He's now doing some research and is going to get back to me.



CT Jotul - Another thing struck me this morning while building my first fire of the day.  I use 2"-3" splits to make a grate on the top of my ash/coal bed.  I place them in the front to back position and then place my small kindling on top going side to side.  This allows for air to flow underneath the wood.  If I do not do this my wood just sits there and smokes.  

I use just 2 pieces of the 2"-3" splits and they are each about 9" long.  I cut them to fit the firebox width and place one behind each andiron.

Another question for you.  You said you had no problem with your break in fires.  What are you doing differently now?  THe fires you are trying to build now are just bigger than the ones you did for break ins.  Should work ok too.  Maybe just go back to a small fire like you did build and slowly keep adding splits to it and see what happens. :coolhmm:

P.S.  Just thought I might add that you did buy a very good product from a very good company that, in MHO, knows what they are doing and have been doing it for over 100 years.   ;-)


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## Custerstove

CTJotul550 said:
			
		

> - Test with DRY wood. The folks in this forum recommended I try some cut up 2x4. After letting the unit run for 3 days to heat up the chimney, I built up a 2in layer of hot red embers, then layed the 2x4 chunks on top. With the door cracked open, I let the wood char up with a nice flame, then shut the door with air full open. After about 1 minute, the flames go out. Wood dryness shouldn't be the issue as far as I can tell.
> - Increase air pressure inside by cracking open a window (recommended by the dealer). Didn't work.
> - Placed Condar ChimGard thermometer on the left/front of the unit, opposite the air control lever. The wood stove place I bought it from said the temp should show about half what it actually is inside. I've been keeping it running between 200 and 300, which should translate to 400-600. I can't get it any higher than that, possibly because I can only keep it running with the door cracked, allowing too much heat up the chimney.



Wow, CT. I'm nearly out of ideas. It seems that if dry 2x4's won't burn either perhaps you're not getting any air thru the air intake - I'm not sure how you would check this out? Maybe there's a blockage?

In my mind, it can't be draft, because you're getting draft and good flames with the stove door open.

If you keep the doors shut for a half hour or longer, does the firebox appear to be full of smoke? Is your chimney puffing out plumes of smoke when the door is shut?

Anyway, I noticed you have the thermometer on the door - have you tried moving it to the stove's top surface within the vent where the heated air comes out (above and near the center of the door)? That is the preferred place for the thermometer and you should get readings of 450-550 F on average, perhaps 750 F for a really hot stove.


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## HopWallop

Finally found the time to download pics.  This is the final install less the left fan, which should be replaced next week.


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## 88steve

looks great , i also have a bad left side fan, the shop told me to try wd40 on it, worked about a half hour then froze up again. will have to get a new one as well.any problems getting the fire to get going with the door closed?


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## Fortunate Son

Hi all, new to the forum but have had a Jotul Rockland since Dec. 07.  What a great insert!  I self-installed this insert (wow is it heavy) along with a 20' flexible stainless liner.  As some have said, I had to "ovalize" the liner to get it through the damper area.  The liner has an "S" bend to hook up to the stove, super difficult as the liner is very limited in it's flexibility.  Was concerned that this would be the hot spot in the liner (inside curve of the first bend, but this 6" liner was intalled in my 12x12 flue.  Figured since my flue is in great shape (house is two years old,  my father in law and I built the chimney) it would not matter.  20' seems to draft well and I have the top capped, so not much cold air rushing down inside the flue around the liner.  

I too cannot get 7-8 hour burns.  Usually loaded up at midnight, 1 am and go to bed, close down the air to "almost" closed, blower on about medium.  I will try lowering the blower speed as I have read on this forum.  In the am (8 am) I will have to stoke the coals and can still have  a warm bed, and can usually rekindle the fire.  The blower shuts off at 5-6 am.  

I love this insert and am very happy I spent the money.  Sometimes I will get vibration/noise from the fans but will move the removeable grate, or adjust the speed slightly.  May have to do with thermal expansion etc.  

As far as auto mode not working,  I too had this problem.  I found that the "thermostat/thermocouple" is called as "Snap-stat" by Jotul.  It is mounted in sheet metal at the bottom of the ash pan above your blowers.  I thought it was not coming on fast enough, and I ended up "tweaking" the sheetmetal where it was mounted.  This was a one-handed, gentle operation.  Moved the snapstat slightly closer to the fire box (simply by pushing it up a bit).   The blower now comes on much sooner and stays on longer, much as I expected it should.  

Also, on www.allelectronics.com I located "thermal switches" for sale,  I believe I paid appx. $2 for a two-pack.  They are of the exact design as the snapstat, mounting holes and 1/4" terminals.  I planned on using one of these thinking my original was bad the but the "tweak" worked instead.  These are rated at 57 degree celsius by the way.  

Will continue to check this great forum and thread!


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## HopWallop

Welcome Fortunate Son. 

Hi 88Steve - No problems with the door shut.  Like I mentioned earlier in the thread, I did have some problems until I started using the firestarter.  I did read in a thread for a different Jotul stove of a similar issue.  One of the replies mentioned the removal of a inspection label and the use of a mirror to see if there is a obstruciton or problem with the air intake.  Someone else talked about how the baffles have to be put back in a certain order in order to get proper air flow.  I do not know much about how this goes together, but I am sure someone in here does.   Different from any of the other possibilities I had read about

The stove guy hooked the bad fan up to the right side and it had the same problem.  I feel like I am wasting wood with only half of a stove.  Hopefully, I will be 100% Monday or Tuesday.


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## gibson

Have been burning with this stove for a week now, and I must say that I am very impressed.  The stove is running great and drafting well.  I have not really pushed it with running her hot and I do not have a thermometer yet.  But my glass has remained relatively clean so that is a good sign.  Longest burn has been 5-6 hrs.  Was able to start up from coals today that were 9+ hrs old.  I think that my learning curve is all that is holding this stove back.  Very happy thus far.


----------



## firebug360

Hi everyone, I have an update on my issue.  I got the dealer out to check things out.  Turned out there was a HUGE gap (about 8 inches) between the drawdown adapter and the SS flue liner.  I was amazed the thing even worked and we didn't get smoked out!  Somehow the tubes got disconnected, but are back together now with a good draft.  We used a draft meter (not sure what measurement it uses) at the bottom of the pipe above the stove and it read 7.  I now have my chemgard thermometer sitting inside the airvent (dealer recommended) with a reading of 500 after about 2hrs of burning.  I'm sure we'll be able to get it even hotter with some playing around.  What temps do you guys use for good long daytime burning?  

88Steve - if you can get your hands on a draft meter or have a dealer check it, it may be worth your time if you are still having issues.  How are you making out?


----------



## FrankMA

CTJotul550: Glad to hear you finally got your problem resolved! It became obvious to many that there had to be some kind of problem after all the fixes that were suggested and tried. Your going to love it.

My cruising temp's are between 450* & 550* F with the damper about 3/4 closed. The stove will maintain this tempurature as long I keep feeding it a good size split every couple of hours or so. My wife and I like to keep the house in the 68* range but sometimes this is difficult to regulate with any accuracy - I'm getting better at it all the time though. I have a 2,000 sq. ft. colonial and it usually keeps the downstairs around 70ish and the upstairs (where the bedrooms are) around the mid 60's.

You can now change your avitar to a "Happy Face"!


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## Custerstove

Nice job CT, sounds like you solved your problems. I've been wondering about the acceptable stove temperatures myself. I often burn around 500-600F, but when the weather is really cold I crank the stove up to 750F for several hours without any problems. Does anyone know if 800F is too hot - I think I reached this a few times. For overnight burns, it's hard to get above 600F because of the large logs and tight packing of the wood.


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## FrankMA

CT: A "Happy Dance" works just as well!


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## 88steve

hi, ct jotul, glad your issue  is resolved. the store has to send out a service man to check out the bad fan ill have him check the whole stove out then, when i first start a fire the door must be open even if i use a wax type firestarter, i can have a roaring fire going with small kindling/ splits and if i close the door it will die out and smolder within 2 min. when the fire does take off and i can have the  door closed it runs good, im still not sure what the heat output should be or how hot i can get this stove, i usually have 3 or 4 medium splits in it when it is up  to speed, dont know if this is too much or not enough. it may be an installation problem the installers had a hard time putting it in it took about 7 hours to complete with the 2 guys and myself helping out to speed things along,they used a 6 inch liner full length up the masonary chimney, no block off plate on bottom just at the top. the damper was removed from the chimney to give clearance to the liner .  i will have the service man pull the baffles out and check the down draft adapter as well , hopefully it is something simple, i feel im not getting the full potential out of this stove . also i did notice that one of the firebrick was glowing where the lit end of a log was resting against it anyone know if this is normal. any help/input is appreciated as usual, its very frustrating being a total noob to the stove world. thanks, steve.


----------



## firebug360

Hi 88Steve,

I've heard that a lot of people need to keep the door cracked when starting.  If it's running fine after it gets started, maybe you just have a weak draft while the chimney is still warming up and the heat begins to build.  I recommend you ask the installer to bring a draft tester to see what reading he gets and if he feels the draft is adequate.  With the fire going for about 20 minutes, I got a reading of 7.  Also with a window or sliding door cracked open, it seemed to give it a boost.. you may want to give that a try.  Another thing you may want to check is for places in  your house that would be creating a negative draft (i.e., the air is going out a hole or crack somewhere else in the house rather than the chimney).  Seal off any airconditioner window units, make sure you don't have a lot of air leaving through an oven/stove fan, improperly shut windows, attic door, etc.  I still have some sealing to do, and I think it may help improve things.  The temperature here today was nearly 60, so I wasn't running in the best of conditions.  When things cool down again I expect better performance.  Try testing when it is really cold out.

Regarding operating temperatures, I have a lot to learn in this area... but you may want to pick one of these up (see below).  I got mine for about 15 bucks and placed it in the left side of the air vent.  Today while running the stove for about 2hrs full open, I had a temp of 550.  I have to play around with this some more.

http://www.amazon.com/ChimGardÂ®-Woodstove-Thermometer-porcelain-temperatures/dp/B000IZTA4O

BTW, if you take off the surround assembly (pretty easy to pop off), you may get a better glimpse of any flue liner connection problems.  My installer didn't take the baffles apart.  Just took the surround out and after seeing the problem slid the entire stove out to reseat everything.  

Keep us posted on your troubleshooting efforts.


----------



## 88steve

thanks, will do, steve.


----------



## bbeals

CTJotul550 said:
			
		

> Hi 88Steve,
> 
> I've heard that a lot of people need to keep the door cracked when starting.  If it's running fine after it gets started, maybe you just have a weak draft while the chimney is still warming up and the heat begins to build.  I recommend you ask the installer to bring a draft tester to see what reading he gets and if he feels the draft is adequate.  With the fire going for about 20 minutes, I got a reading of 7.  Also with a window or sliding door cracked open, it seemed to give it a boost.. you may want to give that a try.  Another thing you may want to check is for places in  your house that would be creating a negative draft (i.e., the air is going out a hole or crack somewhere else in the house rather than the chimney).  Seal off any airconditioner window units, make sure you don't have a lot of air leaving through an oven/stove fan, improperly shut windows, attic door, etc.  I still have some sealing to do, and I think it may help improve things.  The temperature here today was nearly 60, so I wasn't running in the best of conditions.  When things cool down again I expect better performance.  Try testing when it is really cold out.
> 
> Regarding operating temperatures, I have a lot to learn in this area... but you may want to pick one of these up (see below).  I got mine for about 15 bucks and placed it in the left side of the air vent.  Today while running the stove for about 2hrs full open, I had a temp of 550.  I have to play around with this some more.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/ChimGardÂ®-Woodstove-Thermometer-porcelain-temperatures/dp/B000IZTA4O
> 
> BTW, if you take off the surround assembly (pretty easy to pop off), you may get a better glimpse of any flue liner connection problems.  My installer didn't take the baffles apart.  Just took the surround out and after seeing the problem slid the entire stove out to reseat everything.
> 
> Keep us posted on your troubleshooting efforts.



Never have to open or crack the door to light our 550.  Only time we open the door is to feed it.  If you are having to feed that much air, the maybe you might need a little dryer wood?  Just a thought....


----------



## gibson

Custerstove said:
			
		

> Nice job CT, sounds like you solved your problems. I've been wondering about the acceptable stove temperatures myself. I often burn around 500-600F, but when the weather is really cold I crank the stove up to 750F for several hours without any problems. Does anyone know if 800F is too hot - I think I reached this a few times. For overnight burns, it's hard to get above 600F because of the large logs and tight packing of the wood.



Sounds like me.  I have been using for a week.  But this is my normal fire before bed and we at 700*.  I wouldnt be afraid to go to 800* on appearances.  Had coals after seven hours overnight to restart.  That was a small fire.  Havin fun.


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## mcollect

I must be doing something awfully wrong. I cant get my stove above 250* reading at the damper adjuster, where are you reading 500* +? I have an IR thermometer and the front glass reads 450* I am still figuring this stove out and the damper adjusting thing is driving me crazy, when to close it and how that effects heat output, any hints? The house is comfortable but it is only in the 20*s outside.


----------



## Custerstove

mcollect, there is a thread somewhere about placing the thermometer in the vent where the hot air comes out of the stove. This way the thermometer is on top of the stove - not on the door. Mine is in the vent above the center of the door. 

Also, as you noticed, the lever for the air intake should be a cool spot becuase that's where the cool air enters the stove.


----------



## jadm

mcollect said:
			
		

> I must be doing something awfully wrong. I cant get my stove above 250* reading at the damper adjuster, where are you reading 500* +? I have an IR thermometer and the front glass reads 450* I am still figuring this stove out and the damper adjusting thing is driving me crazy, when to close it and how that effects heat output, any hints? The house is comfortable but it is only in the 20*s outside.



I have a magnetic therm. and place it in the top center of the door.  It does not reflect the true temp. of the stove - I only use it as a 'visual  quick read from across the room to get a general idea if the internal temp. is holding, rising or falling.  

To get a more accurate read I have to get up from whatever I am doing and use my IR therm.  I aim it about 2 - 3" into the blower air slot above the door making sure I am reading the top of the stove and not the cast iron directly in front of it - fiddle with this and you will see what I mean.  If I am not hitting the stove top the temp. reads quite a bit lower and I know I'm hitting the front cast iron.

I would guess that if you are picking up a temp. o 250* where  you currently have your therm. that the 'true' temp. is probably around 500*.

I still have to fiddle a lot with the primary air control and, yes, I too get frustrated but I keep on learning more and the frustration is lessoning.

From a reload it takes about 1/2 hour to get the air to where I want it to be.  I shut it down in 1/4  increments - in other words - to get it down to 1/4 open takes me 3 adjustments.  FIrst I go to 3/4ths and let it settle in - then 1/2 and repeat. I have trouble with getting it to 1/4.  I can get it there but I will begin to get smoke out of my chimney again which means it's not getting enough air.

I do know mine works best at about 600*-700*.  This insert can handle high temps. nicely.

I also know it burns differently on a regular basis depending on the weather we are having which means I am beginning to relax a bit with the mysteries of wood burning and I am totally enjoying the heat and beauty of this insert.

I am very grateful for all the info. I get here when I run into another snag. :coolsmile:


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## gibson

Custerstove said:
			
		

> mcollect, there is a thread somewhere about placing the thermometer in the vent where the hot air comes out of the stove. This way the thermometer is on top of the stove - not on the door. Mine is in the vent above the center of the door.
> 
> Also, as you noticed, the lever for the air intake should be a cool spot becuase that's where the cool air enters the stove.



That is where my thermometer is...inside the blower vent.  I put it a few inches in.  Just peek at it with a flashlight to read.  Temp tops out at 700*


----------



## MikeC

I was wondering if anyone has cleaned out their Jotul insert? If so, did you have to move it out?


----------



## HopWallop

Hi mkek - what are you cleaning?


----------



## MikeC

HopWallop said:
			
		

> Hi mkek - what are you cleaning?



Hi HopWallop,

I ordered the Jotul c550. I was wondering if cleaning the unit is a DIY when the time comes? I read other posts that other inserts need to be pulled out. Not sure if this pertains to the c550.


----------



## Custerstove

Cleaning out the stove will depend on how it's installed. If you have a liner to the top of the chimney, it should be easy enough to clean the stove by removing the baffles. If you have no liner (called direct connect) then you should pull the entire stove out - I have a neighbor with direct connect and he said it's easy to pull the stove out. I personally prefer to have a chimney sweep because they have all the proper tools and you can always learn from their methods.


----------



## HopWallop

The manual under General Maintenance does call for it to be removed for inspection and cleaning of the flue connector, liner and chimney.  In looking at it I don't see why it  would have to come all of the way out.  Maybe a little so you could get the surround panel off.  I am also going to let the chimney sweep take care of it.  I just want to make sure he puts it back together correctly.  I am wondering how often I should have it cleaned.  I was ok with once a year with the fireplace, but I am burning everyday now.


----------



## jadm

[quote author="HopWallop" date="1229459612"]The manual under General Maintenance does call for it to be removed for inspection and cleaning of the flue connector, liner and chimney.  In looking at it I don't see why it  would have to come all of the way out.  Maybe a little so you could get the surround panel off.  I am also going to let the chimney sweep take care of it.  I just want to make sure he puts it back together correctly.  I am wondering how often I should have it cleaned.  I was ok with once a year with the fireplace, but I am burning everyday now.[/quote

With a full liner I don't see why insert has to be pulled to be inspected.  I never did that with my other insert....Pulling this thing out is no easy task and I can't imagine doing that on a regular basis.  I'll check with my sweep and see what he say.

I wonder what others with inserts here who have been using them for years would say about this...maybe a good thread for not just 550 owners.


----------



## MikeC

Trying to wiggle a 400-500 lb insert would be difficult in my case. I guess I will let the chimney sweep clean it out when the time comes.


----------



## JJEGLBS

Related to the subtopic of pulling the c550 out -- I had mine installed about 1.5 months ago and I am generally please with it.  However, I feel that I could capture some more heat if a block-off plate had been installed.  Unfortunately, I came to this realization after the installation (should have searched this site earlier).  The installer only put insulation in the chimney (with an fully-lined insulated flue).

I have looked at the very good step-by-step instructions for installing a block-off plate at this site and think I could do it if I could safely remove and put back the insert.  So, I would like to take a crack at installing a block-off plate in the summer.  Notwithstanding the weight of the insert, is it difficult to disconnect it from the flue and pull it out enough to install a block-off plate (note: there is not much clearance between the insert and the fireplace, if that matters) and the move the insert back and reconnect it safely to the flue?


----------



## MikeC

JJEGLBS said:
			
		

> Related to the subtopic of pulling the c550 out -- I had mine installed about 1.5 months ago and I am generally please with it.  However, I feel that I could capture some more heat if a block-off plate had been installed.  Unfortunately, I came to this realization after the installation (should have searched this site earlier).  The installer only put insulation in the chimney (with an fully-lined insulated flue).
> 
> I have looked at the very good step-by-step instructions for installing a block-off plate at this site and think I could do it if I could safely remove and put back the insert.  So, I would like to take a crack at installing a block-off plate in the summer.  Notwithstanding the weight of the insert, is it difficult to disconnect it from the flue and pull it out enough to install a block-off plate (note: there is not much clearance between the insert and the fireplace, if that matters) and the move the insert back and reconnect it safely to the flue?



I am looking over the invoice and no block off plate is mentioned. Should I call and inquire about a block off plate? I assume this will be another expense....


----------



## MikeC

JJEGLBS said:
			
		

> Related to the subtopic of pulling the c550 out -- I had mine installed about 1.5 months ago and I am generally please with it.  However, I feel that I could capture some more heat if a block-off plate had been installed.  Unfortunately, I came to this realization after the installation (should have searched this site earlier).  The installer only put insulation in the chimney (with an fully-lined insulated flue).
> 
> I have looked at the very good step-by-step instructions for installing a block-off plate at this site and think I could do it if I could safely remove and put back the insert.  So, I would like to take a crack at installing a block-off plate in the summer.  Notwithstanding the weight of the insert, is it difficult to disconnect it from the flue and pull it out enough to install a block-off plate (note: there is not much clearance between the insert and the fireplace, if that matters) and the move the insert back and reconnect it safely to the flue?




I am looking over the invoice and no block off plate is mentioned. Should I call and inquire about a block off plate? I assume this will be another expense....


----------



## JJEGLBS

mkek said:
			
		

> JJEGLBS said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Related to the subtopic of pulling the c550 out -- I had mine installed about 1.5 months ago and I am generally please with it.  However, I feel that I could capture some more heat if a block-off plate had been installed.  Unfortunately, I came to this realization after the installation (should have searched this site earlier).  The installer only put insulation in the chimney (with an fully-lined insulated flue).
> 
> I have looked at the very good step-by-step instructions for installing a block-off plate at this site and think I could do it if I could safely remove and put back the insert.  So, I would like to take a crack at installing a block-off plate in the summer.  Notwithstanding the weight of the insert, is it difficult to disconnect it from the flue and pull it out enough to install a block-off plate (note: there is not much clearance between the insert and the fireplace, if that matters) and the move the insert back and reconnect it safely to the flue?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I am looking over the invoice and no block off plate is mentioned. Should I call and inquire about a block off plate? I assume this will be another expense....
Click to expand...



Yeah, after looking at other posts the block-off plate is not required (with a full insulated liner) but seems to be recommended.  So, it's likely it was not installed unless you asked for it.


----------



## Summertime

For what reason would you have to pull the insert out? I would think all you would have to do is run a brush down the liner of the stove.What else do you have to clean? the stove temps should be hot enough to burn any accumulation on the heat transfer tubes,especially if there is a block off plate..


----------



## mcollect

Thanks to all! I used an IR thermometer and the flue pipe is at 550 to 600 the same as the glass. My wood is not really dry but after resplitting and stacking under the hearth for a week it is close. Heating my weekend house, 2300 sq. ft. 97 windows, totally with the insert. This isert is the best investment I could hope for. Again thanks to all for the information.


----------



## firebug360

Hi guys, gotta question on fuel.  Has anyone tried using duraflame logs or other "eco-friendly" logs in their 550?  The instruction manual says to only use wood, however I have read that these logs are ok to use and don't use any petroleum waxes.  My friend who has a cast iron wood stove says they are fantastic.  Looking forward to your responses.


----------



## gibson

Are you thinking of bio bricks?  Duraflame logs should not be used in a stove.


----------



## 88steve

HI ALL, after much trial and error I'm finally getting the bugs out of my rockland, it seems my problems with getting the fires started were due to unseasoned wood.i had the repair tech from the stove store come to check the bad left side fan and he took one look at the inside of the stove and stated wet wood. he will bring a draft meter when he returns with the new fan to verify good draft i must admit I'm impressed with the customer service with the stove store ASHWOOD,farmingville li ny, id recommend them to anyone in the area shopping for a stove. i purchased a pallet of kiln dried mixed hardwood to verify if i had a wood problem and the stuff is incredible it starts/burns great.overall I'm very happy with my choice of the jotul over the v.c. montpelier ,thanks again for the feedback on my starting problems, will post pics when i figure out how to.steve


----------



## firebug360

Yes, biobricks.  My dealer at one point recommended I test for wood dryness problems by using envirologs.  I never did test them because I couldn't find that particular brand, but I do see that duraflame is sold just about everywhere. Hopefully he didn't give me another bad piece of advice.

Steve - glad to hear you found your problem!  I wish your dealer was closer to me.  I'd use them for any future work.  Unfortunately I didn't have the best experience with mine, in particular with their post-install customer service.  

Enjoy your stove.  I'm amazed at how this thing heats up our entire house in no-time!


----------



## MikeC

Summertime said:
			
		

> For what reason would you have to pull the insert out? I would think all you would have to do is run a brush down the liner of the stove.What else do you have to clean? the stove temps should be hot enough to burn any accumulation on the heat transfer tubes,especially if there is a block off plate..



Hi summertime: I was reading other posts(from other topics) and assumed that the insert needed to be pulled out to clean it. I was wondering for reference. 

Should I request a block off plate? 

Thanks


----------



## jadm

88steve said:
			
		

> HI ALL, after much trial and error I'm finally getting the bugs out of my rockland, it seems my problems with getting the fires started were due to unseasoned wood.i had the repair tech from the stove store come to check the bad left side fan and he took one look at the inside of the stove and stated wet wood. he will bring a draft meter when he returns with the new fan to verify good draft i must admit I'm impressed with the customer service with the stove store ASHWOOD,farmingville li ny, id recommend them to anyone in the area shopping for a stove. i purchased a pallet of kiln dried mixed hardwood to verify if i had a wood problem and the stuff is incredible it starts/burns great.overall I'm very happy with my choice of the jotul over the v.c. montpelier ,thanks again for the feedback on my starting problems, will post pics when i figure out how to.steve



Glad to hear you got some knowledgeable help.  Makes such a difference.

I learned about seasoned wood here.  Had no clue before and now I know from experience.  I go to my supplier in person and request wood that has been cut and split for awhile.  I check it on the truck before it is dumped and I use a moisture meter....all things I learned here. 

 I also order my wood in March instead of mid summer. (We live in a very dry climate so March is plenty of time to finish drying.  Last  year wood that was delivered was already down to 20%).

Now the fun begins - figuring out when to load and how to cut back air etc....many hours of enjoyment with heat and without the aggravation. :coolsmile:


----------



## firebug360

Hi Perplexed.  What make/model moisture content reader do you use and would you recommend it?  I've been trying to find one locally without having to buy online but haven't had any luck.  I've seen mixed reviews online so am unsure which ones work well and which don't.  I definitely want to have one next time we get a delivery.  I also need to get better at eyeball measuring 1 cord.  Most suppliers around here don't stack and the ones that do either charge way too much or only give you 3/4 cord to make up for the stacking costs.  I have a feeling the last one or two dropoffs were less than a cord.

Thanks!


----------



## gibson

perplexed said:
			
		

> 88steve said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HI ALL, after much trial and error I'm finally getting the bugs out of my rockland, it seems my problems with getting the fires started were due to unseasoned wood.i had the repair tech from the stove store come to check the bad left side fan and he took one look at the inside of the stove and stated wet wood. he will bring a draft meter when he returns with the new fan to verify good draft i must admit I'm impressed with the customer service with the stove store ASHWOOD,farmingville li ny, id recommend them to anyone in the area shopping for a stove. i purchased a pallet of kiln dried mixed hardwood to verify if i had a wood problem and the stuff is incredible it starts/burns great.overall I'm very happy with my choice of the jotul over the v.c. montpelier ,thanks again for the feedback on my starting problems, will post pics when i figure out how to.steve
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Glad to hear you got some knowledgeable help.  Makes such a difference.
> 
> I learned about seasoned wood here.  Had no clue before and now I know from experience.  I go to my supplier in person and request wood that has been cut and split for awhile.  I check it on the truck before it is dumped and I use a moisture meter....all things I learned here.
> 
> I also order my wood in March instead of mid summer. (We live in a very dry climate so March is plenty of time to finish drying.  Last  year wood that was delivered was already down to 20%).
> 
> Now the fun begins - figuring out when to load and how to cut back air etc....many hours of enjoyment with heat and without the aggravation. :coolsmile:
Click to expand...



This is my first year as well, although I bought my wood last year in March.  I am buying my wood this year in January, green and in bulk.


----------



## jadm

CTJotul550 said:
			
		

> Hi Perplexed.  What make/model moisture content reader do you use and would you recommend it?  I've been trying to find one locally without having to buy online but haven't had any luck.  I've seen mixed reviews online so am unsure which ones work well and which don't.  I definitely want to have one next time we get a delivery.  I also need to get better at eyeball measuring 1 cord.  Most suppliers around here don't stack and the ones that do either charge way too much or only give you 3/4 cord to make up for the stacking costs.  I have a feeling the last one or two dropoffs were less than a cord.
> 
> Thanks!



My moisture meter is an Extech M0210.  I found it on line.  Can't remember where - it was last winter.  I do remember they were very consumer friendly.

If you look on woodheat.com there is an article on wood measurements and how full a cord will fill a pick  up truck - good pictures to give you a better idea of what you are getting.  I lucked out with a reliable supplier whose business is pretty close to where we live - cuts down on delivery charges.


----------



## ctrockland

i took the sliding mechanisim out, 3 bolts and took the face plate off.. thats where the air comes in and made the same hole as in the right slider and put it on the left...works so much better.


----------



## Bizango1

Hello,

I've read through the entire thread and want to thank everyone for taking the time to post all this information, its very helpful.  I've been burning my Jotul 550 for about 3 weeks now and it works great.  Two complaints: 1. I've had to clean the glass way to much.  I know it is supposed to have an airwash system for the glass but it doesn't seem to work all that well.  I've tried the wet rag and ash to clean the glass and that works ok but i'm concerned about it being too abrasive.  The razor blade works fine but does require a bit of elbow grease.   I understand this could be because of the wood but it is supposed to be seasoned and burns really well.  Has anyone had any luck with a solution that helps clean the glass?  I've tried a bunch of comercailly available cleaning products with no success.  2. My stove is in a 20' by 20' half cathederal ceiling room attached to the main house and the heat really doesn't disperse down the hallway at all.  I'm planning on trying a fan in the corner of the doorway.  Any suggestions for a high end quietish fan?

Thanks all and Happy New Year!


----------



## Custerstove

To keep the glass clean, don't let the wood or hot coals touch the glass. If you learn to predict how the logs will collapse during an overnight burn you will never have a problem. When you load the stove up, stack the wood behind the andirons. Also, if you stack your wood several pieces high there is more chance that the wood will eventually fall against the glass when you're not looking. A lot of people claim that unseasoned wood can put soot on the glass window, but in my experience the only time the glass needs cleaned is when wood and coals fall against the window.

A little bit of soot is not unusual and can be cleaned off with water in 30 seconds.


----------



## Bizango1

Custer,

Thanks for the response, I wish I had your luck with the glass.  Your comments make me thing there is something wrong with my stove.  The wood has never been beyond the anirons and has certainly never touched the glass.  After two or three burns i have a heavy black build up like some one spackled sap that dried on the inside of the glass.  It is not soot and it will not come off with water.  I guess I'll ask my dealer.

Thanks!


----------



## Bizango1

As a follow up the my glass problem, I spoke to my dealer today while I was purchasing a thermometer.  I told him was having a great deal of deposit on the glass and then mentioned that I cleaned it with a razor and some ash on a wet raghe recoiled and had a look of pain on his face.  He claimed I should never use a razor or anything abrasive like ash on the glass because I would create microscopic scrapes on the the glass that the soot would be drawn to and I would always have problems now. :red:  I think I may not have been burning hot enough, closing down the airflow prematurely.  He claims the airwash will only work well when the fire is at its hottest.


----------



## Summertime

Bizango1 said:
			
		

> As a follow up the my glass problem, I spoke to my dealer today while I was purchasing a thermometer.  I told him was having a great deal of deposit on the glass and then mentioned that I cleaned it with a razor and some ash on a wet ragged he recoiled and had a look of pain on his face.  He claimed I should never use a razor or anything abrasive like ash on the glass because I would create microscopic scraps on the the glass that the soot would be drawn to and I would always have problems now. :red:  I think I may not have been burning hot enough closing down the airflow prematurely.  He claims the airwash will only work well when the fire is at its hottest.



I wouldn't think there would be anything abrasive in the ash as it is merely burnt wood?? I used to have a lot of buildup on the glass when I first started burning but when I started burning hotter fires the glass is staying much cleaner.


----------



## woodheat

As long as you burn your stove up in the 450-600 range you should and not shut it down to soon your glass will stay clean. It does collect a little on the lower left and right side because the fire is not burning a hot there, but I have not cleaned my glass in a month. I find if I get impatient or try to shut the stove down before it get hot enough, then the glass gets dirty. Have you read on the thread where to place your thermometer? Do not put it in that little spot above the door, the readings you get will be way lower that it actually is because that is where the cold air comes in. Put it in the center of the slot where the fan air blows out of.



> i took the sliding mechanism out, 3 bolts and took the face plate off.. that's where the air comes in and made the same hole as in the right slider and put it on the left...works so much better.



Ctrockland - Can you explain more in depth what you did as a modification, why, and what it improved? Thanks.


----------



## Bizango1

summertime, 

Thank you for the info on the glass, I think I need to burn hotter.  Also good point on the ash, I have no clue if it is abrasive or not.

Woodheat,

Thank you for the info on the thermometer, I have it in the right spot now.


----------



## Bizango1

Woodheat,

If you can see the attached photo, can you tell me if this is the correct spot for the thermometer?  Or do you actually slide it into the vent?

Thanks


----------



## MikeC

Hi all,

I was wondering where do you set your air intake at if you burning throughout the night ? 

Thanks


----------



## woodheat

Most have suggested to put it actually in the air slot, it is not as easy to read, but gives the best reading. Go to the link below that we were posting on a bit back, Leakypuppy put a picture up of it. 

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/25049/

Once The stove gets  up to 500 or so I usually turn it all the way down before bed. Sometimes I will leave it just a smidge open. I guess it is a catch. The more open the hotter it will burn, but the faster it will use up the wood. Rarely does it go through the night. I can usually only find hot coals under the ashes and stove down to below 200 after 8 hours. Still keeps the lower area where our stove is warm, but does not get the heat upstairs once it cools down that low.  I can get good heat for around 5 hours if I pack it full.


----------



## Bizango1

Thanks Woodheat!


----------



## gibson

Bizango1 said:
			
		

> Woodheat,
> 
> If you can see the attached photo, can you tell me if this is the correct spot for the thermometer?  Or do you actually slide it into the vent?
> 
> Thanks



 I put mine in the blower vent.


----------



## MikeC

Hi all, I have a few questions. Sorry, I'm a noob. 

Is it normal for the box to get smokey after adding logs to a lite fire? Could it be a draft problem? 

When starting a fire, how many small pieces of wood do start off with before adding bigger logs? 

I read the manual for the burn in period, but the window has soot on it already. The wood is seasoned and I make sure the wood is behind the andirons. 


Thanks


----------



## jadm

mkek said:
			
		

> Hi all, I have a few questions. Sorry, I'm a noob.
> 
> Is it normal for the box to get smokey after adding logs to a lite fire? Could it be a draft problem?
> 
> When starting a fire, how many small pieces of wood do start off with before adding bigger logs?
> 
> I read the manual for the burn in period, but the window has soot on it already. The wood is seasoned and I make sure the wood is behind the andirons.
> 
> 
> Thanks



First question - have you done your curing fires?  The small ones - 2 or 3 - to burn off the manufacturing odors etc?

If you haven't - don't try to build a big fire yet.  Start out with a small one with just kindling.  Get it going and let it completely burn out and insert cool down.

Repeat process once cool but with a bit more wood...object being that each fire is hotter than the last and the heat will burn off the chemicals.  Be sure to open windows and use fans.  It doesn't smell good at all...  IT took about 3 fires before the odor went away for me.

Chances are smoke in fire box is due to closing the door too soon.  Leave the door open a bit until wood really ignites then try closing it a bit more.  YOu may have to do this in stages.

I generally do 2 or 3 small splits and one piece of hardwood on top of that to get things going.  ONce that is on it's way I will add a couple more hardwood pieces and slowly close the door again depending on how the firebox looks.  

Key is a good bed of hot coals to keep things going so you want to get that going below before adding to the top.


----------



## MikeC

perplexed said:
			
		

> mkek said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi all, I have a few questions. Sorry, I'm a noob.
> 
> Is it normal for the box to get smokey after adding logs to a lite fire? Could it be a draft problem?
> 
> When starting a fire, how many small pieces of wood do start off with before adding bigger logs?
> 
> I read the manual for the burn in period, but the window has soot on it already. The wood is seasoned and I make sure the wood is behind the andirons.
> 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> 
> First question - have you done your curing fires?  The small ones - 2 or 3 - to burn off the manufacturing odors etc?
> 
> If you haven't - don't try to build a big fire yet.  Start out with a small one with just kindling.  Get it going and let it completely burn out and insert cool down.
> 
> Repeat process once cool but with a bit more wood...object being that each fire is hotter than the last and the heat will burn off the chemicals.  Be sure to open windows and use fans.  It doesn't smell good at all...  IT took about 3 fires before the odor went away for me.
> 
> .
Click to expand...


Perplexed:

Yes, I started off with three small fires and the odor was present on Monday but not last evening. 

Of course my wife chimes in thinking the insert was a waste of $$....I just need to learn and prove it to her.


----------



## Rudyjr

After you have done your first two or three break in fires use this method or something similar to what Brent posted a while back. Make sure you have a substantial base fire and coals before you throw the big stuff in.(This is a c450-c550 is larger) Here is the link to Brent's thread:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/31393/


----------



## jadm

Bizango1 said:
			
		

> Woodheat,
> 
> If you can see the attached photo, can you tell me if this is the correct spot for the thermometer?  Or do you actually slide it into the vent?
> 
> Thanks



That won't give you an accurate read.  THe cast iron it is attached to isn't in contact with the firebox.  There is a layer of air in there.  Temp. will read a lot lower than it actually is.

I ended up with an IR thermometer.  Easier for me to shoot it in the slot and get a read.

My insert usually burns around 600*-700* and glass stays clean at those temps.  Maybe a bit of build up at the bottom of the door as someone already stated.

On cleaning glass with ash.  I read about that here and it works great.  Far better than a razor blade.  Many on this forum have been at this  for years and I haven't seen anyone of them posting warnings about it.  On the other hand - man in shop gets to sell you his glass cleaner....I just prefer to keep it simple and use what is handy.


----------



## MikeC

Rudyjr said:
			
		

> After you have done your first two or three break in fires use this method or something similar to what Brent posted a while back. Make sure you have a substantial base fire and coals before you throw the big stuff in. Here is the link to Brent's thread:
> 
> https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/31393/



Thanks for the link. I need to trim some logs to a smaller size.


----------



## jadm

mkek said:
			
		

> Rudyjr said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After you have done your first two or three break in fires use this method or something similar to what Brent posted a while back. Make sure you have a substantial base fire and coals before you throw the big stuff in. Here is the link to Brent's thread:
> 
> https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/31393/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the link. I need to trim some logs to a smaller size.
Click to expand...


Just looked at that thread.  It is similar to how I get things going.  Small and dry on the bottom.  I also use fire starters to keep things going at a high temp. (Check out threads on SuperCedar fire starters.  You can order your first batch at no charge.  )

Add larger splits as wood ignites.  Manual tells how to do this too.  Only thing it says that doesn't work for me is how quickly they get the door shut.  

Some on forum recommend the top down method of building a fire.  It didn't work at all for me.   Lots of smoke and ages for wood to take off.  Different things work in different stoves.  Nice to have a variety of choices.

Once you get temps. up you will be amazed at the heat the 550 produces.  Just be careful not to over fill it!  Mine shoots up to 650* pretty quickly with just 3 medium pieces of hardwood.  I have yet to try adding more...maybe someday.  But even on our coldest days - below 0 - this insert has kept our living area in the mid 70's.

Be patient..  It is a learning curve and you will catch on the more you burn.  Just takes time and learning what works and what doesn't.


----------



## jadm

A P.S. To my above.  

If you haven't already - put your blower on manual.  Don't turn it on until insert is hot or else it slows things down.  You have more control with it on manual anyway.  Several have commented on that in this thread.


----------



## MikeC

perplexed said:
			
		

> A P.S. To my above.
> 
> If you haven't already - put your blower on manual.  Don't turn it on until insert is hot or else it slows things down.  You have more control with it on manual anyway.  Several have commented on that in this thread.



I have the blower on auto. I will change it today. 

Perplexed: How long does it take you to start a fire when insert is cold? Just wondering.


----------



## MikeC

mkek said:
			
		

> perplexed said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A P.S. To my above.
> 
> If you haven't already - put your blower on manual.  Don't turn it on until insert is hot or else it slows things down.  You have more control with it on manual anyway.  Several have commented on that in this thread.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have the blower on auto. I will change it today.
> 
> Perplexed: How long does it take you to start a fire when insert is cold? Just wondering.
Click to expand...


Yes, I have my free samples of super cedar  They work really well.


----------



## jadm

mkek said:
			
		

> Perplexed: How long does it take you to start a fire when insert is cold? Just wondering.



Maybe a half an hour.  I don't really time it.  Start things going then begin morning routine with dogs etc.  and check on it as I progress through my 'chores'.  If I had to wager a guess it would be 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.  

Remember too that first load of wood is about heating the insert up - flue etc. - warming up the machine so to speak.  Once it is good and warm then the heat begins to radiate out into the room.  Within an hour I would say our temp. is climbing nicely nearing the 70* mark from the low 60's we wake up to.  (I do not burn overnight.)

Do you have a ceiling fan?  This, on low, also helps distribute the heat more evenly throughout the room.  You know, heat loves to rise.


----------



## MikeC

perplexed said:
			
		

> mkek said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Perplexed: How long does it take you to start a fire when insert is cold? Just wondering.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe a half an hour.  I don't really time it.  Start things going then begin morning routine with dogs etc.  and check on it as I progress through my 'chores'.  If I had to wager a guess it would be 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.
> 
> Remember too that first load of wood is about heating the insert up - flue etc. - warming up the machine so to speak.  Once it is good and warm then the heat begins to radiate out into the room.  Within an hour I would say our temp. is climbing nicely nearing the 70* mark from the low 60's we wake up to.  (I do not burn overnight.)
> 
> Do you have a ceiling fan?  This, on low, also helps distribute the heat more evenly throughout the room.  You know, heat loves to rise.
Click to expand...


There is a ceiling fan in the foyer near the entrance. Our home is a split level with a brick wall that separates the kitchen from the dining and living room. I would like to push the warm air to the bed rooms. We will be installing a ceiling fan in the living room where the insert is located.


----------



## gibson

mkek said:
			
		

> Hi all, I have a few questions. Sorry, I'm a noob.
> 
> Is it normal for the box to get smokey after adding logs to a lite fire? Could it be a draft problem?
> 
> When starting a fire, how many small pieces of wood do start off with before adding bigger logs?
> 
> I read the manual for the burn in period, but the window has soot on it already. The wood is seasoned and I make sure the wood is behind the andirons.
> 
> 
> Thanks



Make sure you have a good bed of coals before throwing any decent size splits on there.  Get a stove thermometer and put it in the blower vent.  Mine cruises right up to 750* then slides back.  I am still learning as well but I am learning that this stove likes to run pretty hot.  It has been easy to control the temp thus far.  I have had to clean the glass twice in two months.  Try burning hotter fires...


----------



## JJEGLBS

Regarding the blower on auto or manual -- does anyone else find it difficult to remove the grate in front of the fans to change the blower setting and/or adjust the fan speed with the grate on?  I think the blower speed switch was installed a little bit off because it rubs against the grates when I try to adjust the speed.  Also, if I try to lift the grate up and out with the insert door closed it is difficult because the top of the grate hits against the door and I have to really push to do it.  Not really critical problems -- more slight annoyances -- but, I might as well make adjustments if I can.


----------



## gibson

JJEGLBS said:
			
		

> Regarding the blower on auto or manual -- does anyone else find it difficult to remove the grate in front of the fans to change the blower setting and/or adjust the fan speed with the grate on?  I think the blower speed switch was installed a little bit off because it rubs against the grates when I try to adjust the speed.  Also, if I try to lift the grate up and out with the insert door closed it is difficult because the top of the grate hits against the door and I have to really push to do it.  Not really critical problems -- more slight annoyances -- but, I might as well make adjustments if I can.



I don't need to remove the grate to use the fan switch.


----------



## Bizango1

As for the glass, I agree with carl.  I had horrible problems with the glass and the bottom line I was not burning hot enough.  I was squelching off the air way to early.  Now I just run it wide open all day and close it down at night.  I've had much better luck with the glass now that i'm running hotter.


----------



## jadm

Bizango1 said:
			
		

> As for the glass, I agree with carl.  I had horrible problems with the glass and the bottom line I was not burning hot enough.  I was squelching off the air way to early.  Now I just run it wide open all day and close it down at night.  I've had much better luck with the glass now that i'm running hotter.



Just out of curiosity -  burning with air wide open what temps. are you getting and how quickly do you burn through a load of wood?  

If I don't shut the air down on mine the wood is gone in no time flat.  I generally shut it 60% which helps keep the heat from all going up the flue and makes the wood last longer.  Also makes it  burn hotter.


----------



## jadm

carl spackler said:
			
		

> JJEGLBS said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regarding the blower on auto or manual -- does anyone else find it difficult to remove the grate in front of the fans to change the blower setting and/or adjust the fan speed with the grate on?  I think the blower speed switch was installed a little bit off because it rubs against the grates when I try to adjust the speed.  Also, if I try to lift the grate up and out with the insert door closed it is difficult because the top of the grate hits against the door and I have to really push to do it.  Not really critical problems -- more slight annoyances -- but, I might as well make adjustments if I can.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't need to remove the grate to use the fan switch.
Click to expand...


Ditto that.  You might try positioning the controls so they are accessible through the grate.  Easy for them to get knocked out of kilter. 

If the adjustment knob for the blowers gets pushed on too tightly by somebody operating the insert it is hard to turn.  Just has to be pulled out a bit and is easy after that.

I only remove the grate with the insert door open.  Much easier to handle it that way.


----------



## Bizango1

I'm burning wide open right now and its at 550.  I do go through the wood much faster.  I'm still learning and do not burn 24x7 because of work.  I'll probably start cutting it down a bit but I wanted to see if I could solve my dirty glass problem and burning wide open keeps the glass fairly clean.


----------



## jadm

Bizango1 said:
			
		

> I'm burning wide open right now and its at 550.  I do go through the wood much faster.  I'm still learning and do not burn 24x7 because of work.  I'll probably start cutting it down a bit but I wanted to see if I could solve my dirty glass problem and burning wide open keeps the glass fairly clean.



You will find the temps. rise as you cut air back.  Go slowly and in 25% increments once secondaries have kicked in - usually around 500*.  I give the fire time to settle between adjustments -5 to 10 minutes.  Mine doesn't like to go below 60% - I loose the flames and the chimney begins to smoke unless it is really cold out.  Your glass will stay clean and your wood will definitely last longer.  Temps. will more than likely be in the mid 600's as others have stated.  This insert likes to burn hot and handles it well.


----------



## Bizango1

Excellent!  giving that method a whirl right now.  Thanks!


----------



## Bizango1

Regarding secondary burning.  How do I tell when that is occuring?  Is it happening when the flames dance around on top of the wood and stretch up to the secondary air tubes?  Also is there a link or an explanation of how the secondary air tubes work?  Couldn't find anything on the Jotul site.

Thank you.


----------



## JJEGLBS

carl spackler said:
			
		

> JJEGLBS said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regarding the blower on auto or manual -- does anyone else find it difficult to remove the grate in front of the fans to change the blower setting and/or adjust the fan speed with the grate on?  I think the blower speed switch was installed a little bit off because it rubs against the grates when I try to adjust the speed.  Also, if I try to lift the grate up and out with the insert door closed it is difficult because the top of the grate hits against the door and I have to really push to do it.  Not really critical problems -- more slight annoyances -- but, I might as well make adjustments if I can.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't need to remove the grate to use the fan switch.
Click to expand...



I can't a finger between the grates to access the switch.  Do you use something else to do it (like a pencil)?


----------



## JJEGLBS

perplexed said:
			
		

> carl spackler said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JJEGLBS said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regarding the blower on auto or manual -- does anyone else find it difficult to remove the grate in front of the fans to change the blower setting and/or adjust the fan speed with the grate on?  I think the blower speed switch was installed a little bit off because it rubs against the grates when I try to adjust the speed.  Also, if I try to lift the grate up and out with the insert door closed it is difficult because the top of the grate hits against the door and I have to really push to do it.  Not really critical problems -- more slight annoyances -- but, I might as well make adjustments if I can.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't need to remove the grate to use the fan switch.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Ditto that.  You might try positioning the controls so they are accessible through the grate.  Easy for them to get knocked out of kilter.
> 
> If the adjustment knob for the blowers gets pushed on too tightly by somebody operating the insert it is hard to turn.  Just has to be pulled out a bit and is easy after that.
> 
> I only remove the grate with the insert door open.  Much easier to handle it that way.
Click to expand...


I'm now thinking that maybe my controls weren't installed exactly right.  I'll see if I can adjust them.  Thanks.

EDIT:  I just checked this before starting a fire today and, sure enough, I was able to maneuver the controls forward and to the right a bit, and I can access this with the grate on.  While I was in there I also noticed that the fans sit freely on the bottom of the insert (i.e., I can move them around).  They look like they have brackets on the top of them with small holes.  Are the fans supposed to be attached to something in there?

Thanks so much!  This site has been a great benefit, as has this thread!


----------



## JJEGLBS

Bizango1 said:
			
		

> Regarding secondary burning.  How do I tell when that is occuring?  Is it happening when the flames dance around on top of the wood and stretch up to the secondary air tubes?  Also is there a link or an explanation of how the secondary air tubes work?  Couldn't find anything on the Jotul site.
> 
> Thank you.



Along the same lines, I've found that the back secondary tube on my can be easily turned and has even been knocked out a couple of times when wood hit it.  I was wondering if there is any particular direction on the tube that the holes should face?


----------



## woodheat

the holes should face forward. There is a small whole on the center top of the tube and there is a matching peg in the top baffle plate that should key into the hole on the tube. This keeps the tubes in place and will not allow them to turn or come out unless the baffel plate is lifted. Your baffle plate key must not be in the tube hole if the tubes are turning or falling out.


----------



## JJEGLBS

woodheat said:
			
		

> the holes should face forward. There is a small whole on the center top of the tube and there is a matching peg in the top baffle plate that should key into the hole on the tube. This keeps the tubes in place and will not allow them to turn or come out unless the baffel plate is lifted. Your baffle plate key must not be in the tube hole if the tubes are turning or falling out.



Thanks!  I've got it burning now, but I'll check this the next time I can.


----------



## jadm

Bizango1 said:
			
		

> Regarding secondary burning.  How do I tell when that is occuring?  Is it happening when the flames dance around on top of the wood and stretch up to the secondary air tubes?  Also is there a link or an explanation of how the secondary air tubes work?  Couldn't find anything on the Jotul site.
> 
> Thank you.



I know when I was figuring out the secondary burn thing there were lots of threads explaining and describing it.  I am not versed in finding threads and inserting them as others are.  You might want to do an 'advanced search' on secondary burn and see what comes up.

I know when mine are engaged because the burning pattern in the firebox changes.   There will be a flame on the wood, down by the coal bed, reaching up to the top of the firebox where the secondary tubes are.  The flames that appear to be dancing are your secondaries.  Logs won't be in as much flame as they were before secondaries kicked in.  This usually happens once my insert is above 400* or 500*.   Sometimes you will even see flames shooting out of the secondary tubes. :bug:   It is mesmerizing to watch.

Oh- figured I better mention that if you loose the flame that is feeding the secondaries, the one that is burning up from the coals, you will loose secondaries too.  That flame acts like a wick.  Keep it healthy.


----------



## jadm

JJEGLBS said:
			
		

> While I was in there I also noticed that the fans sit freely on the bottom of the insert (i.e., I can move them around).  They look like they have brackets on the top of them with small holes.  Are the fans supposed to be attached to something in there?
> 
> Thanks so much!  This site has been a great benefit, as has this thread!



My blowers are attached to the bottom of the insert but they can be moved around.  In fact, there are times when the blower has started to make an unusual noise and it is generally due to one of the blowers resting up against it.


----------



## Bizango1

Thanks Perplexed!  It is mesmerizing....


----------



## gibson

JJEGLBS said:
			
		

> carl spackler said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JJEGLBS said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regarding the blower on auto or manual -- does anyone else find it difficult to remove the grate in front of the fans to change the blower setting and/or adjust the fan speed with the grate on?  I think the blower speed switch was installed a little bit off because it rubs against the grates when I try to adjust the speed.  Also, if I try to lift the grate up and out with the insert door closed it is difficult because the top of the grate hits against the door and I have to really push to do it.  Not really critical problems -- more slight annoyances -- but, I might as well make adjustments if I can.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't need to remove the grate to use the fan switch.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> I can't a finger between the grates to access the switch.  Do you use something else to do it (like a pencil)?
Click to expand...


A pinky or a pencil.  You just need to be able to flick it from off to auto or manual.  On auto, mine doesnt kick in until my therm is at 650* minimum.


----------



## MikeC

I was not creating a good fire base. Glass is clean and temp was cruising around 475. Still learning but I know what I need to do. 

Thanks everyone for the help!


----------



## MikeC

Is it normal for the coating around the air tubes and baffles to burn off? Thanks


----------



## gibson

Now with the real winter weather kicking in, I am barely getting 5-6 hr burns.  I have been needing to fire up every morning from scratch.  I packed the firebox as tight as I ever have last night on a really hot bed of coals and was able to get a fire going this morning from coals, but that is the exception.  Good seasoned wood supply and air shut down all the way once I hit 500-600*.  Anyone doing better on burntimes?


----------



## jadm

carl spackler said:
			
		

> , I am barely getting 5-6 hr burns.



For just starting out with this insert you are getting good burn times.  It has taken me a year of learning curve to reach a 6 hour burn time.  Much more tempermental than our old insert.  Just like learning all over again from scratch.

Our winter has been very mild.  Only a few days with really frigid weather.  Found that it operates much better in colder temps. than in temps. above 40*.

I still can't shut air down past 60* or I loose flames and chimney smokes.  Even though I can't shut air down all the way I am getting 6 -8 hour burn times now so I am not complaining.  Just find it curious.  I am very satisfied with the heat output.  Our rooms that are heated with the insert are regularly staying in the mid 70*.

Keep doing what you are doing and I imagine by this time next year you may have longer burn times.....or be satisfied with what you are getting. ;-)


----------



## labrador

Carl- What do you mean by burn times? The other night I had coals in the insert at 3am. I added no more wood and cleaned out the insert at 4pm. I still had hot coals then. Do you mean by burn times how long you have a fire in the unit?  I can't seem to get my stove to push the room temp above 66-68 degrees after running 4-5 hours. The room is 850 sq. ft. and the ceiling 8 ft. Wood is very dry. Also do you or any other owners of the 550 have to crack the door about one inch to start a good fire? I get an IR reading with the door open of about 700 and the magnetic one in the center of stove where hot air exits runs 375-400. I s this about the same for the rest of us? Thanks in advance for any advice or thoughts. PS It is 12 degrees outside right now and snowing like mad here in Schoharie valley.  Wait till next Thursday and Friday temps hit us.


----------



## gibson

I would say that my definition of burn time is having enough coals to fire up with out newspaper.


----------



## jadm

labrador said:
			
		

> I can't seem to get my stove to push the room temp above 66-68 degrees after running 4-5 hours. The room is 850 sq. ft. and the ceiling 8 ft. Wood is very dry. Also do you or any other owners of the 550 have to crack the door about one inch to start a good fire? I get an IR reading with the door open of about 700 and the magnetic one in the center of stove where hot air exits runs 375-400. I s this about the same for the rest of us? Thanks in advance for any advice or thoughts.



Yes, I have to leave the door open a crack to get things going when starting up too.  Time varies for how long I have to leave it open.

The area where our insert is is approx. the same as yours and our insert heats it up extremely well.  Usually in the mid to upper 70's.  Start up with room temp. of 60* and within an hour or two the temp. is into the 70's.

I'm wondering how far down you are setting your primary air.  If it is wide open most of the heat goes up the chimney.

I am no expert on this insert at all and am learning all of the time.  I find it challenging to get consistent results when burning.  Very sensitive to outside temps. and types of wood I feed it.  I do know it burns better when outside temps. are below 40* and it likes to run hot. (500*-700*)

Burn time for me means how long from when I reload to next reload.  It also varies depending on outside temps.  On mild days one fire in the morning is all I need to keep things warm until early evening.....we have had mild winter weather this year.

I usually try to reload when top temp. is above 300*.


----------



## labrador

perplexed- I will try burning with air vent halfway closed to see if that makes any difference. Are you able to put your hand on the surround when stove has been going for several hours? I can put my hand on surround after several hours burn time.


----------



## jadm

Labrador -Yes, surround heats up and radiates that heat out into the room.  Stays nice and warm for a long time after the fire has died down.


----------



## soxfan13

Labrador,

After a few hours of hot burning, I can put my hand on the surround but not for more than 5 seconds or so.  I agree with perplexed that this insert loves it hot.  I seem to burn at 500 to 700+.  

Perplexed, when you are getting longer burn times, are you keeping the fan on low?  I like the fire so I reload the firebox more than I have to.  I could probably go every five hours or so because the unit is still throwing heat but looking at just a bit of coals isn't that much fun.  I have never gone more than 5 hours without reloading it yet.  Just like everyone else, I am still trying new stuff with this unit.

I keep the door open to start it from a cold start.  It starts faster that way.


----------



## JJEGLBS

Had it for 2.5 months now and I'm still learning.  I don't get the long burn times, but it sounds like I still have some fine-tuning to do.  I'm also interested in hearing a what speed others keep their fans.  Also, I have no block-off plate and plan to install one in the spring.  Can I expect that to lengthen my burn times?


----------



## jadm

soxfan13 said:
			
		

> Labrador,
> 
> 
> 
> Perplexed, when you are getting longer burn times, are you keeping the fan on low?  I like the fire so I reload the firebox more than I have to.  I could probably go every five hours or so because the unit is still throwing heat but looking at just a bit of coals isn't that much fun.  I have never gone more than 5 hours without reloading it yet.  Just like everyone else, I am still trying new stuff with this unit.



Soxfan- If temp. in room is too low I run it high or med-high until room heats up then lower it to low.  Read a thread here titled 'very confused - a little help please' and 'meathead' responded with loading instructions that have made my active flame and burn times more than double.  

I, too, like the flames and was loosing them after 1 1/2 hours depending on the load.  THings would stay hot with the coals but no flames.  I have been practicing with his instructions and it works great.  Flames start in front and then burn one log at a time back and then down into the fire box.  Insert temps. stay in the 600-700* range for several hours.  Works best when outside temps. are below 40* and no wind.  Room temp. stays in upper 70's no problem.  

I know I have read how to load here many times in the last year but for some reason it never translated into good results for me with this insert.  Kept having to spread the hot coals throughout the firebox which caused the wood to burn way to quickly.  This method slows things down and keeps things good and hot and for some reason I can get it to work even though I did try many times in the past.  Something in how he explained it...who knows.. 

For some reason I can't get air shut down more than 60% closed or I loose flames and chimney smokes.  I do have to adjust air setting as load burns down based on how flames are holding up.  Think it is due to size of this insert and it needing more air than my old, smaller insert.  Still get a longer burn though.

Depending on how coals are doing I sometimes add a light log on top of them to help them burn and it will give me flames as I run the air wide open at the final stage of coaling.  This can take place anywhere from 4-6 hours depending on the load.  (Some burn more quickly than others.)

Have to add, as many before me have said, every load is different and reacts differently which can be frustrating when trying to figure things out.  Now I feel like I have several methods that I can get to work depending on what type of fire I want.  I figure it will take several years to feel really comfortable with my abilities to read this insert....but I absolutely love it.

My advice to anyone figuring  out how this insert operates - have more wood on hand than you think you will ever need for a season so  that you have a lot of room to work with then experiment to your hearts content. ;-)


----------



## labrador

JJEGLBS & perplexed,  I made my own block off plate out of sheet metal and bent it so it rests on top of the metal where the damper is. Stove did seem to run hotter.        I found an old metal handle and attached it to the block off plate to ease it into place. I wish I had plenty of wood  to burn but should be able to get through the winter.


----------



## tcrone

Hello,

Just finished reading this thread.  Great tips and info from everyone about their Jotul Rockland 550!  My husband and I purchased ours and had it professionally installed in early November.  It has been working great.  Got us through the -30 degree F cold snap of several weeks here in Montana in mid-December.  Our heat bill was 1/4 of what it would have been without the Jotul!  We have experienced some of the same problems several others on this thread have:  Our automatic blower was working great and then after about 3 weeks...it stopped.  Then it "mysteriously" began working again without any problems.  Not sure why.  Burn times are fine here, especially since we don't have the luxury of hardwoods (only pine and fir).  So, we are happy with a 5-7 hour burn time.   Our Weimaraner has claimed his spot in front of the stove and gives it a huge "paws up".  

However, in the last 1-1/2 weeks we have been experiencing a problem we just can't seem to find a solution to and it is quite perplexing since the stove has been working fine for us until now.  We have a big smoking problem when opening the door to feed the fire.  This does not just happen on the initial burn start-up, but every time we open the door.  We are careful to open the door slowly, open the air control all the way, and make sure the blower is turned off.  But no matter what, the smoke comes billowing out into the living room!  We can only think of two possible reasons for this:  (1) we are burning Douglas Fir wood (it is seasoned) compared to pine in the past few weeks.  (2)  The weather here has warmed to the mid-40's during the day and the low 30's at night (usually in the teens to 20's at night and low 30's during the day).  Could the warmer, damp air be causing a problem with our draft?

Any suggestions or help folks on this thread can provide would be appreciated.  We do plan to talk to the installer this week also to see what thoughts and ideas they have.

More info:
*Chimney is 15-16 feet tall.
*Chimney is on the inside, not an outside wall.
*Have a SS liner
*Doesn't matter what the stove temp is...150 or 700...we still get smoke!

Looking forward to hearing from you.


----------



## jadm

I have never had that happen but from reading here a lot my first suggestion is that you check your chimney for any blockages or creosote build up.

How dry is your wood?  Recommended moisture content  by many on this forum = 20% or lower to  be considered seasoned. 

How hot are your burning?

Weather conditions do make a difference but you said it is smoking every time you open the door despite the fact you still have low temps. at night that are equal to daytime temps. that you had when you had no smoke problems.


----------



## woodheat

Both of your reasons sound possible, but to be on the safe side I would take a look at the chimney pipe and make sure there is not creosote build up that is reducing the draft. Especially because you are burning a softer wood that tends to produce more creosote.


----------



## woodheat

When we had our insert installed, they did not do a block off place above the insert, but did block it off at the top. Last week I bought some sheet metal and some Tapcon screws and installed a block off plate over the wood stove. I am not sure how much more it is heating the room, but the temps on the cast iron surround have increase dramatically. I used to read around 110 - 120 on the surround with an ir thermometer when the fire was burning hot. Now I get between 180 - 200 degrees. After I finished the block off plate I lit the stove with the surround panel off. The amount of heat radiated off the stove with the fan off was many time greater that with the surround on, almost like a regular woodstove without a blower. I was thinking that this might be an advantage. If there is a power outage, now that I have the block off plate,  I can lift off the surround to get better heat without the blower.


----------



## JJEGLBS

woodheat said:
			
		

> When we had our insert installed, they did not do a block off place above the insert, but did block it off at the top. Last week I bought some sheet metal and some Tapcon screws and installed a block off plate over the wood stove. I am not sure how much more it is heating the room, but the temps on the cast iron surround have increase dramatically. I used to read around 110 - 120 on the surround with an ir thermometer when the fire was burning hot. Now I get between 180 - 200 degrees. After I finished the block off plate I lit the stove with the surround panel off. The amount of heat radiated off the stove with the fan off was many time greater that with the surround on, almost like a regular woodstove without a blower. I was thinking that this might be an advantage. If there is a power outage, now that I have the block off plate,  I can lift off the surround to get better heat without the blower.



woodheat -- thanks for posting this.  I'm in the same situation you were (no block-off installed and insulation added at top).  Did you pull out the inset to do this?  That's the one thing that is making me a little hesitatn to do this, because I'll need to disconnect the liner, pull out the insert, and then put everything back.  Looks like it might be worth it.


----------



## woodheat

I did not remove the liner from the stove to add the block off plate. I took off the surround panel and had the clearance to do it from there. Kind of a custom installation situation per your fireplace, but I made 2 sections so I could fit it around the pipe and using sheet metal sheers I cut the round for the pipe a little at a time to fit it. Definatly only a do it yourself thing if your are handy with tools and drills and such.

I do not have any insulation either, just added the sheet metal block off plate. I cleaned my ss liner last week after 2 months of burning I only had a couple keg cups full of creosote dust. I don't know if adding the block off plate will cool off the liner or not to make more creosote, but I will check it again in a month to see how it is doing.

I do not know If am gaining any heat output , but the surround is way hotter with the block off plate installed.


----------



## jadm

woodheat said:
			
		

> I do not know If am gaining any heat output , but the surround is way hotter with the block off plate installed.



You are gaining heat due to all that extra heat in your surround.  It is all radiating back into your room rather than up the chimney.  Should keep the surround hotter longer too. :coolsmile: 

My block off plate had to go on the top of chimney.  Had planned to install one - drawings and everything but when it came to install day damper area had to be enlarged so that ss liner had a straight shot up the chimney. (First insert installer bent our old ss liner to fit it through the damper shelf....I had no idea and trusted that they knew what they were doing....)  Made so that the block off plate couldn't be installed in that area so they did one up top.

It has worked just fine for us and we have more than adequate heat as it is.  (I was worried when they first had to do this but now after a year I see we are doing ok heat wise.)  

This insert is huge and the space it is heating is small which is why, I guess, that I can get away without the lower block off plate.

Glad to hear you were able to DIY and get a good fit without removing the liner or the insert.  My installers NEVER want to move this thing again. :ahhh:


----------



## `RyaN`

Hey all hope everyone is having a happy new year.   I found this site and thread while searching for info on inserts and love all the comments.  I bought my house 1 year ago and it had an old slammer glacier bay installed.  After having the chimney sweep inspect it he recommended a SS liner insert put in.  

I decided to upgrade to a new insert and think I have decided on the rockland as my choice.  I decided on a flush mount as I have a relatively small hearth and did not want to go through the hastle at this time of lengthening the hearth area to accomadate a insert that sticks out.  Keep up the info as I am learning alot.


----------



## Roxburyeric

PA  FYI - I just posted a picture of mine, which has the option extra surround peice.  Look in the picture forum.


----------



## mcollect

This stove keeps getting better. Yesterday when we arrived, it was 21 below outside, inside 47 above, and in a few hours I had the inside toasty and when we went to bed it was above 70. Now this morning the wife and I had some questions regarding the fan speed vs stove top temp. We experimented with fan speed at full, stove top at 275 and fan at 1/3 speed stove top 370. The question is which way do you get more into the house. We could not figure any equation that could solve this dilemma., with out knowing the CFM and the air temps. So my question is what do the majority of 550 users think. BTW we are probably considered nerds by most that know us.


----------



## woodheat

I think if the temps on the stove are below 300 I would turn on low. Temps in the 400 range medium. Temps 500 and above on high. We generally run ours with the fan speed on high and the temps in the 500 - 650 range when we are around. at night we load it up and when we are leaving we load it up and get it heated up to over 500 then turn the stove all the way down or just a smidge up and set the fan speed to medium high. Most people on here I think run their stove at least at 500 degrees, the secondary burn does no seem to go well for me much below this. If you have your air intake turned all the way down, you may have to reduce the fan speed to maintain the temps or the air flow cools the stove down. If you leave the air open some we can leave the fan on high and still maintain over 500. For maximum heat output (and fastest wood usage) once the stove is up to temp, we set fan on high and leave the air 50% open. The stove will run anywhere from 500-700 depending on the wood load.


----------



## `RyaN`

Ok so I decided for sure on the Rockland.  Installation = tomorrow.   Hope all goes smooth and I will be enjoying some toasty fires in the weeks to come.


----------



## gibson

mcollect said:
			
		

> This stove keeps getting better. Yesterday when we arrived, it was 21 below outside, inside 47 above, and in a few hours I had the inside toasty and when we went to bed it was above 70. Now this morning the wife and I had some questions regarding the fan speed vs stove top temp. We experimented with fan speed at full, stove top at 275 and fan at 1/3 speed stove top 370. The question is which way do you get more into the house. We could not figure any equation that could solve this dilemma., with out knowing the CFM and the air temps. So my question is what do the majority of 550 users think. BTW we are probably considered nerds by most that know us.



For me, I don't like to start the fan until the temp is 500*.  I like to get her up to 650* or so then really damper down.  Thermometer is in blower vent.


----------



## jadm

I know some of you have had faulty left blowers that had to be replaced.  I got my insert last winter and blowers have worked just fine until a couple of days ago.  Left blower began 'chirping' intermittently.

Called dealer who called the manuf. and was told that they have had 'manuf. defects' with the left blower.  

I'm still under warranty so only have to pay $25.00 for trip charge.

So, beware of chirping sounds from your insert. 8-/ 

I find it interesting that it is only the left blower and hope to find out why it is that specific one.


----------



## JeffT

First post,lots of good info here.Should have joined long ago.
Looks like the 550 is going in the fireplace.Just wanted to 
ask about outside air.Does anyone have there insert plumbed 
for blast air,or is it even possible :roll: .Was wondering about sucking the heat out of the house. Jeff


----------



## Roxburyeric

It's not possible to hook up an OAK to the 550.


----------



## JeffT

Thanks.Its not a make or brake item,just looking at all options.


----------



## andella

Just had my Rockland installed this morning, can't wait to get out of work and home to check it out and break it in!!


----------



## jadm

andella said:
			
		

> Just had my Rockland installed this morning, can't wait to get out of work and home to check it out and break it in!!



Open windows because it is stinky.

Also, place your thermometer in the slot above the firebox where the blower air exits.  Anywhere else does not give accurate reads and break in fires need to start out 'cool' and gradually go to higher temps. before building a really hot fire.  Three  medium sized splits in my firebox can easily get temps up into the 600's....very different from my old insert.

I didn't know about therm. placement so my initial fires were a bit too hot but, luckily, my insert was forgiving and nothing 'bad' happened as a result of my ignorance.

Good luck and enjoy. :coolsmile:


----------



## Bizango1

So my stove is working great.  I have a fire every night.  I came home for work yesterday and there were enough leaves and straw in my stove to stuff a scarecrow.  Good thing the squirrel or whatever didn't jump out at me, I’d of peed myself.  I had a fire the night before.  Damn thing worked fast.


----------



## jadm

Bizango- Why so harsh on the critter.  Maybe it was helping you out by bringing some kindling to you so you wouldn't have to do it yourself. :roll: 

Whatever it was it was more than likely female and looking for a nice spot to build a nest for her next 'litter'.  Spring is just around the corner and that nesting instinct is powerful.  Amazed that she was able to navigate a ss liner and that the smell of smoke didn't bother her.

You might want to put a screen on your cap - or stop burning and let her return and you will be able to watch how a family of squirrels (or whatever) grows instead of watching a fire every night.  An interesting conversation piece.


----------



## andella

I have a couple of questions for you guys......  I have had the stove for a week now, done the break in fires and have been going full strength for a few days now.  The air control seems to make very little difference in airflow.  It is noticible somewhat and does work to an extent but has nowhere near range of airflow compared to a  couple of my friends stoves (not Jotuls).  Is this normal??  Also (probably directly related to my first issue) I am yet to see the secondaries burn yet ever.  Any advice/suggestions??  I am burning some kiln dried wood and have been experimenting with the bio-bricks as well. 

Thanks in advance,

Matt


----------



## jadm

andella said:
			
		

> I have a couple of questions for you guys......  I have had the stove for a week now, done the break in fires and have been going full strength for a few days now.  The air control seems to make very little difference in airflow.  It is noticible somewhat and does work to an extent but has nowhere near range of airflow compared to a  couple of my friends stoves (not Jotuls).  Is this normal??  Also (probably directly related to my first issue) I am yet to see the secondaries burn yet ever.  Any advice/suggestions??  I am burning some kiln dried wood and have been experimenting with the bio-bricks as well.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Matt



Are your friends' stoves stoves or inserts?  On inserts we can only adjust the primary air.  On free standing stoves the damper can be adjusted as well.  Some stoves even have 3 air adjustments...

Secondaries kick in for me at around 600* with air almost all the way closed.  How hot are you burning?    Just because you don't see secondary flames does not mean that they aren't working.  I figure they are at work whenever there isn't any smoke coming out of my chimney.

I don't cut back on the air until fire has really taken hold and temp. is in the mid 400* range.  Cutting back  does make a difference.  Flame pattern changes.  If I cut back too soon I loose flames.  If I get it right flames move into the secondary light show dancing on top of the logs and the temps. rise up into the 700's and stay there for quite awhile.


----------



## andella

Thanks for the response!  

My friends' are both inserts.....    one is a Regency and the other is a Quadra-Fire.  I have been burning between 5 and 6 hundred (thermometer in slot where blower air comes out like others have suggested)  It just seems that the amount of adjustability with the air flow is a much wider range than that of my Rockland.  Maybe I need to burn hotter to see a visible difference.  As far as heat output is concerned it is working great.  Just kind of surprised not to see the secondaries pouring out flames


----------



## `RyaN`

perplexed what is for quite awhile on secondary burns.


----------



## czorbach

I am getting close to pulling the trigger on one of these units.
Can some Rockland owner(s) out there share their experience (good or bad) with cleaning out the liner?
It looks like the manual says to pull out the unit and disconnect from the flue connector.
Was hoping you could just remove the baffle and clean.

Thanks


----------



## Summertime

I have cleaned mine a few times and have only removed the baffles and tubes, I see no need to pull out the unit...


----------



## labrador

Summertime,  There was a thread yesterday on cleaning out tthe Jotul 450 . I think the unists are close enough in design and can be cleaned out the dame way. Check the thread on cleaning the 450. I have a c550 also and need to clean mine, without pulling unit out of the fireplace.


----------



## jadm

Mine has been cleaned simply by removing the baffle - check the manual on how to do this.  Pretty straight forward.  Unit does not have to be pulled out of place to do this.


----------



## woodheat

To clean The stove I have not removed the stove. I have removed to tubes and baffel to and then closed down the air and close the door. Then from the roof pushed the rods and brush down from the top to clean the chimney. The ashes from the chimney will fall right into the firebox and then you can  clean out the firebox after the dust settles. There is what they call a draw-down flue adapter that has a pin going across the flu outlet where the pipe meets the stove that prevents you from being able to push the brush up from the bottom If you remove the pin the flu will push out of the stove when you try to push the brush up from the bottom. You will need to be able to clean the chimney liner from the top. On that note, I am not sure if is is a requirement or not, but the install should have a SS liner from the stove right to the roof.


----------



## MDH33

I have had my Jotul 550 Rockland for about two months.  I have been burning daily and have gone through more than a half cord of wood (dry pine).  Over the past couple of weeks, the stove seems to be progressively losing draft.  Smoke now pours out the door every time I open it. When we first installed the stove, this did not happen and we were able to maintain very hot fires.  In addition to the smoke pouring out the door, the fire seems to be difficult to start and difficult to maintain and keep hot.  It almost seems that the chimney liner may be clogged due to the lack of a good draft and the smoke rolling out the door when it's opened. I find it hard to believe that after only two months and less than a cord, my liner would already need to be cleaned...  Any thoughts?  I'm going to call my sweep/installer and have him inspect.


----------



## Todd

Good call on having the sweep come out to check things. Do you have a chimney cap? They are usually the first thing to clog up or your Pine may not be as dry as you think.


----------



## woodheat

We burned our stove all winter and cleaned it twice to make sure it was safe due to the fact we run it when we are not home. Each time I cleaned it I got less than a 16 oz cup of dust out of the chimney. We are burning mainly oak and run the stove between 500 and 650 degrees reading in the top center air outlet. Is your glass door getting very dirty? A good sign you are burning a clean and hot enough fire is if the glass stays clean. Wet or unseasoned wood and too low temps will give more creosote. good idea to check it to be safe


----------



## MDH33

I went onto the roof to inspect the cap that's on the liner and it was 90% clogged with light fluffy creosote about two inches thick!  I banged it out and the stove is burning better.  Still surprised that after only two months burning dry wood that this much buildup would occur.  My fires had been consistently hot enough to keep the glass clean.  I guess I might need a cap with larger holes (?)


----------



## woodheat

did you shine a flashlight down the pipe? Make sure that does not have creosote in it too. If it does not then what is happening is the pipe is hot enough so croesote does not form, but as soon as the the gasses get out of the pipe they are probably condensing on the cold cage.


----------



## G Archer

I was thinking about buying a 550.Does it put out a lot of radiant heat out the front?My wife likes to sit on the hearth next to our old wood stove.


                                                   Thanks,Glenn


----------



## jadm

G Archer said:
			
		

> I was thinking about buying a 550.Does it put out a lot of radiant heat out the front?My wife likes to sit on the hearth next to our old wood stove.
> 
> 
> Thanks,Glenn



Yes. :coolsmile:


----------



## gibson

MDH33 said:
			
		

> I have had my Jotul 550 Rockland for about two months.  I have been burning daily and have gone through more than a half cord of wood (dry pine).  Over the past couple of weeks, the stove seems to be progressively losing draft.  Smoke now pours out the door every time I open it. When we first installed the stove, this did not happen and we were able to maintain very hot fires.  In addition to the smoke pouring out the door, the fire seems to be difficult to start and difficult to maintain and keep hot.  It almost seems that the chimney liner may be clogged due to the lack of a good draft and the smoke rolling out the door when it's opened. I find it hard to believe that after only two months and less than a cord, my liner would already need to be cleaned...  Any thoughts?  I'm going to call my sweep/installer and have him inspect.



Same thing with me, check your cap, clean with a wire brush.  Problem solved.


----------



## czorbach

My 550 will be installed on Thursday.
Now I am working on securing my wood for the fall.
I have 1.5 cords of oak C/S/S and some downed trees that I need to process.
I am looking forward to some warm weather.  
Now I have something to look forward to after the warm weather ends!
This site has been a great resource for me during my search for an insert.
Thanks to all for their informative posts!


----------



## labrador

charlz. Welcome to the web and  congratulations on the purchase of your 550 Rockland. I'm sure you will be pleased with it. I recommend a full length chimney liner. Also a block off plate. If you are splitting your own wood check out this site about the Fiskars 7054 spllitting axe. This beats all other hands down. I bought mine from Ebay.


----------



## czorbach

labrador - thanks for the warm welcome.
I am getting a full SS liner with block off plate.
Was using my new Fiskars from ebay today.
Yes, I have learned well from this site.


----------



## FrankMA

Has anybody been able to clean the pipe from the bottom (inside of the stove) up to the cap? I'm getting ready to do my 1st cleaning and would prefer to clean it that way instead of from the top - down. Woodheat mentioned on a previous post on this thread that their is a pin that runs across the flue preventing the bottom - up method. Anybody been successful cleaning from the bottom - up?


----------



## FrankMA

Has anybody been able to clean the pipe from the bottom (inside of the stove) up to the cap? I'm getting ready to do my 1st cleaning and would prefer to clean it that way instead of from the top - down. "Woodheat" mentioned on a previous post on this thread that there is a pin that runs across the flue preventing the bottom - up method. Anybody been successful cleaning from the bottom - up?


----------



## Wazel

Rocky Reid said:
			
		

> wow...I definitely do not have an air sealing/blower problem with my unit. It seems very airtight and easily adjustable using the airflow slider control.
> 
> I am learning that keeping my half-seasoned wood away from the glass helps a great deal in keeping it clear. What really seems to cloud the glass is turning the air control down all the way when I go to bed. I want to try some Liberty or Bio Bricks to see if dry fuel helps in this regard, but I called a place today that would deliver to Stamford one ton for $370 total... I don't think that makes economic sense.
> 
> Right now it is dropping to 40f tonight and the house temp is 70f using only the Jotul. Bear in mind this is a 2600sf house or so. I'm very happy to not be using any Oil fuel at all so far. Hopefully I can get away with not using any oil at all until the dregs of winter set in late December or January.




Can you comment on the thread I just posted?  here it is:

I have a lifetime of experience with fires in a fireplace.  The Jotul Rockland that I just had installed is my first wood stove since I was a wee lad.  I started a very small kindling fire to begin “breaking it in”.  As some smoke started coming out of the blower (especially for several minutes after briefly opening the door), I called the person who sold it to me.  After telling him about building a small fire he said:  “Oh, Don’t do that!  You’ll smoke your house out” “60 degree weather is not cold enough to give you a proper draft”.  Fair enough, makes sense.  Today the temp was right around 50 degrees and I build my second fire with the same result.

Question, what should I expect from smoke coming out of the blower hole in normal winter use of this? 

Any other tips on the use of this stove?

Thanks!


----------



## labrador

Wazel, Welcome to the forum. You will find a lot of useful information here, In regards to your c550 rockland I have never had any smoke coming out of the blower unit. It might be chimney related, height, etc, If you are turning on the fan and you get smoke coming out it may not be connercted correctly to the stainless steel pipe. You should be able to have a fire in that unit in the middle of July if you want. Labrador


----------



## Summertime

I had my first fire in warmer weather so if there was some "break-in smoke" I could open windows, does the smoke smell like burning paint or is it from what you are burning?


----------



## Wazel

Summertime said:
			
		

> I had my first fire in warmer weather so if there was some "break-in smoke" I could open windows, does the smoke smell like burning paint or is it from what you are burning?




It was wood smoke.


----------



## Summertime

If it was wood smoke I would definitly check out the chimney unless you were trying to start your previous fire on a low pressure/rainy day which is always a hard situation to start a fire and will be hard to get a good draft in the chimney.


----------



## Wazel

Summertime said:
			
		

> If it was wood smoke I would definitly check out the chimney unless you were trying to start your previous fire on a low pressure/rainy day which is always a hard situation to start a fire and will be hard to get a good draft in the chimney.



It was a rainy day around 50 degrees.  So far, I'm leaning towards this not being a problem when I build a hot fire on a colder day.


----------



## MikeC

woodsy said:
			
		

> Has anybody been able to clean the pipe from the bottom (inside of the stove) up to the cap? I'm getting ready to do my 1st cleaning and would prefer to clean it that way instead of from the top - down. "Woodheat" mentioned on a previous post on this thread that there is a pin that runs across the flue preventing the bottom - up method. Anybody been successful cleaning from the bottom - up?



I would like to know myself. This is will be my first cleaning too.


----------



## HopWallop

I just had it cleaned and the sweep went from the bottom up.  He removed the secondary air tubes, the baffles and then a plate.


----------



## Summertime

I would think that cleaning from the bottom up would be kind of messy as far as the soot coming down on you but if you have a steep roof I guess it would be the preferred method. If cleaning from bottom up you will have to remove the pin which is pretty easy after you remove the front surround faceplate..


----------



## bbeals

Summertime said:
			
		

> I would think that cleaning from the bottom up would be kind of messy as far as the soot coming down on you but if you have a steep roof I guess it would be the preferred method. If cleaning from bottom up you will have to remove the pin which is pretty easy after you remove the front surround faceplate..



I have been cleaning from the bottom up for over a year.  I replaced the SS pin with SS nuts and bolts, you may also have to cut the pull down adapter out of the pipe (I did).   If you put a drop cloth on in front of the stove there is little to no mess, the creosote just falls into the fire box.  If it really concerns you, then you can stick a shop vac hose in the stove (assuming it is cold), it will take care of any dust that may be floating around.


----------



## Bizango1

BI Guy,

Thanks for the post.   The main reason I didn't cleaned from the bottom up was because of the post, I didn't realize it was OK to cut it out.   Question.  What did you use to push the brush up?  I don't think the 4 ft flexible rods I have are flexible enough.


----------



## HopWallop

The sweep today had the blanket out front and a shop vac with a oversized  hose.  They had a small reel of rod with a brush on the end.  They recommended that i burn one of those creosote logs before i start burning.  Too bad that BI doesn't live closer, i would hire him to do it in a second.  It sounds like he has the process down.

I was ready to burn tonight, but it is supposed to be in the 60s through Friday.  I am ok with that because I will be able to sneak probably my last round of golf for 2009 in tomorrow.


----------



## bbeals

Bizango1 said:
			
		

> BI Guy,
> 
> Thanks for the post.   The main reason I didn't cleaned from the bottom up was because of the post, I didn't realize it was OK to cut it out.   Question.  What did you use to push the brush up?  I don't think the 4 ft flexible rods I have are flexible enough.



I believe the only reason that they put the T handle in the pull down adapter is so you can pull it down, besides, I have never seen another piece of stove pipe with a bar across it.  Anyway, it has been over a year of brushing and I have yet to see any movement (just be sure to replace the SS pin with SS hardware, so you can remove the bolts it you ever have to pull it apart).  As far as the rods go, I am using 3/8" fiberglass rods (4" sections) and they bend just fine.  Now the stove does sit on a heart that is a foot off the ground, so I am guessing it your stove was right to the floor it might be a tight bend.  Good luck and I would like to hear from any of the stove pro's on their thoughts about removing the cross bar on the pull down adapter.


----------



## jadm

I remember reading here about someone having problems with the left blower but I can't make myself read through all the posts....

I had to replace my left blower last winter because it started acting up and making loud whistling noises...

Lately I am getting a whistling sound again and it seems to be coming from the left blower.  It is not as loud as it was last year with the old blower.

Any of you notice a whistling sound when your blowers are on high?  I am wondering if it is normal and if I am just being super sensitive but I do not recall it doing this before....

I did call my dealer and she called Jotul - they told her it is hard to diagnose when it isn't constant.  Recommended I do the 'wait and see' thing.  Figured I ask here since you all have the same inserts.

Thanks


----------



## Summertime

Last year I had a small piece of debris get caught in my squirrel cage that made an annoying whine but it was a more constant noise..


----------



## FrankMA

I take a can of compressed air (the kind you use to clean your computer keyboard) and occassionally blow out the fans to dislodge any debris that gets into the squirrell cage fins. Seems to work well at keeping any build-up from forming on the fins and helps to keep them balanced. You can get a can at Walmart, Staples, etc... for a couple of bucks.


----------



## HopWallop

I replaced my left fan.  It would not stay on.  I have not had any problems after it was replaced.  Never had a whistle.  You can shift the fan a bit if you remove the grill.  Maybe it is vibrating against something and just needs to be repositioned.

Good idea with the compressed air.  What are you guys doing to clean the face of the stove?


----------



## jadm

woodsy said:
			
		

> I take a can of compressed air (the kind you use to clean your computer keyboard) and occassionally blow out the fans to dislodge any debris that gets into the squirrell cage fins. Seems to work well at keeping any build-up from forming on the fins and helps to keep them balanced. You can get a can at Walmart, Staples, etc... for a couple of bucks.



When you blow the 'dust' off of the fins how do you then get it out of the squirrel cage?  It has to blow off somewhere....

I got a Cougar ash vacuum and use that on the fins when I clean them to suck up what I dislodge.  Yesterday I used a Q-tip to see how much I could get off.  I went through about 10 q-tips!  (It was fine, fine dust.)  Surprised me because I had thoroughly cleaned the blowers at the end of last season with a mini compressor ( I got it at Ace - can be used on bicycles and cars.  Cost less than $50.00 and is electric so it can be plugged in anywhere.) and have only been burning this season for a short time and vacuum regularly...

Anyway, the whistle was still there.  I am going to wait and see if it works it's way out or gets worse. My dealer is really good and I am sure that if it is the left fan again she will get Jotul to send a replacement for free since it is less than a year old..

Thanks for the responses.  I like hearing what others are up to and tricks you have.


----------



## FrankMA

perplexed said:
			
		

> When you blow the 'dust' off of the fins how do you then get it out of the squirrel cage?  It has to blow off somewhere....



The fine dust will get blown out through the top of the insert where the warm air blows out. I only do this when SWMBO is not home! Shhh - don't say anything......


----------



## Jrodmt

Has any other 550 Rockland owners had a problem with the paint coming off of the damper adjustment and surrounding areas
of their insert. We have only had ours for two weeks and the damper lever  is already turning silver.  Wouldn't think this normal but
I am new to the insert world so I don't know.  Question #2. It seems like it takes forever for the auto fan to kick on. Even when
restaring a fire when the stove is kind of hot you can put the fan on manual and it blows out good heat. If you switch to
auto the fans do not come on.


----------



## FrankMA

No problem with the paint (stove black) on mine but I do agree that the auto fan function takes forever to kick in. I switched to manual and just turn them on or off as needed. You could probably swap out the solenoid that starts the fans for something that operates the "on/off" function at a lower tempurature.


----------



## EJL923

The paint is going to wear off on that lever whether you like it or not, you're using it.  I have the Matte black, which is not as durable as the enamel coatings.  My guess is your moving that lever with stove gloves on, which has abrasives from dirt and wood on it.  Its the nature of the beast.  I dont mind it.  I went with the Matte black becuase I like the older style look.  The cast iron wear is just a plus.  As for the auto fan, another way you can look at it is that the fire box may be able to throw heat, but it doesnt mean that it is optimum.  I also am impatient and move to manual most of the time to start feeling some heat.  However, a few times I did wait and found that the stove had a much more established fire.  When you turn on the fan too early, you are taking heat away from the firebox, possibly too early.  I suppose this will differ depending on what type of wood you are burning.  If i start with some pine, and establish some hot coals I turn on the fan earlier.  If i am working with some less than perfect hardwood (not all the way seasoned), i will wait longer.


----------



## Summertime

My door handle knob and door handle lever are wearing so you can see woodgrain and silver through the finish (second season),I wonder if they still make this stuff called "Stove Polish"I had years ago and it was a high temp paint that you could apply easily with a brush. I always have my stove on the manual setting as I am quite impatient also..


----------



## Summertime

I did a search and here it is

http://www.woodstove-outlet.com/woodstove/A30979.htm


----------



## labrador

I am pretty sure good stove places sell stove polish. I still have some . The also make stove blackening which came in a tube like tooth paste. In either case you put it on with a cloth and then rub to a bright luster.


----------



## gibson

Does it work.  When do you think you would need to refinish?  Mine is matte-black and I have been burning since 10/2008.  It looks like the day I took it out of the box.  I burn hard, 24/7.


----------



## labrador

JB, I have been burning mine since about the same time, 10/08 annd it still looks great. Refinish when you start to see signs of wear. I burn 24/7 also. Glass door blackens after each use but Rutland stove glass cleaner #84 seems to clean it.


----------



## jadm

labrador said:
			
		

> Glass door blackens after each use but Rutland stove glass cleaner #84 seems to clean it.



A bit of cold ash from the firebox on a damp rag does a great job and doesn't cost a thing. ;-)


----------



## Easyellis8

HopWallop said:
			
		

> Finally found the time to download pics.  This is the final install less the left fan, which should be replaced next week.



HopWallop,

I do not see the cord for the fans, did you run it inside of the opening?


----------



## Jrodmt

So all of the newbie problems that I asked about  I have somewhat solved thanks to help from all of you kind folks.  The last issue I have with my Jotul Rockland is.  It seems to take forever for the auto fan to come on.  Just tonight I am on re-load#2 and the damper lever is hot enough that I cannot touch it without gloves with out discomfort. I switch from manual to auto fan and nothing. Last night it took 4 hours of burning but it did come on finally. I would like to use the auto mode when I retire for the evening so it kicks off when the insert cools at about 3-5 a.m. Any ideas? It seems to work better with less ash build up but then I would be shoveling ash every night and from responses from other owners that is not neccessary.  On manual the insert is throwing serious heat. To followup with my other issue. The people I bought the insert from actually came out the day before thanksgiving and touched up the damper lever and surrouning areas that were turning silver with flat black stove paint. It is already wearing through again. I guess that is the nature of the beast.


----------



## labrador

That should not happen. My 550 still has original matte finish and it is a year and a half old; perhaps they did not use 1200 degree paint. Try buying stove polish from a hardware store. I have always run my stove on manual for the same reason as you, it took too long for the blower to kick on and I was wasting good heat. I have been running mine 24/7 so I can start it right up again in the morning. You will find it a super heat source. Good luck with it. and welcome to the forum.


----------



## Jrodmt

I have heard about the stove polish several times on this post. My insert is flat black as well.  Does stove polish look like flat 
black paint when it drys? Polish to me implies shiny and that is not the look my insert has.


----------



## WoodNewbie

I apologize in advance if my question sounds stupid: I just started to use this insert about  a month ago. Please forgive my ignorance.

I am having issues with the front grille of my Rockland 5500: it seems that it moves during the burning. I explain: I start my fire the door opens without any issue; the next morning though the door seems to be difficult to open because it gets stuck by the grille (could be on the right or left side). I then remove the grille and put it back and after some adjustment the door opens or close flawlessly...until the next time.

My questions are: has anyone had the same type of issue before? when you put back the front grille, how tight and low does it go? is it supposed to go all the way down? do you use some strength to put it back or just gently?

Please help me!


----------



## labrador

The grill should go in gently. You have to match up the clips on the grill with the holes made for it and it should go in easily. I open the door to get the grill out. someone here might have a solution otherwise call Jotul usa at 1-207-797-5912 and ask for a technician. Good luck. See page 13 of your installation manual.


----------



## FISHBONZ

Great Thread Folks!  I must appologize in advance if my issues have been discussed already.  I promise I stared reading this thread from the very beginning and realized it would take me untill tomorrow to get through it.  So rather than falling asleep at the computer I will risk embarrassment as just shoot some questions out there.

1. If I smell the fire outside, does that mean smoke?  I used to have a free-standing Harmon Stove in my old home and it would burn so clean there would be no smoke and no smell. With this Jotul, I can't seem to get the smoke to go completely away and the smell is very noticeable.  Luckly I have awesome neighbors and they tell me they love the smell.  I'm just afraid they will get tired of it.  Also, I want to be efficient witht the fuel and not pollute the envirnment....too much.  Is it a matter of getting it hotter?

2. How does the secondary burn work in this unit?  How can I tell by looking at it.

Thanks for the information


----------



## FISHBONZ

Another question.

If there is flame in the firebox, does that mean smoke?  Do I want flame or not?  Other than it looking cool that is


----------



## jadm

FISHBONZ said:
			
		

> Great Thread Folks!  I must appologize in advance if my issues have been discussed already.  I promise I stared reading this thread from the very beginning and realized it would take me untill tomorrow to get through it.  So rather than falling asleep at the computer I will risk embarrassment as just shoot some questions out there.
> 
> 1. If I smell the fire outside, does that mean smoke?  I used to have a free-standing Harmon Stove in my old home and it would burn so clean there would be no smoke and no smell. With this Jotul, I can't seem to get the smoke to go completely away and the smell is very noticeable.  Luckly I have awesome neighbors and they tell me they love the smell.  I'm just afraid they will get tired of it.  Also, I want to be efficient witht the fuel and not pollute the envirnment....too much.  Is it a matter of getting it hotter?
> 
> 2. How does the secondary burn work in this unit?  How can I tell by looking at it.
> 
> Thanks for the information



1. I can smell smoke though none is coming from my chimney.  Not a strong smell but it is there - sometimes and sometimes not.  Neighbors say they love it too so I don't worry as much as I did at first.  Sometimes the smell will be more of a metallic smell.....

Sometimes I too get smoke even tough stove top temp. is in the 600's.  It is clear and when I questioned it in another thread  someone said if it was white it was probably steam due to outside temp.  I don't worry about it anymore either.  It usually goes away after awhile.  

2.  When my insert is burning with a full load I will bet rolling flames on top of the logs when it is above 500*.  Sometimes I will get flames shooting out of the air tubes too.  

Hope this helps you some.


----------



## jadm

FISHBONZ said:
			
		

> Another question.
> 
> If there is flame in the firebox, does that mean smoke?  Do I want flame or not?  Other than it looking cool that is



Flame in firebox doesn't mean smoke unless I have just reloaded.  

I always have flames.  If they disappear because I have cut the air back too soon I will get smoke until I give it more air.

Only time I don't have flames is when load has hit the coaling stage.  No smoke then as all the carbon** has been burned out of the wood which is what makes the smoke. (**I think that is what does it.  Read something like that here somewhere but I am not good at details.....it could be that all the other gasses have burned out except for the carbon....oh well,  the important thing is that at the coaling stage I get no smoke....)


----------



## EJL923

You should not go by flame or no flame, you should go by stove top temperature.


----------



## EJL923

Whats the longest continuous time everyone has run the blowers for?  The insert is pretty much useless without them, so does everyone just let them go if they are burning 24/7?


----------



## labrador

For the past week I have been burning 24/7. As long as I have coals I don't want stove to cool off completely. I run the fans on manual all the time. FYI last year during the ice storm we lost power for three and a half days, NO FAN. I opened the stove door and placed a three sided screen on the mantel. Still got plenty of heat.


----------



## WoodNewbie

labrador said:
			
		

> The grill should go in gently. You have to match up the clips on the grill with the holes made for it and it should go in easily. I open the door to get the grill out. someone here might have a solution otherwise call Jotul usa at 1-207-797-5912 and ask for a technician. Good luck. See page 13 of your installation manual.


Thanks Labrador. Could you please tell me if the bottom of your grill rests on the stove surround (or if you have a gap in between)? I am having a hard time to figure out what it is supposed to look like.


----------



## WoodNewbie

I have a question about cleaning (please forgive if it sounds stupid): does the insert need to be pulled out to have the chimney cleaned? The manual talks about "cleaning the insert": what does that mean and how often should it be done? Thanks again for your help!


----------



## labrador

Woodnewbie, I believe there is a thread that discusses cleaning the 550. I have cleaned mine form the roof down WITHOUT moving the stove at all. All  of the stuff in the steel liner will drop to the baffle plates and you can vacuum out above the plates. I had to fashion a plastic tube 1" and attached it to the vacuum. There may be an easier way to do this. Some owners remove the baffle plates I think.


----------



## labrador

Go to forum( jotul c550 rockland) and you will lpull up a lot of information. Labrador


----------



## Roxburyeric

I had a sweep who cleaned from the bottom without moving the stove.  Also I have taken out the secondary tubes and baffles to clean (very easy and fast).  I just bought the Sooteater and plan to clean from the bottom this weekend.  No need to pull out the stove.  The only issue I have is you can't get a good look up the SS liner.


----------



## junkyard_sal

Okay, I am reading through this thread but I am getting frustrated with the stove even with all of the good information.

Let's start from square 1.

I have good dry wood.  I borrowed a moisture meater and selected a large sampling of the most dry wood, I used a moisture and all of it was below 20%.

My problem is that I am not getting the fire hot enough.  The top of stove is reading in the low 300s and no secondary burn.  

What is the proper step 2 that I need to take.

I stacked the wood and did a top down light and it worked well.  But the heat never came up much above 300 as measured on the top of the stove with an IR thermometer.  What did I do wrong?  The next time I am going to make the V at the bottom of the wood stack as illustrated in another thread to get more air circulating.  

Also when do you close and lock the door after ignition?  

When to you choke down the primary?  

When should I normally see a secondary burn?

Thank you for any help.

Carl


----------



## Rudyjr

Carl, Look for a member of this forum that goes by the name Cleanburnin, Brent O'Conner. He has instructions in his signature for starting a  good base fire. He helped me out last winter with my new stove. If you do not start with a decent base fire you will be hard pressed to really get the stove up to temperature. Also from my experience a lower block off plate helps a great deal. These new EPA stoves take some getting used to.


----------



## WoodNewbie

here is the thread:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/31393/


----------



## junkyard_sal

I am going to build my next base fire exactly this way but use newspaper knots instead of cedar bark.

Here is my update:

Hello WoodNewbie,  I have not performed that measurement by cutting a "aged" piece of wood and taking the moisture measurement.

Here is the good news.  I came home, and raked the coals flat.  Added two small splits and opened the primary wide open.  I left door just ajar a bit and let her rip to get the fire going.  I then closed but did nto seal the door and let the fire continue to build and finally I sealed the door.  I got a high heat reading of 560 degrees but no secondary burn and when I reloaded I cruised in the mid to low 400s.  I think a light went on about a coal bed but I am still not quite there yet.  

When it was hot, I was amazed at how much better the heat throw was.  The stove is in a 15x20 room that open to a stairway leading up and the temp in the stairway hit 82 degrees.  With the thermostat set at 65 the upstairs was a warm 75 and the room adjoining the stove stayed around 70 with the heat having to move through a door way.

A definite improvement. 
the downside was my wife was not pleased that I came home from work and "fussed with a stove all night."  All temps were with my IR thermometer, a Raytek aka Fluke pyrometer.

I am going to keep trying for that magical 600-700 range.

Cheers 

Carl


----------



## EJL923

I don't know what everyone's burn times have been, but I decided to take some action.  I've had the stove for a little over two months, and i finally called my stove guy to check things out to see why i haven't been getting usable heat longer than 4-5 hours.  Just from browsing this site, i already pretty much knew what the solutions might be.  However, i figured i would follow the chain and have the stove guy take care of things so they don't blame me for ruining anything.  My stove guy started telling me about the EPA stoves ad how they let in too much air in.  I also knew that everyone's house and draft is different.  I know i have too much draft, so limiting air intake would be key.  The guy suggested grinding down the air intake slide, which i agreed because i wanted to do that anyway.  Some might say this takes away from what an EPA stove was made for, but that's not true in my case and probably a lot of others.  Do a search on the "florida bungalow syndrome" for wood stoves and read the article, you will agree with everything it says.  In short, it talks about how stoves are designed around a short chimney and warmer temps.  In my case, a taller chimney and colder temps.

Anyway...the results.
The air intake now slides all the way closed.  Dont forget, you still have the zipper air and secondary air coming into the stove.  I have gone up to 7-8 hour burn times.  Still no smoke coming from the chimney.  I did make a scientific snaffooo.  I made two adjustments at the same time so i dont know what made the bigger difference.  The zipper air has two 0.180" holes and i blocked one with a 10-32 screw thinking that lowering just the primary air wouldnt be enough.  I went out for errands yesterday for 7 hours.  Previously i would come home to a cold stove with little if any hot coals.  This time, i came home to a glowing orange bed of coals, ready to easily light a new load.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Same thing when i woke up this morning.  There was still some wood "charcoaling" in the back of my stove this morning, so i am going to take out that screw and see what happens.

In short...
Read that article and realize some stoves have to be adjusted to your conditions.  I was ready to give up on babysitting this stove, now i think im just beginning.  Hope this helps everyone, and i will let you know how removing that screw worked out.


----------



## Jotul Burner

Great post EJL923 and congratulations on your work.  I am still a newbie and really appreciate all of the informaton everyone posts.  I am on my second season with a Jotul 550 and also get 4-5 hr burns.  This year I installed a Jotul 450 in our second fireplace and get 10-12 hr burns so I know it's not the wood.  Both installations are the same (6 inch full insulated liner, blockoff plate, etc.) except the 550 has a 23' liner and the 450 has 13'.  I started taking the front off of the 550 tonight to look at why it get's so much air and I took a break to get caught up on this forum and saw your post.  

Do you have any pictures of your modifications?  I do not understand what you ground down.  My slide when closed covers all of the air inlet holes except the one on the far left.  It looks like that inlet was designed to always allow air to enter.  I was thinking about trying to block that inlet.

Also, what and where are the zipper holes that you are referring to?

Finally, where does the secondary air enter?

Thanks everyone,
Scott


----------



## EJL923

I dont have any pictures of the mods unfortunately.  The cast iron slider (primary air) is what you grind.  If you take that off (from inside the stove, 3 bolts), you will see what the slider stops against.  You grind that as needed to close off the entire top row.  I believe on mine, only the middle hole was slightly open, now they all close when I slide to the left.

The zipper air is another non-adjustable leak into your stove.  If you look at the front/center/bottom of your stove, you will see that rectangluar shape in the cast iron.  If you take a mirror and look back at the front bottom from inside the stove, you will see two holes, about Ø3/16" in diameter.  This is air brought in to help burn your coals down.  I felt that it ate through the wood too fast, so i blocked one.  The inlet for this is tucked up inside where the blowers are, behind the heat shield.  Secondary air enters through the back of the stove, on the bottom.  In fact, your zipper air will probably make a bigger effect than your primary air on burn time.  Take a 10-24 or 10-32 screw and throw one into one of the holes.

How much heat does your 450 throw compared to your 550?


----------



## Jotul Burner

I tapped out both of the zipper air vents and put in one screw but I had to use a 12x24 screw.  The holes on mine were larger than a 10.  tapped out the second hole in case I do not like the results with only one screw  

I replaced the slider assembly without making any changes.  I have attempted to attach some pictures so you can see that my slider does not block off all of the primary air intake vents because of the length of the slider.  All of the vents that are covered by the slider can be closed so I do not have anything to grind.  Is your slider shortened like mine or did it go the full length?   Depending on how the zipper air vent test goes, I may extend the slider so that all of the air vents are under it's control.

Finally, I thought it was odd that the left opening on the face frame is always open and only is covered with the decorative piece.  No wonder so much air gets into the firebox.


----------



## Jotul Burner

I forgot to comment on the 450 vs 550.  I really do not have anything negative to say about the 450.  It is so easy to control the burn that in two days of using it, I was better at using the 450 than the 550 which I had used for more than a year.  I think the 450 puts out so much heat that the Jotul could have put a bigger blower motor in it and also a lot of heat comes out of it withough using the blower too unlike the 550 whcih you get practically no heat without the blower.  Overall the 550 puts out somewhat more heat but I easily go through three times the wood and controlling the burn is a real pain compared to the 450.  If I would do it again, I would not buy the 550 again.   

If the modifications I started making to our 550 help with the burn times I may change my mind but the 550 has a long way to go to get the 10-12 hour brn times I am getting with our 450.


----------



## FireWaterBurn

Hi everyone - I'm so glad I stumbled upon this site and particulary this thread -- I hope its still going.  I'm getting my Jotul 550 installed this Friday and can't wait.  We decided on the Jotul after also looking at the Lopi Declaration.  We wanted flush mount and the Jotul in the end seemed to be the better choice.  After reading this thread, I feel so much more comfortable already.  I used a lot of what I learned here to "quiz" my potential installers and in the end I think I made much better choice.  Here's hoping to a great install, a great stove, and drink by the fire this weekend!


----------



## ellipup

I read alot of people talking about the temp of the stove insert..........Where do you have a thermometer that gives you these temp readings.  I just had my insert installed at the end of April..  We had a couple of chilly nights immediately following my install so I started to prime the stove so it will be ready for the fall.  But Im still confused about this temp thing.  Do you have to buy a special thermom.  and where do you put it.
I would appreciate any help.


----------



## EJL923

Most of the 550 owners place the thermometer inside where the blower air exits, on top of the main stove plate.  Its not very easily seen at first, but after a while you can just look at where the needle is and know the temp without having to match it up with an actual number.  Another thing you can do is at first have two thermometers, one inside the blower area, and one on the face, then note the correlation between the two.  I would leave it inside the air exit, where it is out of sight and doesnt take away from the flush face look.  After all that being said, the only way you would have to worry about the temp on this stove is if you left the air wide open during the whole burn, in which you should have been watching it and turned down the air in the first place.  I have very good draft, almost too much, and still i only worry about temps if i forget about turning down the air.


----------



## woodheat

You can put it inside the opening where the air blows out like the previous post says, or you can get one of those point and shoot ir temp guns and aim it inside the air outlet or on the upper section of the glass door. The point and shoot will give you the most accurate reading, that is what I use. The below link is one example, in this example you would need the MT-Pro because it reads over 900 degrees. There are many other models out there by other companies also, just make sure the one you select is rated for a high enough temp.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...en/common/search/search-box.jsp.form1&Go;.x=0


----------



## AK13

Time to bump up this great thread.  I've read that many people use their fans on manual rather than auto because auto takes so long to start the fan.  After using my 550 for a couple of weeks I'm wondering if my auto control is working correctly.  I don't have a thermometer yet so I can't offer temp data but my fan seems to not run unless I have a raging fire going for a couple of hours.  Then last night I put the fan to auto with a full load of wood and went to bed and the fan shut off while I was still getting ready.  The stove was burning strong and putting off tons of heat so there is no way the fan should have gone off.  I had to go put it on manual and let it run all night.  

 The auto mode seems like it is working worse this week than last week and I'm wondering if the snap stat is faulty.


----------



## EJL923

Auto comes on too late and shuts off too late as well, IMO.  People have pushed the snapstat closer to the bottom of the stove which will make it come on sooner.  If you take off the bottom metal grate and look up behind the control, you will see the snapstat location.  it s probably too far away from the bottom grate where the coals would be.  You couls always take it off and test it, i believe the temp is somewhere around 110°


----------



## labrador

I have had my 550 for three years now . I ran into the same problem as you . I leave mine on manual 24/7 and have not had any problems. Being on manual I know  I'm pushing heat out all the time and not letting it go up the chimney.


----------



## AK13

EJL923 said:
			
		

> Auto comes on too late and shuts off too late as well, IMO.  People have pushed the snapstat closer to the bottom of the stove which will make it come on sooner.  If you take off the bottom metal grate and look up behind the control, you will see the snapstat location.  it s probably too far away from the bottom grate where the coals would be.  You couls always take it off and test it, i believe the temp is somewhere around 110°



I don't mind it going off late.....I just don't want it going off early.  Mostly I want the auto mode for overnight burns.....so that the fan will shut off when the fire burns out.  

Thanks for the advice, I think I'll look for the snapstat and see if it can be moved closer to the heat.


----------



## OhioBurner©

I had issues with mine as well. I burned with it for a couple weeks and always ended up just turning it on manual. I know it worked though, before going to bed I'd switch it to auto (it would stay on) and at some point in the night it would shut off. One time I was determined to wait for the auto to kick on, and just  let the stove crank. It was at 660* and no fan yet. 

One of my problems was letting the stove get hot to quickly, the fan is on the part of the stove which is probably last to heat up. Instead of letting it scream up to 700, I stated dialing the air back, it would take a little while but eventually the fan would kick on.

That was a few weeks ago, for some reason the auto isnt comming on at all now. I did pull the grate and check all the wiring. I'll have to get my meter out to investigate further but dont want to mess with that until next time the stove is cooled off. I'm not to worried though, I dont mind letting it run on manual.

I been meaning to join this thread... I love this stove but the burn time isnt impressive and neither is the heat output. I think a block off plate sounds like it would help the heat situation, I plan on trying to build one sometime.


----------



## AK13

Interesting.  That sounds really similar to mine in that it sort of worked for the first week or so and now doesn't seem to be.  I'll try to get it apart to take a look this weekend.  

I'm not really understanding the idea behind the block-off plate and how it gets you more heat output?  I had them install a new SS liner with a sealed cap at the top of the chimney.  So its already blocked at the top.


----------



## Jaugust124

Alright then, I might as well chime in here as well.  
My fan on auto seems to work when the stove is cleaned of ash.  Usually pops on at 450* and shuts off somewhere below 200*. For the most part, when I have some ash in the stove it doesn't seem to want to come on.  I've let the stove run up to 600* according to the stove top temp. and it still didn't come on.  This has happened numerous times.  I would really like the auto feature to work for those overnight burns (when I start them) or at least when there's still some possibility of heat output. 
I will check under the stove to see if I can move the snapstat a bit.  Thanks for the advice.


----------



## andella

I posted this in another thread, but has anyone else noticed that the secondaries have been redesigned on the C550?  The .pdf manual on Jotul's website shows a different setup with new part numbers on the exploded diagram.  Wonder how much it helps.  

As for the automatic fan.....  I think it has worked once or twice.  Manual is fine for me.  Couldn't be happier with it though.  Heats the whole house except for the bedrooms which is perfect for me.


----------



## ellipup

So I got a magnetic thermometer and placed it where the hot air blows out above the door.  It took a couple of hours until it got above 300 degrees.  I didnt have the box full of wood.  I had about 4 splits at any one time.  Could that be the reason why it doesnt get hotter?


----------



## ellipup

I forgot to say that my blower goes on in auto at about 250 degrees.  It goes on within the first hour of start-up.  As soon as I have a good bed of coals, the blower definitely kicks on.


----------



## OhioBurner©

AK13 said:
			
		

> I'm not really understanding the idea behind the block-off plate and how it gets you more heat output?  I had them install a new SS liner with a sealed cap at the top of the chimney.  So its already blocked at the top.



Well from what I gather there is a lot of heat coming off the outside of the stove inside the fireplace. A lot of that is just going up the chimney, no not out the top of the chimney since the top is sealed but in my case I have 24' of space and brick its heating up. A block off plate would seal the fireplace area of, so heat isnt traveling up the chimney and heating a whole bunch of air and brick. So more heat should be retained by the stove and transferred via the blower. I forget the specific value but I think folks have reported their surround temperature increasing by like 100*. For example with my stove running 500+ I can rest my hand on the surround. I hear with a block off plate and the extra heat trapped right around the stove the surround will get too hot to touch. Anyone who has done the block off plate confirm all this?


----------



## MikeC

My insert is sitting in a brick wall. I place my hand on the brick and I can feel the heat radiate from the bricks. So heat must be escaping like you stated.
I do not have a block off plate (I wish I did).


----------



## spencer186

My insert is in a brick fireplace with an exterior chimney.  I put a thick stone veneer over the brick and do have a block off plate.  With a good fire, there's no way I'm touching that surround.  Even the stone veneer above the surround is really warm.  Not hot so I can't touch it but really warm.  I think the block off plate made a big difference.  I took a lot of time fabricating it and sealing it with furnace cement to keep any air from sneaking up my chimney.  I installed it in the spring and started burning a few weeks ago.  The temps here on Long Island haven't been that cold with only a couple of frosts, but my fairly well insulated house is rarely under 70* and I don't always have the fire going 24-7.


----------



## vector1701

Great thread and fantastic tips.  I am just 2 fires in and working on breaking in the 550.  So far I like it very much.  My wood has been covered for 2 years and seems to burn well (moisture meter reads 12-15%), but I am not getting the stove terribly hot yet...as a result there is a slight film on the glass and the firebrick inside are pretty black.  I have not added more than 2 splits at a time yet and I think lack of heat is my problem.  Tonight, for my 3rd fire I will put in 3-4 splits once the kindling is established...hopefully the black will burnoff the brick.  Using the IT thermometer the temps on the glass range from 250-300 and the blower area only around 300.  I would assume as a newbie this is just part of the break-in (and learning) process and need to get it much hotter.


----------



## vector1701

Again thanks to the great members for their valuable input....I started my 3rd fire about 90 minutes ago.....Rutland Thermometer in place in the center of the blower slot on top....It is showing about 475 and most of the black has burned off the brick and they are back to the factory light tan..  The Rockland is a beast and I know I am only in 3rd gear...  I have a few knocks/pings come from her as I assume that is the metal being seasoned... I dont want to get too hot as it is just my 3rd fire...  I cut down the air to about 1/2 and the blower is on auto.

 Still learning, but getting there....  The pic was taken before I shut the air down to 1/2......


----------



## wannabegreener

I contacted my dealer about the automatic fan not working.  They said to put a penny between the snapstat and the bottom of the stove. This would cause the heat to transfer to the snapstat faster.  I tried but could not get it to stay.  The angle to get it in there was very difficult and I think the gab was larger than a penny.

Love the stove. Have had it in for a little over 1 month and I am using about 75 less gallons of oil in that month.  I have programmable thermostats for the boiler and my downstairs thermostat shows about 2 hours a day for run time.  Upstairs show a lot more.


----------



## OhioBurner©

Just wanted to chime in on this thread for those that didnt see my other thread I did a DIY block off plate install on my Rockland. It is at 
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/67219/

Here is the finished product:






After said and done the jury is still out on the performance gains. Due to the design of the side of the house its heating its harder to get a feel for the change. The couple of times I got to run it in similar fashion to prior it did not seem to make any difference (the test was that before when outside temp dropped below 40Âº the insert could no longer keep that side of the house at 70Âº) and still doesnt seem to be able too. However it is for sure helping some, and the surround is now very hot rather than mildly warm, and with the combination of blocking off the zipper air (is that the correct term?) have had a warm stove hours after dieing out and I've even been able to have hot embers for a very long time - 14+hrs. 

I also had an overfire a couple days after installing the insulated block off plate, had the top of the Rockland at 940Âº Was wondering if the insulative effect had anything to do with that, it sure probably didnt help getting it cooled down quickly. Had the front edge of the baffle starting to glow orange. All that was within 15 minutes of a reload in the 300's.

I think I might have been too used to freestanding stoves and overestimated that the insert could heat that half of the house on its own, it can't, even at only 40Âº outside.


----------



## Jotul_Rockland

Quick question.


Does installing a block-off plate at the bottom provide a lot of benefit in a interior chimney ( Chimney within the building)? How much of air escaped is going to get radiated from the brick and the other side of the fireplace?


----------



## wannabegreener

Ohio burner - How did you cool down your 550 quickly?  I'm trying to figure out the best way to cool it down when the temp gets to around 800.  My normal way is to close down the air supply and put the fan on hi speed.  I will also take a poker and try to knock down the fire a little bit.  I wonder if opening the door for a couple of minutes to let out some heat also helps.  When I open the door with the fan on, the blast of hot air is pretty incredible.

Any others have methods of cooling the 550 down when the temps get high?

Thanks

Dean


----------



## AK13

I really try to keep the door closed when the fire is raging.  Opening the door to a giant ball of fire just seems like a bad idea unless you really need to toss in wet paper or something because of a serious overfire.  My wood is wet enough that I don't have to worry about that I guess.  My 550 cruises at 400-650 degrees all day long.  I keep an eye on temperature and will adjust the blower accordingly (bump it down if the stove is running cooler), but for adjusting the air I only look at the flames.  

Maybe I will try the penny or will try to get under there to get the snapstat closer.  Lately I've been just switching to auto before bed.....it might be shutting the fan off a little early but at least it doesn't run all night after the fire burns out and I figure it might help me end up with enough hot coals to get restarted in the morning.


----------



## Jaugust124

wannabegrener,

A couple weeks ago I thought I was about to have an overfire when the temps on the stove top thermometer were pushing over 700*.   I shut the air all the way down and  it made matters worse. The heat in the stove had no where to go so the temps continued to climb.  I got really worried when the temps got up to nearly 800* with no sign of slowing down.  Luckily, I remembered what Backwoods Savage once said and although it seems counterintuitive, I opened the air all the way.  You would think all that extra air pouring in would cause a bigger fire, but it allowed the excess heat to escape up the chimney.  I also had the fan on high to help out as well.  Within a few minutes the temps started to settle down again.  This was quite unnerving and I learned my lesson.


----------



## wannabegreener

Jaugust124,

That does sound counter intuitive.  I wonder if the major factor is just running the fan on high, like a car radiator?   You turned your air to open and I turned mine to closed and we both set our fan on high??? I have had my stove at 800 before and was getting pretty nervous.  When my stove was that high, I did not have a raging fire, so opening the door was not opening a fireball.  Opening the door seemed to release a lot of built up heat in the fire box.  Not sure if it helped.

Thanks


----------



## Jaugust124

When I had my "incident" the fan was on high when I tried turning the air all the way down thinking that less air would keep the fire from increasing.  It didn't do enough to keep the temps from rising.  Inside my stove looked like a raging inferno.  It was making a whoomping sound from the air pressure inside the stove.  I did not try to open the stove door, as I think this would have been a bad scene.  I agree with you that without a raging fireball inside the stove, opening the door would certainly get rid of some heat and as a bonus not waste it going up the chimney.  However, with a scene like I had the last thing I wanted to do is open the door.  That sudden burst of air into the firebox, might have caused flames to come shooting out.  I don't know, but I bet firefighterjake would have the answer.


----------



## OhioBurner©

wannabegreener said:
			
		

> Ohio burner - How did you cool down your 550 quickly?  I'm trying to figure out the best way to cool it down when the temp gets to around 800.  My normal way is to close down the air supply and put the fan on hi speed.  I will also take a poker and try to knock down the fire a little bit.  I wonder if opening the door for a couple of minutes to let out some heat also helps.  When I open the door with the fan on, the blast of hot air is pretty incredible.
> 
> Any others have methods of cooling the 550 down when the temps get high?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Dean



Well I donâ€™t really know, when I had an overfire my air control was wide open at the time - so I donâ€™t see how opening up the air control would help cool it. Maybe on a different stove - each has unique air characteristics. As for the fan unless I am watching TV in that room I have it on full all the time. Doesnt seem to make much a difference anyhow, I normally cruise in the 500's and it usually peaks in the 600's right before settling down. 
When I overfired it I opened the door - yes it was an inferno - and left it open for maybe 30 seconds or so and closed it. It was a huge amount of heat let out, and lots of cool incomming air (I hope). Its basically like a fireplace with the door open - I dont think it can maintain those huge 900's with that amount of air comming in. I did that process a few times and got it down into the mid 800's, after closing the primary air all the way down. The baffle stopped glowing when I had it down in the 800's and I pretty much just left it like that, I think it maintained around 800 for a good hour or so before starting to die back. I didnâ€™t know about the wet towel trick that might have helped more.

I think what would help more is having control of the secondary air. There was another thread about DIY secondary air controls and I think thatâ€™s a great idea. However I do not know where the secondary air enters the Rockland, does anyone know? I have a feeling it is inaccessible. It really pisses me off; they want a clean burning idiot proof design so they have an uncontrolled air leak into the stove. I hate that the new stoves are basically crippled from a user control perspective just because they think people canâ€™t control them properly themselves.


----------



## bboulier

Some comments on recent posts:

1.  My stove never goes above 600 or so.  By altering either the air intake or the fan, I can keep it below 600 (measured by an IR thermometer).
2.  I never run the fan on automatic, preferring the manual adjustment.
3.  I do occasionally hear small bangs.  Never seemed serious.
4.  The stove definitely has a learning curve, but I have been very pleased with it. I don't use it 24/7 (not enough wood, nor time), but it provides plenty of heat for the main and upper level of a 1950s split level when I do run it.
5.  Comparing this season to the last one, I can aver that the folks who emphasize the importance of properly seasoned wood are correct.


----------



## spencer186

I to had an incident where I was here in the "hearth room" while my stove was ragaing away in the living room. I had reloaded and left the air wide open.  By the time I remembered it I returned to the front edge of the baffles starting to glow and a giant inferno.  I shut the air down- nothing.  So I figured I'd try the wet paper towel.  I opend the door with what looked like a giant fireball from a breathing dragon inside my stove.  With the rush of incoming air it pushes the flames to the back of the stove and really blows them down.  I tossed the paper towel in and left the door open about 20 seconds.  Closed it, then opened it for another 20 or so like Ohio Burner did.  Did the trick for me.  I didn't have a thermometer but I went and got one after that.  The Rutland magnetic.  That thing scared me.  According to that I had temps of almost 900* regularly.  Then I took it out, let it cool and it was reading 190* sitting on my counter top!  Got it replaced and the spring on the new one broke in under a week.  I'm getting my money back after this and trying to find something made in the USA, not some Chinese piece of S$#t.


----------



## spencer186

I also notice with my stove, if I have a really thick bed of ashes under the coals it insulates the snap stat and shuts the blower off early.  I've had it shut off with a top temp of 400.  Obviously it also takes a lot longer to come on.  When I have less ash it works perfect.


----------



## Jaugust124

When my stove is clear of ashes, the fan turns on at around 450*.  However, after several burns it doesn't seem to matter how long I burn or if the stovetop temp. gets up to 600*, it just doesn't want to turn on in auto made.  I also noticed when in auto it shuts down at about 300*.  Now I stick with manual made.  The only time its a bit of a pain is overnight when the stove cools off too much.  I'm not really getting burn times longer than 4-5 hours it seems, so I wind up getting up in the middle of the night to shut it down or reload.

Ohioburner, Regarding opening the air control I understand what you mean.  I'm just saying that opening the air all the way worked for me to bring the temps down. Even with the air closed all the way down, there's still air coming into the stove feeding the fire, maybe not much, but with it all the way down the heat can't escape out of the stove, so the temperature keep going up.  With the air all the way open, yes, there's more air coming in, but now the heat can escape up the chimney.  Unless I am totally misunderstanding the stove and its operation,, which is certainly possible since I am new to all of this.  

Like I said, I'm just stating what worked for me at the time.  If it happens again, maybe I'll try opening the door.


----------



## AK13

Jaugust124 said:
			
		

> I'm not really getting burn times longer than 4-5 hours it seems, so I wind up getting up in the middle of the night to shut it down or reload.



Same here.  After more than 5 hours I usually have to go through a full "restart" (i.e. not enough hot coals to reload and let it go on its own).  I have been using auto at night sometimes but I'm not really sure when it is shutting off when I do this.  Probably shutting down too early.


----------



## EJL923

Ohioburner,

If you are getting burn times with this stove of anything over 10 hrs, i see why you have trouble heating your house.  Specs for stoves are misleading, it says 10 hrs for this stove, but it is at minimal air meaning minimal heat.  Vice versa, hotter burn causes more heat but less burn time.  Im sure you know this.  what im getting to is i heat my house, 2400 sq ft by reloading every 3-4 hours, keeps downstairs 67, upstairs about 5 degrees cooler.  All i care about is my furnace isnt kicking on, plus no occupied rooms upstairs


----------



## Jaugust124

EJL923 said:
			
		

> Ohioburner,
> 
> All i care about is my furnace isnt kicking on,



Here, here - I totally agree.  My house is 2300 sq. ft. and the room my stove is in is rather small 13x20 with 8ft. ceilings.  I was afraid I would get blasted out of the room, but we have managed to move the air around pretty good.  That room gets to between 70*-74* on average and I can get the adjacent eat-in kitchen which measures the same size to about 68*-70*.  I have 2 other rooms on the first floor - formal living and dining rooms that we don't use, so keeping them up to about 62*-64* is good enough. As far as upstairs - we have 4 bedrooms and some heat comes up, but not usually enough unless the temps are above 35 or so.

I compared this months oil bill to last two years from the same time period and I figure I saved about $200.  Hopefully next month I can do the same.  The price of oil has been steadily rising.  We paid $3.15 per gallon and I imagine its only going to get worse.


----------



## Jotul_Rockland

My installer has been very reluctant to add in a bottom block-off plate. He claims that this is the wrong thing to do and can potentially increase creosote buildup.



Does installing a block-off plate at the bottom provide a lot of benefit in a interior chimney ( Chimney within the building)? How much of air escaped is going to get radiated from the brick and the other side of the fireplace?  Is the benefit of me getting a bottom plate marginal? Please advice.


----------



## OhioBurner©

EJL923 said:
			
		

> Ohioburner,
> 
> If you are getting burn times with this stove of anything over 10 hrs, i see why you have trouble heating your house.  Specs for stoves are misleading, it says 10 hrs for this stove, but it is at minimal air meaning minimal heat.  Vice versa, hotter burn causes more heat but less burn time.  Im sure you know this.  what im getting to is i heat my house, 2400 sq ft by reloading every 3-4 hours, keeps downstairs 67, upstairs about 5 degrees cooler.  All i care about is my furnace isnt kicking on, plus no occupied rooms upstairs



I think you misunderstood. Since installing the insulated block off plate and blocking the zipper air, I can have some hot coals burried under the ashes for quite a long time but this is unrelated to the heat output really, my burn time is really about the same, I have trouble just getting it overnight. Usuable heat output is probably in the 4-5 hr range, I usually reload about every 3 hrs if I am there. When I try to heat that side of the house with the Rockland alone I keep it usually in the 600's. Its not like I am trying to heat the house getting a 14hr burn time. I often see 700's, its not like I am just idling by.


----------



## spencer186

[quote author="Jotul Rockland - CT" date="1295488568"]My installer has been very reluctant to add in a bottom block-off plate. He claims that this is the wrong thing to do and can potentially increase creosote buildup.






My guess is that he just dosen't want to do it because it's a bit of a pian in the butt.  I cleaned my chinmey after 3 months of 24/7 burning and got about a cup of soot.  Didn't even see a spec of creosote and Ihave a block off plate.  There are plenty of well informed folks on here and I never heard any of them say a block off plate will cause creosote.  Pretty much everyone is a proponent of them.  Tell him its your chimney and he dosen't have to worry about creosote, you do.


----------



## wannabegreener

As far as burn times, what to you consider the end of a burn.  I will reload at night and about 7 to 8 hours later my stove is between 200 and 300 and enough coals in the bottom where I can get the fire going with a little bit of bellows work and some small splits.  I split about 50 - 100 branches about 2-3 inches thick for this purpose.    I'm not really getting any heat at that point, but I still have coals where I don't have to start with paper and match.

Just wondering what people consider the end of a burn - as in measuring burn time.

Thanks


----------



## spencer186

If I can load it up in the AM without paper or kindling, I consider it still burning.  Which I can almost always do, so I consider myself getting 8 hr burn times. If I get a really good load at night, usually about 11 PM I can still have the blower on at 8am on auto mode, if I've recently emptied the stove and don't have a lot of ashes.


----------



## OhioBurner©

Did a non scientific test on the fly today to test my burn time. Since everyone is home this week and the temps are low again I have had the Rockland fired up. I'm used to throwing smaller 16" splits on, and only getting a few hours of heat (2-3hrs of 300+ with 3 splits). So wanted to do a heat duration test today. This morn I restarted the fire from near out- had to use some kindling.I didnt put only but a couple small splits on, and once they got going I topped with some bigger locust and 1 unidentified split. The locust were pretty long, near 24" since they barely fit through the door, and maybe a cross-sectional area similar to a 4x4. I'd say the firebox was about 3/4 full. I chocked it down a little early, I usually wait until it hits 400 or so, but I throttled it all the way down at 300. After about a half hour or so it was up to around 400, not much secondary action but a little. I was surprised I couldnt see any smoke out the chimney. But I could tell it was burning a bit too low, the door which I had just cleaned yesterday was nice and brown hazed in the middle. Hour later went to pick up my son from pre school, came back, fixed lunch, did dishes, checked stove. I'm at my normal time were it would have been dyeing out, and it was still going strong in the 400s. It was coaling by now, but still almost the shape of the full size pieces. So I continued on about my day, couple hours later checked it, big bile of hot coals now but still holding upper 300's. By the time it hit 300 which I consider 'heating time' (as opposed to burn time) was 6.5hrs... I was pleasantly surprised. The house was still in the mid 70's and I had just reloaded the other stove so I let it continue to burn down, opened up the air fully, and about another hour-hour and half later I was at 250 and still radiating a good bit of heat. Was able to restart at 8hrs, with small splits, which will bring me to part II I'll post about tomorrow, I got to go to bed now! Just wanted to say the Rockland impressed me today.  Sometimes it does sometimes it doesnt. I think my biggest problem is packing the firebox full. Its so hard to get it full. The 22-24" splits seem to make a big difference but they are very awkward and if they arent perfectly straight and even they waste a lot of space too. I bet if I had it packed today that 8 hr burn time might have been extended an hour or two even.


----------



## bertschb

I just had a new Jotul C550 installed last week and used it for the first time last weekend. Thought I'd chime in with my experience...

I haven't used a wood stove insert since the 1980's when I heated a home entirely with wood for ten years. That insert was a Fischer. It protruded from the face of the fireplace a good 12" or so and had a very deep firebox. I don't recall the exact dimensions but I would guess it was at least 30". It had a chain attached to a metal damper that controlled the amount of air leaving the top of the stove. It also had two small screw type air inlets on the front that allowed air into the stove. No glass door. I used to easily get overnight burns with oak. In fact, I could cram that thing with wood on Friday night and come home Sunday night after a weekend of camping and there would still be coals left to start the next fire. Huge firebox.

Back to the C550- We purchased the C550 without actually seeing it in person because nobody had them in stock in my area. My initial impression upon opening the door was "SMALL FIREBOX". Yikes! I had heard so many people describe the C550 as having a large firebox that I was surprised when I saw how small it was compared to my old insert. Of course the C550 is flush mounted so I knew it wouldn't be as deep as my old stove. But, it is so shallow that wood will only fit sideways. I wasn't expecting that! I wasn't worried though because I spent months researching stoves and I knew the C550 was a highly regarded stove and it looked great (wife was very pleased). 

Time for the first break in fire. After reading the manual I went out and split some kindling and some super small pieces (it calls for 1" - 2" pieces for the break in fire which is really just large kindling). My wood is well seasoned lodgepole pine as that is the predominate wood in my area. The fire started right up. I left the air control all the way open as recommended. I threw a couple of small pieces on after a while and let it go. The automatic fan kicked in later than I expected but I had read about that so wasn't worried. It was kicking out quite a bit of heat from that small load of wood. I was happy! Time for bed so I turned the air lever all the way to the left and said goodnight to my new money saving retirement home heating solution. Oh I almost forgot, I heard just a couple small "pops" from the stove during this break in fire. I knew this was normal as well.

The next morning I started a new fire but this time used bigger pieces of wood. Once it was going I moved the air lever almost all the way to the left. Once again the fan kicked on later than I expected (the stove was pretty hot when the fan started). Once the fire had burned for 30 minutes or so I shut the lever all the way to the left. The flames were really interesting to watch. I was amazed at how SLOWLY the wood was burning. There was just a little flame from the wood and then flames near the top of the stove. These flames seemed to be just gas burning from the wood but not really coming directly off the wood. I'm not sure if this is the "secondary" burn I've been reading about but it was fun to watch. At this point the glass was starting to get dirty even though the wood was bone dry and had been inside the house for a couple months. No popping sounds during this burn.

The next day I started another fire and finally threw on some larger splits once the fire was going and then moved the lever all the way to the left. The glass was pretty dirty by this time. That was a little disappointing but I knew how to clean the glass and decided that I would just clean it each morning before I started a new fire. The stove was kicking out a LOT of heat all day and used far less wood than I was expecting. I used to always burn Oak with my last insert and it had a long burn time. I expected the pine to burn very quickly. But, it burns a long time in this insert. WhooHoo!

What I really like about this stove is the fire seems to burn no matter where the air lever is. I was expecting to have to fiddle with air flow/dampers to make sure I didn't kill the fire. But, even when the lever is all the way to the left, the fire keeps burning - just barely. But, it will keep burning for several hours this way until all the wood is burned up. It's a great and simple design. Throw wood in, get it burning, shut down the air, let it burn, reload. Simple and very efficient.

Because of the small size of the firebox (relative to my last insert) and the lodgepole pine firewood, I doubt if I'll ever get an overnight burn. But, it is very efficient and very easy to use. I'm VERY happy with this fireplace insert so far. Can't wait to keep experimenting with burn times, log sizes, loading, etc


----------



## Jaugust124

"The glass was pretty dirty by this time. "

Brian B. 
Congratulations on the new stove.  There are many happy owners here on this forum as I'm sure you already know.

I noticed while reading your post that you had several instances of dirty glass.  This being my first winter burning wood, I had dirty glass more frequently than I would have liked for the first few weeks or so at least.  I found that shutting the  air all the way down seemed to slow the burn down too much for me as did shutting the air down too soon.  Both causing me to have dirty glass.  I rarely, if ever shut the air all the way down.  I generally leave it open 1/8"-1/4" open, even for overnight burns.   Now, that being said I don't get 8+ hour burn times, but I don't completely pack the stove to the gills either.  I am still in the learning process and hope to get longer burn times in 11/12 with better wood.

I also found and other will probably chime in as well, but keeping the air shut all the way down tends to reduce heat output. You stated, "But, even when the lever is all the way to the left, the fire keeps burning - just barely."  This is likely to produce little heat and cause your glass to become dirty.  Its been said here before that dirty glass equals a dirty chimney.   I have found that know matter what I do the lower left hand corner of the glass still gets dirty.  I have read here that that is just the way the 550s air wash system works, but I can't swear to that yet.

Anyway, good luck and enjoy your new stove.


----------



## bertschb

Thanks for the feedback. I'm aware that burning the wood slowly creates more creasote and dirties up the glass quicker. That's the trade off with wood burning stoves. If you want the wood to last a long time, you have to throttle it down. If you throttle it down, it gums things up. In my case, I wanted to reduce the heat output and extend the burn time for two reasons. One, I wanted to see how efficient the insert is. I also wanted less heat output because it's not that cold outside right now. If it was really cold outside, I would crank the stove up. 

But, at the end of the day, I bought this stove to reduce the amount of wood I burn. I don't mind cleaning the glass and chimney more often if that will cut down on the amount of wood I burn. When it drops back down below zero next winter I'll have the stove cranked up! That will keep the glass clean!


----------



## Jaugust124

Brian B, 
Speaking of warm temps. We had 80* temps the other day.  I haven't lit a fire in about a week.  I miss the fire, but not the cold weather that goes along with it.  Supposed to drop down a bit though, so I might be cranking it up soon.  

Glad you are getting some enjoyment out of the stove, before the summer months kick in.


----------



## bertschb

I am having fun with it! We plan to retire in 2 years and 9 months and are setting things up so our ongoing post-retirement expenses are as low as possible. We can cut firewood in our area for $5/cord so we should be able to heat our house really cheaply! No more $250 monthly heating bills for us. I figure we'll spend 50 bucks a winter to heat our house and most of that will be the cost of gas to haul it.

It got down to 16 last night so it's still fairly cold in our neck of the woods. I'll be burning wood for another couple months but I'll be letting the fire go out mid day as the highs are in the 40's and low 50's.


----------



## jatoxico

See if I can bring back this thread. Installing Jotul 550 on Saturday. Any new insights from the experts on this insert?


----------



## vector1701

Check out the installs of other members.  See mine in my signature.


----------



## jatoxico

vector1701 said:
			
		

> Check out the installs of other members.  See mine in my signature.



Nice stove and nice price. Paying $4300 in black and no big tax credit this year. Guess my payback time will be longer than yours! Sometimes people, mee included only talk about the problems they have but how has your stove worked for you?


----------



## vector1701

jatoxico said:
			
		

> vector1701 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Check out the installs of other members.  See mine in my signature.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nice stove and nice price. Paying $4300 in black and no big tax credit this year. Guess my payback time will be longer than yours! Sometimes people, mee included only talk about the problems they have but how has your stove worked for you?
Click to expand...


So far so good.  Just had the chimney cleaned a few weeks ago.  Hoping to fire it up in a month or so (in RI, still kinda warm) for year 2.  No complaints.  I keep the fan on auto, it comes on when the firebox is hot enough.  I use crushed up pallet pieces (free from a local recycler) as kindling and it starts nice.... I keep the door slightly ajar or loosely closed to allow air in until the fire gets hot and catches the wood splits.  Follow the directions that come with the stove and slowly build the heat of the fire the first few times....be careful not to overfire.  Get a IR thermometer and the magnetic thermometer as a guide.  The mag one fits nicely right in the air exhaust vent and just looks like a stock piece on the stove, barely noticeable.  Keep a good ash base.  Get long gloves to prevent getting a burn on your arm when loading additional splits.

Best resources and tips I found on this forum following experienced burners....

Best of luck and happy safe burning this winter.


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## jatoxico

The 550 is in. Will start some break in burning once the temp gets below 80 here. Anyone know what the skamol bricks do? Why not just use more cast iron?


----------



## vector1701

jatoxico said:
			
		

> The 550 is in. Will start some break in burning once the temp gets below 80 here. Anyone know what the skamol bricks do? Why not just use more cast iron?



http://woodburnerwarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/05/woodburning-multifuel-stove-maintenance.html

"The job of the fire bricks are to protect the cast or steel shell from damage by the direct heat produced."


----------



## Seastrike

Hello 550 owners -

As you all know, the blower switch on the Rockland has  (1) Automatic setting (blower turns on/off based on heat of stove, uses a snapstat) and (2) manual setting (on/off).

Last night, with a fire roaring away for few hours and operating blower in Auto setting, the blower just shut off. 
After that, I could then only get it operating when set to Manual.

All connections of the blower system appear OK.
The insert is only 2 seasons old-I shouldnâ€™t be having any issues....

So, I assume this means an issue with the snapstat or switch itself. Any other ideas ?
Has anyone else experienced similar issues or any ideas to share ?


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## AK13

It seems odd that it shut off during the fire, but I think you will find that most report that the "auto" function is a bit flaky at best.  I think it is related to the fact that they sense the temperature under the stove rather than on top of the stove.  In my case I find that it pretty much stops working in auto when I have a fare amount of ash in the stove.  I think that the ash insulates the bottom and lowers the temperature where the snapstat senses.  

I don't really use auto at all anymore.  When I do use it I flip it to auto when I go to bed so that fan doesn't run all night.  But sometimes that just shuts it off even when a roaring fire is going.

I'd say empty the ashes and try it again.


----------



## Jaugust124

Agree with AK13.  The snapstat is a bit fussy.  Odd that it would turn off in the middle of a fire once it started the fans running.  I did have a similar case once or twice last year when it shut off while the stove top was supposedly about 300 degrees.  No problems yet this year.  I am doing two things this year.  First, I am using a timer to shut the fan down in the middle of the night, so it isn't pushing cold air out.  Bought one at Walmart for about $5.  Tried it a couple times and it works great. Just have to get the timing down.  The other thing I am going to try and do is to empty the ash out after a few fires to keep the auto blower working more regularly.  As said in previous post, the ash acts as an insulator preventing the snapstat from turning on.


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## labrador

I have used the manual control since 2008 when I put the unit in . It has run the entire heating season 24/7 except when I clean ity out after burning for sevweral days. I found that the automatic was too tempermental. Have not had any problem with the fans so far.


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## EJL923

As others have said, i have a timer to control when it turns on and off.  I wouldnt even notice right now if it didnt have a snapstat.


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## czorbach

Any advise/tips on cleaning the outside of the glass?  This is the 3rd season for my 550.
I had smudges on exterior of the glass and just used paper towel and windex to clean.
In one part I now have some streaks from the cleaning that have not gone away.
Have I permanently damaged my glass - anything I can do to fix?
I will try to post some pictures later - it is not very noticeable so it may be tough to capture.

Thanks


----------



## EJL923

I rarely clean the glass, and when i do its with a dry microfiber cloth when the stove is cool.  Heres why.  The glass has an IR coating on it, and i believe it is on the outside.  I dont know how durable it is against scratches, so i take my time with it.  Will you get rid of the streaks, i dont know.


----------



## AlMo

The Big Bang - 

Hi everyone....I am going on my 2nd year with my Jotul 550 CB.   I wish I could say I was totally happy with this unit but....I can't seem to get the results all of you seem to be getting.    

I recently bought an IR thermometer, as I kept hearing from the various posts that crusing range was between 500 - 600 degrees.  So , I started with 5 splits (all quarters), and left the air control on full open.   Eventually, I heard an extremely loud bang (like something you would hear if you dropped a large cookie sheet pan from at least 3 ft).    I checked the oven glass temp, I'd reached in the mid 550's,  So, what are the odds that I over fired this ? 

I should also point out, I need to get this to heat a 2100 ft center split level house, where the fireplace is in the basement.   I cannot for the life of me, get the upstairs [bedroom areas] to get any heat, and there are periods where the kitchen /living room  does not seem like its getting anything significant.   Downstairs by the fireplace seems to be the only area where its cozy, and I would have to place the previous crusing temps  around 400 - 450.  

Given the recent bang, I am hesitant to attempt to run this in the mid 500's....

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome...Thanks!

Al


----------



## OhioBurner©

Al, Take your reading from inside the blower outlet at the top of the stove, towards the middle, in front of the flue collar is usually the hottest place on the stove. 500's is nothing. My stove drafts really well and with a load of good dry dense wood like black locust if I am just a little late backing the air down it will shoot up into the 700's and 800's and nothing I can do about it, and it burns just fine there. I see your new here, welcome aboard. Its not unusual for the stove to make some bangs and pings but I've never heard anything that I'd describe as loud as dropping a pan from 3 feet. I'd use a bright light and check it real good along all the seams and all over for splits and  cracks.

So check what temps you have been running from the blower slot and report back. Also any other info you could provide like how its drafting (what kind of chimney, liner, interior/ext, hieght, etc) and the wood your burning. Usually the wood is the main culprit as these newer stoves need wood that has been split and stacked to dry for a good year. Stuff thats only split for a few months or less cause pretty poor performance.

There is a wide range of opinions on the insert, I am more on the side you are, the stove isnt keeping up with my heating needs. I have it in a ~1200sqft addition of a ~2400sqft house. The old side of the house is where my Shelburne stove is. In warmer temps we often try to just burn the insert as we mainly use that side of the house, and by itself, with some heat leaking to the other side of the house, it generally wont even hit 70's unless its over 40 out. It will hold mid/low 60's down to just around freezing out or slightly less if its calm. So in our case even 1200sqft it wont really heat by itself. But our house isnt insulated well, and drafty, and the insert is in a large great room so the heat dissipates quickly.


----------



## AlMo

Hi Ohioburner,

Thanks for your reply.   I took my Mag light (unfortunately, its the brightest light I have), but was unable to find anything that would suggestI have a broken seam.   I did however, spot this (see pic)   After doing some general tapping, I believe I found the source of the noise, which appears to be the Stainless Steel Sheet that covers the flue.  Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the exact term of this, but I believe this is some sort of Damper.    Regardless, as you can see from the picture, I also have burnt material that is on top of this, which suggests that when the heat expandtion does occur, that its dropping this material on top of the fire box.    I called my local vendor, who has recommended that I take the face off the box, and take some additional pictures to bring them into the shop.     He also recommended I contact my chimney sweep to confirm there is no issue with the chimney itself. 



As to the other questions - I have an external chimney, its two stories, which I believe is at least 20ft in height.   My wood was at 18% MM, however I dont have it covered with anything better than a tarp, and I know that the moisture has to be higher due to some recent rain /snow we've experienced here in W. NY.  

I'll post a follow up on this as I get more info.    

Oh, as for Temp readings - I may have a problem as my IR gun only reads up to 600*.     Granted, I have never seen this oven get higher than 570 on the glass, so I have to think the maximum flue temp I've had to day is likely in the low 500's.  I might try bigger splits or a different set up, once I get this oven confirmed to be safe for use.


----------



## AlMo

Final Follow up:


After discussing the pictures with my Vendor and Chimney Sweep - the general consensus is I am correct on my guess as to the source of the noise.   As to where this Creosote is coming from, that is another question.   The Chimney Sweep is under the impression that the material has been there since the day the unit was installed.    When he does his sweep, its from the inside of the unit, thus, there is no need to remove the surround.    There is also a chance that I *might* have a break in the chimney liner, although, that is most likely not the case since this is a two year old unit.   


While I had the surround off, I also found that part of the insulation had been moved and /or never put in correctly.    I have corrected this as well.


Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until my chimney is inspected before I begin attempting to burn in the upper 500's again.   In the meantime, I've been cleared to have 400* fires as long as I'm home and its not overnight.


----------



## EJL923

Is that fiberglass insulation?  I know people have gotten away with it, but its definitely not rated for that location.

i get lots of bangs from my stove, i'm not too worried about it.

As far as heating 2100 ft with your stove, good luck.  You have many things going against you.  1.  the stove is rated for 1800 sq ft.  In reality, probably a little less as they are rated for perfect conditions.  2.  Stove is in the basement.  Even free standing stoves have trouble moving heat up from a basement unless its well insulated. 3.  Its an insert, and a flush one at that.  The heat cools down by the time it starts moving

I am not surprised whatsoever that you are having trouble heating that setup with the stove.  Its just the wrong setup.  I try heating 2400 sq ft with my stove.  But my original plan was to heat the first floor, which it does.  I dont have any kids and our bedroon is on the first floor, so the 2nd floor stays somewhat cool, but the furnace doesnt kick on.


----------



## AlMo

Truth be told - I did not get a good look at what that insulation is - it does appear to be fiberglass.   It felt like fiberglass when I moved it over, but since there is no paper on it to verify, I can't really say for sure without going through all the effort of taking that surround of.   


I should point out that with regard to the Bang - the sheet metal hex screw on the right side, closest to the front was somewhat loose, which I tightened up.   


Like you EJL923, I get normal bangs and tings as this heats up, but the Big Bang is something you will not miss, if it ever happens to you.   The Heat expansion (apparently) causes the sheet metal to slam into the top of the fire box, due to a metal post (see Pic) that separates the top sheet from the firebox.    I have yet to recreate this since cleaning it, as I really need to have the chimney inspected before attempting that.   I can tell you, the glass was in the mid 500's when it occurred, unfortunately I don't have a flue temp as I never measured it when it happened.


----------



## shawnoe14

jadm said:


> I know when I was figuring out the secondary burn thing there were lots of threads explaining and describing it.  I am not versed in finding threads and inserting them as others are.  You might want to do an 'advanced search' on secondary burn and see what comes up.
> 
> I know when mine are engaged because the burning pattern in the firebox changes.   There will be a flame on the wood, down by the coal bed, reaching up to the top of the firebox where the secondary tubes are.  The flames that appear to be dancing are your secondaries.  Logs won't be in as much flame as they were before secondaries kicked in.  This usually
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> happens once my insert is above 400* or 500*.   Sometimes you will even see flames shooting out of the secondary tubes.
> 
> 
> :bug:   It is mesmerizing to watch.
> 
> 
> 
> Is it possible for secondaries to happen when the insert is at 200 degree? I am pretty sure it happened and my thermometer that is inside the blower area is only reading 200. Been burning for 2 and half hours 4th burn since getting the insert ...
> 
> Oh- figured I better mention that if you loose the flame that is feeding the secondaries, the one that is burning up from the coals, you will loose secondaries too.  That flame acts like a wick.  Keep it healthy.


----------



## shawnoe14

Any recommendations on getting the stove temp over 300 degrees  I am on my 4th burn and can't seem to get it over 300. My thermometer is in the blower slot in the middle I am using very dry wood,,I have no problem starting it up I left the air intake open and it climbed pretty quickly I closed about half way maybe less. And just can't seem to get  the temps higher.  Any recommendations ..I am using 2 splits at a time


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## jnorthway

Just installed my new Jotul 550 Rockland yesterday morning. Very nice unit.
Install with a new chimney liner was pretty simple. Had The old stove and liner out and new one installed before we had to leave for Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws!
It replaced a Vermont Castings WinterWarm insert, that was a little undersized for my needs. Ran my first break in fire last night.
Running 2nd break in fire today and I can already tell the heat output from this bad boy is gonna be awesome!


----------



## mcollect

shawnoe
Fill her up and you will see 500-600 easily. Don't shut down the air too early and don't turn the fan on high. Low air speed is more then made up by the air temperature.


----------



## shawnoe14

Ok will do.
Thanks


----------



## shawnoe14

mcollect said:


> shawnoe
> Fill her up and you will see 500-600 easily. Don't shut down the air too early and don't turn the fan on high. Low air speed is more then made up by the air temperature.


I am also burning kiln  firewood .I am wondering if that is a reason for the temperature not climbing as high


----------



## Seastrike

It it's dried properly, that wood is wonderful (though costly if you're burning a lot).
I agree w/ mcollect. Load that firebox up good, small splits to start 4-6 split would be sufficient allowing for airflow betwwen each pce.
Ignite and allow full air  into the firebox until fire really catches on. Depending on your draft, you may need to leave door cracked until fire really takes off. This could take approx. 5-15 minutes. 
Then close air intake by 1/4 . After another approx 10 minutes, try closing to half. If flames go out or start to disappear, open air up a bit more,let the flames get dancing again and  then try slowly closing your air intake in small increments.
 When set to "Auto", my fan typically click on after ~40 minutes. At this time, Im measuring approx. 350F with IR gun.
It's all trial and error. Theres a definate learning curve, but once you find your groove, you will love this insert as most of us do.


----------



## Custerstove

This is a great stove. I've had the Rockland for a few year now, four?, and the longest fires can be made when you maximize the amount of good wood that can fit in the stove. I sometimes measure pieces and think about how they will fit before loading. Just be careful that the wood will not collapse towards the door and cause black marks on the glass. You can really fit a lot wood in the Rockland by burning north to south, but your wood has to be cut short. I have a secret pile of short pieces for the cold nights! Do a search for the "Zipper" method of loading wood in this forum - I've got over 7 hours and still had very large red coals, although the stove temp will propbably drop to 250 or lower after 7 hours. I think, I've re-started a fire after 9 hours without matches on some good nights. The key to the zipper method is to pile up the coals in front of the doghouse. And than load your wood north to south.

Does anyone have suggestions for adjusting the fan? I have a rattling fan, sounds like a squeek. If I move the fan around a bit it stops rattling for a few minutes, be eventually starts making noise again.


----------



## rkofler

I put some roxul under each fan, it has definitely helped.


----------



## Custerstove

rkofler said:


> I put some roxul under each fan, it has definitely helped.


 Excellent idea! I just put a small piece of fiber glass under the fan, and it seems to be helping. I'll have to pick up some roxul, since that is better with high temps.

Next, I need to replace the rheostat. My fan is currently only working on high speed.


----------



## yjslave

Hi, been reading posts on here since I bought my stove about 2yrs ago. The first year did some good burning but was hindered by having wood split for my old open fireplace (big logs) and the fact it was not well seasoned and I ran out of wood by january. Last year had more wood well split and seasoned, but was unable to burn constantly becuase of family limitations. This year I have been burning pretty much every night. I am amazed at how much wood this stove chews through. Is it me or am I burning wrong? I probably fill it 5-6 splits 3 times from about 5pm-11pm. Air control at 1/4 open or less, fan on medium high. I use small fan to move hot air up the stairs. 

My set up is 1.5 story cape, basement brick fireplace Jotul 550 insert with 25' SS liner mostly buring oak with elm and black locust.


----------



## jatoxico

yjslave said:


> Hi, been reading posts on here since I bought my stove about 2yrs ago. The first year did some good burning but was hindered by having wood split for my old open fireplace (big logs) and the fact it was not well seasoned and I ran out of wood by january. Last year had more wood well split and seasoned, but was unable to burn constantly becuase of family limitations. This year I have been burning pretty much every night. I am amazed at how much wood this stove chews through. Is it me or am I burning wrong? I probably fill it 5-6 splits 3 times from about 5pm-11pm. Air control at 1/4 open or less, fan on medium high. I use small fan to move hot air up the stairs.
> 
> My set up is 1.5 story cape, basement brick fireplace Jotul 550 insert with 25' SS liner mostly buring oak with elm and black locust.


 
Are you saying you are loading 3 times in 6 hrs, and each time you are loading 5-6 splits? If so something is up, either the wood is tiny pcs, very low BTU or both. 5-6 decent sized splits of even a soft wood should get you more than 2 hrs a load.


----------



## topoftheriver

czorbach said:


> Any advise/tips on cleaning the outside of the glass? This is the 3rd season for my 550.
> I had smudges on exterior of the glass and just used paper towel and windex to clean.
> In one part I now have some streaks from the cleaning that have not gone away.
> Have I permanently damaged my glass - anything I can do to fix?
> I will try to post some pictures later - it is not very noticeable so it may be tough to capture.
> 
> Thanks


  The glass may be etched from overheating and ash.  You won't be able to get the tiny scratches out and they will constantly fill with soot on a gradual basis causing clouding on the window.  However, there are some solutions that do help.  I have the same problem with my glass and had thought about getting a new one.  That would be a waste of money until you actually know what is causing it.  But, one method of cleaning the glass that I found helps is as follows:  Of course wait for the window to be cool.  I fill a spray bottle with vinegar.  The spray the vinegar on the window.  Put something underneath for the dripping.  Leave the vinegar on there for a while.  Then take old newspaper, spray window again and wipe with the newspaper.  I found it helps pretty good.  Another thing that can be used is the lime products used for appliances, sinks etc for rust problems.  It also gets into the crevices and helps clean the residue from the small cracks.  They will fill up again at a later time.  Give it a try and see what happens.


----------



## Briangnj

jatoxico said:


> Are you saying you are loading 3 times in 6 hrs, and each time you are loading 5-6 splits? If so something is up, either the wood is tiny pcs, very low BTU or both. 5-6 decent sized splits of even a soft wood should get you more than 2 hrs a load.


I'm in my 2nd year on this stove and when I load onto hot bed of coals, leave damper open for 20 mins to really get ripping...after I close damper all they way or 1/4 the flame shifts to one side of stove. It shouldn't burn in his offset manor, right.  Nice rolling fire with secondary burn but on,y on righ half of stove.  Something not right... And we have to reload about every 2-3 hours! Not happy


----------



## Briangnj

Looking for help. My stove really seems to chew through a lot of wood and I'm burning hot with damper closed as much as possible.  I've noticed that when I close the damper I get a great looking fire with secondary burn and then the fire becomes offset and really burns more on the right side of the stove and then works its way across.  (See pic) Shouldn't the fire burn evenly as you close the damper versus one side hotter than the other.  We have to load every 2-3 hours and it seems like its not burning hot enough to be efficient.


----------



## rkofler

Briangnj said:


> Looking for help. My stove really seems to chew through a lot of wood and I'm burning hot with damper closed as much as possible. I've noticed that when I close the damper I get a great looking fire with secondary burn and then the fire becomes offset and really burns more on the right side of the stove and then works its way across. (See pic) Shouldn't the fire burn evenly as you close the damper versus one side hotter than the other. We have to load every 2-3 hours and it seems like its not burning hot enough to be efficient.


 
How is your wood? How long has it been split? What kind of wood? How large are the splits? The only way I could load every 2 hours is if I only put 2 or 3 small splits in. 5 or 6 larger splits should burn at least 4 or 5 hours with the air cut down 3/4. Have you checked your chimney cap?


----------



## yjslave

jatoxico said:


> Are you saying you are loading 3 times in 6 hrs, and each time you are loading 5-6 splits? If so something is up, either the wood is tiny pcs, very low BTU or both. 5-6 decent sized splits of even a soft wood should get you more than 2 hrs a load.


 
I load it once leaving the air control mostly open but keeping it from over firing, the wood burns to red ambers, then a reload the same way and last time a big load (basically filling the fire box before bed) Splits are roughly 3-4" thick about 18-22" long oak, first load is a V on the bottom with 3 splits across the V. Pretty much follow that unless the middle is filled with red ambers and then I put to shorter thicker splits north/south and then load across with splits. Just feels like I am burning like crazy. larger splits do last longer.


----------



## jatoxico

yjslave said:


> I load it once leaving the air control mostly open but keeping it from over firing, the wood burns to red ambers, then a reload the same way and last time a big load (basically filling the fire box before bed) Splits are roughly 3-4" thick about 18-22" long oak, first load is a V on the bottom with 3 splits across the V. Pretty much follow that unless the middle is filled with red ambers and then I put to shorter thicker splits north/south and then load across with splits. Just feels like I am burning like crazy. larger splits do last longer.


 
Well it's cold enough to be burning a lot of wood. I'm curious where your air control is at. If you have good draft rolling it's often been the case that when I shut the air down the temps in the box go up. This is true of many stoves and the 550 is no different. In that case you can get the longer burn times.

Sorry to assume anything but other posters have said the same thing so more a general comment.


----------



## Briangnj

rkofler said:


> How is your wood? How long has it been split? What kind of wood? How large are the splits? The only way I could load every 2 hours is if I only put 2 or 3 small splits in. 5 or 6 larger splits should burn at least 4 or 5 hours with the air cut down 3/4. Have you checked your chimney cap?


Burning well seasoned oak of varied size- stopped by wood stove store and they think the seal around the door isn't tight enough so too much air is leaking in causing a burn that is faster and concentrated on one side. I did a test where you close the door tight on a dollar bill and if you can pull it out, your door and seal isn't tight enough. It was sliding out nearly all the way around.  Good trick.  We'll see how we fix it but at least I know the problem. Will post again when we get more info or resolved ( hopefully)!


----------



## Briangnj

Briangnj said:


> Burning well seasoned oak of varied size- stopped by wood stove store and they think the seal around the door isn't tight enough so too much air is leaking in causing a burn that is faster and concentrated on one side. I did a test where you close the door tight on a dollar bill and if you can pull it out, your door and seal isn't tight enough. It was sliding out nearly all the way around.  Good trick.  We'll see how we fix it but at least I know the problem. Will post again when we get more info or resolved ( hopefully)!


 update - placed new seal/rope around door.  Burn is a bit better but still more fire on right side of stove.  Not sure what next move is....


----------



## AlMo

Hi Everyone,

Hopefully all of you have had a great wood burning season so far. My experience with the 550 has been a really long , learning process, but I feel I am finally getting the hang of it. Just thought I'd through out some observations for anyone new owners that purchase this unit

1). This unit needs to run hot for best efficiency. The snapstat will likely kick off around 350*, which in my opinion, is way to low. If possible, try to keep it off until your unit hits 500*. Believe it or not - its only an additional 15- 30 minutes of burn time for the oven to get to this temp IF you allow it to get there. Turning the air on prior to that will result in your oven taking up to 1 hour to achieve 500*.


2). Load your unit! Yes, its feasible to run this with just a couple of splits, but in time, you will learn to appreciate only having to load 3 - 4 times an entire day, while still maintaining an average temp of 450* the entire time.

3) If your having trouble with the raking coals forward method - it may be how your loading your wood. Is everything to one side of the unit? If yes, it will take much longer to burn through. I had better results leaving some coals at the bottom in the back, raking more up front.


4) After experimenting with mulitple different configurations, these are some of my temp readings and layouts.


6 splits all on right side, bottom splits sitting on the pan (no ash or coals), all coals pushed to left - this achieved longest cycle, but at a cost of lower temps in the entire house

6 splits center of the unit, bottom 2 sitting on coals - this achieved faster burn through, higher temps (reaching 600* +). Reducing the air when you get to this area, dropping to 1/2, then 1/4 if the flames cooperate. You might get spikes to 700*, but it won't last long due to the reduction in air on the bottom coals. Due to my drafting - I find that 1/2 seems to be optimal for me. YMMV however, and if you can get it down to 1/4 - that is excellent


**Personal favorite - 6 splits, all on left side, coals evenly raked across entire pan (this is not the rake coals forward method! )

This method appeals to me because of the longer burn times, the logs in the back actually burn , and IMO, the flames are easier to control once you get to the magic 500* mark.


The absolute fastest, hottest method of burning your wood , assuming you have a decent coal bed

spread coals, divide them in 1/2, pushing each 1/2 to one side. Put two splits E/W down so that they cover the center channel (make sure there is air gap going all the way to the back). Your using the coals on either side to support the splits. This is a variation of the 'Tunnel of Love ' method that someone posted on this site. It works wonders!

I'd highly advise you to keep a close eye on your oven if your going to do this. Temps will jump rapidly, and I have seen my temps peak well over 600* with air control on full blast. There seems to be a coorelation to the amount of available air in the box vs air temps, which is why you can (and will ) see higher temps with less wood. For this same reason, its actually safe to load this to the gills and not be afraid of the temps getting out of control (this assumes your there to monitor and lower air control when you reach your desired temp range).


Lastly - use the fans (after hitting 500*) if your attempting to heat an entire house. If its just the room , keep the fans on low.


----------



## Ansky

Hi AIMo,
Just curious, how do you get 6 splits just on the left side?  I think I'd have trouble just getting 6 splits in there at all. 

Anyway, hi.... I'm new here.  I just had my 550 rockland installed 12 days ago, so I'm just starting to get used to it.  Overall, I'm happy with it.  The wife likes the way it looks, so that's good too.  My 2 complaints are the auto fan feature which everyone seems to complain about and also the rate at which I am burning wood.  

For the first problem, I just bought a timer at Walmart, so I will keep the fan on manual, and hav the timer shut it off around 3am or 4am or so.  

I'm not sure how to make my wood last longer.  I seem to need to reload every 2 hours if I want to keep the temp between 500-600*.  I keep the air control at about 1/4 and the fan at med/high.  If I wait to reload longer than 2 hours, the temp will drop below 400* and I don't want to do that.  So, every 2 hours or so, I add about 3 splits.  They are 17" long and about 3-4" wide.  Not sure what type of wood, but it's very dry...maybe too dry and that may be my problem.  I usually spread out the coals, and add 2 long splits lengthwise in front and in back, and that add a 3rd split diagonal across the 2 lower splits.  That will usually last me another 2 hours.  

Any tips from you seasoned pros?

Thanks,
John from CT


----------



## rkofler

Ansky said:


> Hi AIMo,
> Just curious, how do you get 6 splits just on the left side? I think I'd have trouble just getting 6 splits in there at all.
> 
> Anyway, hi.... I'm new here. I just had my 550 rockland installed 12 days ago, so I'm just starting to get used to it. Overall, I'm happy with it. The wife likes the way it looks, so that's good too. My 2 complaints are the auto fan feature which everyone seems to complain about and also the rate at which I am burning wood.
> 
> For the first problem, I just bought a timer at Walmart, so I will keep the fan on manual, and hav the timer shut it off around 3am or 4am or so.
> 
> I'm not sure how to make my wood last longer. I seem to need to reload every 2 hours if I want to keep the temp between 500-600*. I keep the air control at about 1/4 and the fan at med/high. If I wait to reload longer than 2 hours, the temp will drop below 400* and I don't want to do that. So, every 2 hours or so, I add about 3 splits. They are 17" long and about 3-4" wide. Not sure what type of wood, but it's very dry...maybe too dry and that may be my problem. I usually spread out the coals, and add 2 long splits lengthwise in front and in back, and that add a 3rd split diagonal across the 2 lower splits. That will usually last me another 2 hours.
> 
> Any tips from you seasoned pros?
> 
> Thanks,
> John from CT


 
Don't be shy, John. Gotta load her up. Why six splits on the left side? Get as many as you can any way you can. My typical overnight burn: Pull all the coals to the front. Pull any ash from the back up against the coals so the back of the stove is clear to the bottom. But your biggest split in the back, then one or 2 decent size splits on top of that, whatever you can fit. Now put whatever you can fit on top of the coal bed in the front. If your splits were not around 20 inches or so, stack them all the way to one side, then fill in the side with some shorter splits. Takes a little geometry, but it's worth it. I leave air open til around 350 degrees, then close it a quarter, let it get up to around 450, close air to half, then around 550, closed 3/4. I usually don't close air all the way, my wood is simply not dry enough. I loaded the stove last night around 10pm. 6:45am I had enough coals in the back to just rake forward and throw some small splits on, away she went. Good luck!


----------



## Ansky

rkofler said:


> Don't be shy, John. Gotta load her up. Why six splits on the left side? Get as many as you can any way you can. My typical overnight burn: Pull all the coals to the front. Pull any ash from the back up against the coals so the back of the stove is clear to the bottom. But your biggest split in the back, then one or 2 decent size splits on top of that, whatever you can fit. Now put whatever you can fit on top of the coal bed in the front. If your splits were not around 20 inches or so, stack them all the way to one side, then fill in the side with some shorter splits. Takes a little geometry, but it's worth it. I leave air open til around 350 degrees, then close it a quarter, let it get up to around 450, close air to half, then around 550, closed 3/4. I usually don't close air all the way, my wood is simply not dry enough. I loaded the stove last night around 10pm. 6:45am I had enough coals in the back to just rake forward and throw some small splits on, away she went. Good luck!
> View attachment 94174



Holy cr@p!   Are you serious?  Wow.  And the stove doesn't smoke like crazy with it packed like that?
I guess I need to get out of the regular fireplace mindset and think about this differently.  With the fireplace, I would stack the splits making sure there was plenty of air to feed the fire. So I have been doing that as well with the insert and I could usually only fit 4 splits in there, tops.  From now on I guess I need to cut the logs shorter, so I can pack them in tighter.

Question - do you only pack it like that at night before going to bed, or is that how you do it all the time?


----------



## rkofler

Ansky said:


> Holy cr@p! Are you serious? Wow. And the stove doesn't smoke like crazy with it packed like that?
> I guess I need to get out of the regular fireplace mindset and think about this differently. With the fireplace, I would stack the splits making sure there was plenty of air to feed the fire. So I have been doing that as well with the insert and I could usually only fit 4 splits in there, tops. From now on I guess I need to cut the logs shorter, so I can pack them in tighter.
> 
> Question - do you only pack it like that at night before going to bed, or is that how you do it all the time?


 
Stove has to be pretty warm to load like this. My wife often loads during the day, doesn't quite pack it like this. Around 7:30pm I will usually load a few medium splits that I know will burn down by 10pm, but also not let the stove cool too much. If the stove cools I will throw in a few tiny pieces to heat it up a bit. Then I put in a load like you see in the picture. If you have 20 inch splits you will just lay those east/west. In the picture, the splits on the left were kind of short so I pushed them all to the left side. Then the splits on the right are around 12 inches laying north/south. You gotta have enough fuel in there to burn a long time, just like a car. Air is good for a quick hot fire, like first thing in the morning to warm the house up. Less air is better for a longer, not quite as hot fire. Imagine almost trying to create one solid block with the splits, that's what you need for a longer burn.


----------



## Ansky

rkofler said:


> Stove has to be pretty warm to load like this. My wife often loads during the day, doesn't quite pack it like this. Around 7:30pm I will usually load a few medium splits that I know will burn down by 10pm, but also not let the stove cool too much. If the stove cools I will throw in a few tiny pieces to heat it up a bit. Then I put in a load like you see in the picture. If you have 20 inch splits you will just lay those east/west. In the picture, the splits on the left were kind of short so I pushed them all to the left side. Then the splits on the right are around 12 inches laying north/south. You gotta have enough fuel in there to burn a long time, just like a car. Air is good for a quick hot fire, like first thing in the morning to warm the house up. Less air is better for a longer, not quite as hot fire. Imagine almost trying to create one solid block with the splits, that's what you need for a longer burn.



Gotcha.  Thanks for the info.  
I'm just,starting to freak out about the quantity of wood that I will need.  I thought for sure 11 days ago when I got this thing installed, I'd have plenty of wood to last the rest of the winter.  Today I came to the realization that I've only got wood for about 2 more weeks!  Ugh, oh.  I love not using oil, but I need to really get on the ball with splitting more wood!  

I figure I use about a full wheel barrow each day...about 20-25 pieces.  And I start at 7am and load up at 11 pm before I go to bed.  That's gonna add up to a LOT of wood over the course of a winter!  And I cut and split myself.  I guess I know what I'm doing whenever I have free time.


----------



## Ansky

Is there a trick to getting the surround off with this unit?  We are supposed to get an ice storm this weekend, and if we lose power, I want to take the surround off to get more heat.  But I'm not sure how do to that.
Thanks.
John


----------



## rkofler

Ansky said:


> Is there a trick to getting the surround off with this unit? We are supposed to get an ice storm this weekend, and if we lose power, I want to take the surround off to get more heat. But I'm not sure how do to that.
> Thanks.
> John


 
You just have to lift it straight up about an inch or so and it will pull right off. You might want a helper, it is kind of heavy. I don't think you have to, but I usually take off the front grill and the bottom trim. Helps get your hand underneath the surround.


----------



## jotul rock550

Second year with the rockland 550 and very pleased.  This forum has been so helpful, especially this thread. 

Could someone please tell me where these temps are being recorded - I have placed a thermometer on the front left above the door and the temp never seems to rise above 350.  Where are you getting the 600 - 700 readings - top of the stove with IR thermometer??

thanks.


----------



## Ansky

jotul rock550 said:


> Second year with the rockland 550 and very pleased.  This forum has been so helpful, especially this thread.
> 
> Could someone please tell me where these temps are being recorded - I have placed a thermometer on the front left above the door and the temp never seems to rise above 350.  Where are you getting the 600 - 700 readings - top of the stove with IR thermometer??
> 
> thanks.



Are you sure you read this thread?   
As discussed here, most who use a magnetic gauge, place it in the slot where the fan air blows out.  Yeah, it's hard to read there, but that's the only place you'll get a semi-accurate reading.  I kind of like it there, because its hidden and doesn't take away from the units good looks.


----------



## bboulier

Last night I "filled up" the stove fairly ful about 11:00 - E/W splits (about 18 inches) on the left hand side and crammed some shorter splits on the right.  Let the fire get up to about 475 at high manual fan and fully open.  Damped down the air intake to about 1/8.  Reduced the fan to a much lower level.  Woke up about 7:30 (stove temp about160), raked coals to the front, and had no difficulty starting new splits.
Bryan


----------



## Catfish Cleatus

How much wood is everyone going through in a season with their 550 Rockland?  Compared to other inserts and or stoves you have had?  Do you burn 24/7 and if you do how often on average to you reload?


----------



## Riggs

spencer186 said:


> [quote author="Jotul Rockland - CT" date="1295488568"]My installer has been very reluctant to add in a bottom block-off plate. He claims that this is the wrong thing to do and can potentially increase creosote buildup..



My installer wants to use a 2" think insulated fire blanket that they cut to fit around the SS liner and then it's stuffed up around the liner where you would normally install the bottom block off plate. He does install the upper plate and I think he does the blanket instead of the lower plate to save time. 

Do you guys think this is an acceptable method for blocking the lower end?

Thanks,

Riggs


----------



## Ansky

Riggs said:


> My installer wants to use a 2" think insulated fire blanket that they cut to fit around the SS liner and then it's stuffed up around the liner where you would normally install the bottom block off plate. He does install the upper plate and I think he does the blanket instead of the lower plate to save time.
> 
> Do you guys think this is an acceptable method for blocking the lower end?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Riggs



I'm also interested in seeing what others think about this.  I need to install a block off plate too, but stuffing a fire blanket up there sure would be a lot easier!


----------



## Riggs

From what I've found...this is a quicker easier cheaper way of blocking off the bottom without all the cost associated with a bottom plate. What I'm curious about is if it's ok for a few seasons because Im just about max budget and having them build a bottom plate will surely put be over. Im thinking I'd add it next year or the following during a cleaning in the spring/summer


----------



## Ansky

Riggs said:


> From what I've found...this is a quicker easier cheaper way of blocking off the bottom without all the cost associated with a bottom plate. What I'm curious about is if it's ok for a few seasons because Im just about max budget and having them build a bottom plate will surely put be over. Im thinking I'd add it next year or the following during a cleaning in the spring/summer



I was just going to make one myself during the off season.  It doesn't look too difficult or costly using some sheet metal.  Just time consuming.  My issue is access.  With the stove already there I don't want to have to pull it out to install the metal.  But I could easily shove a fire blanket up there without having any issues at all.


----------



## Ansky

Riggs said:


> From what I've found...this is a quicker easier cheaper way of blocking off the bottom without all the cost associated with a bottom plate. What I'm curious about is if it's ok for a few seasons because Im just about max budget and having them build a bottom plate will surely put be over. Im thinking I'd add it next year or the following during a cleaning in the spring/summer



Well, I did it today.  Here's the pics I just posted to another thread.  Total cost was $80. Roxul was 42 and the aluminum sheet metal was 20. The rest was the adhesive and cement.  It took me half a day, but it's done and I fired it up and I definitely notice a difference.  The surround it getting much hotter than before, and I don't even have a raging fire going.   Here's some pics of the process...

Here's my supplies. I bought a 3'x3' piece of alluminum sheet metal.  That's all HD had, and it cose me over $20. 





Here's the cement and sealant I used.





Before pic...





 Stuffed as much insulation as I could up there.





I made a template out of cardboard first and then transferred it to the sheet metal.










I had to cut it in half to fit it around the pipe.





Installed.  Then I sealed up all the gaps and was good to go.





I did not, however, put the Roxul behind the stove or on the sides of the stove.  I don't have a lot of space between the stove and the brick, so I didn't want to completely fill up that space and make the stove too hot.


----------



## Riggs

so i've deciced on the Jotul C550 at this point..install will be in June and i'm curious what you guys think about this.  so i know they claim you can use splits up to 24" in length...what are most guys throwing in there.  i cut all my stuff to 18-20" and i'm getting ready to buck/split a lot and i'm curious if i should go the bit longer to help burn times? 

go with 24" or stick with 18-20" ?

thanks, riggs


----------



## Ansky

I think you are good with the 18-20" pieces.  But I would also cut some smaller pieces so you can lay them front to back in the unit and make a grid pattern for lighting up.  The firebox is not very deep, so I wish I had more smaller pieces, maybe 12" or so that I could lay diagonal to my longer 18" pieces.


----------



## bboulier

Riggs said:


> so i've deciced on the Jotul C550 at this point..install will be in June and i'm curious what you guys think about this. so i know they claim you can use splits up to 24" in length...what are most guys throwing in there. i cut all my stuff to 18-20" and i'm getting ready to buck/split a lot and i'm curious if i should go the bit longer to help burn times?
> 
> go with 24" or stick with 18-20" ?
> 
> thanks, riggs


 I would stick with the 18"-20"  Load these lengths on the left side  and put shorter wood and uglies N/S on the right.


----------



## Riggs

ok sounds good...i'll just keep at 18-20" then....thanks. 

hey while i have your attention...tell me if this deal i went for sounds good..i've shopped around and this guy is by far the best reviewed in our area and great to work with so far..and the price seems great to me.  for a Jotul C550 in Majolica Brown, 25' of Armor Flex pipe w/ 1/2" foil faced super liner wrap installed, cap/screen vent and he's also making/installing a custom lower block off plate for me..all labor & parts....$5,500 tax included(that includes the upcharge for the Armor Flex) it was $5250 if i opted for the standard Olympia Forever flex pipe.  i thought that was a smokin deal.


----------



## yjslave

I am not sure if I am going crazy bit it seems like I have more heat coming from the door area I front of the glass then running the fans even with stove temps in the 800s. Can anyone confirm this is how it has always been or are my door seals on their way out?


----------



## Ansky

Ugh.  I just broke the knob off the fan speed control unit when putting the grate back on.  Here's a pic.  It snaped right off.  Anyone else do this?  And if so, how'd you fix it.  I hope i don't have to buy a whole new fan control unit.


----------



## jnorthway

Ansky said:


> Ugh. I just broke the knob off the fan speed control unit when putting the grate back on. Here's a pic. It snaped right off. Anyone else do this? And if so, how'd you fix it. I hope i don't have to buy a whole new fan control unit.


 
Ugh that's a drag. The switch post is made of weak plastic, which is serious design issue in my opinion. Mine was damaged when I got my stove. My dealer replaced it under warranty. It's an expensive part otherwise.


----------



## USMC80

Went out window shopping today and of course the wife loved the look of the 550.  I know its not the most efficient one out there but I'm not going to win that battle.  The upstairs I am looking to heat is 1100 sq feet and not the best insulated.  I am installing ceiling fans where the unit will be and in the kitchen and bedrooms.  Will this insert be able to keep this living space at 70 degrees in a NJ winter?


----------



## Ansky

USMC80 said:


> Went out window shopping today and of course the wife loved the look of the 550.  I know its not the most efficient one out there but I'm not going to win that battle.  The upstairs I am looking to heat is 1100 sq feet and not the best insulated.  I am installing ceiling fans where the unit will be and in the kitchen and bedrooms.  Will this insert be able to keep this living space at 70 degrees in a NJ winter?


I would sure think so.  I heated my house - an 1800sf, 2 floor, open floor plan - with this stove.  My space generally stayed at 68 degrees, but I never loaded it up as much as you are supposed to.  I'm still learning.   I will tell you that my block off plate made a huge difference.  That certainly helps the efficiency.  Also, the importance of well seasoned wood can not be understated.
It's a good stove.  I'm happy with it.  And so is the wife.


----------



## USMC80

I've read that you have to remove the surround and pull out the unit to clean the flue, is this true?


----------



## Ansky

USMC80 said:


> I've read that you have to remove the surround and pull out the unit to clean the flue, is this true?


no.  Not true.  Just lift the top baffle up and move to the side and you'll get easy access to the flue.  Cleaning couldn't be easier with this insert.  At least that's what the installer told me.  I haven't had to do mine yet.


----------



## USMC80

good to hear, that would be deal breaker


----------



## Riggs

So if the fireplace opening is not minimum 33" is it a closed done deal or is there some wiggle room when installing the stove. I know the stove is 30" wide...and they call for 33" so there is 1.5" of clearance on both sides.

So can a guy get away with an opening of 32" and only leave 1/2" on both sides or is that a safety issue and why?


----------



## Ansky

USMC80 said:


> good to hear, that would be deal breaker


I may have given you some bad info.  I'm looking into this process now, for myself, and it seems its a major PITA to clean the flue with a traditional 6" poly brush. I think you are right, you would have to pull the stove, and disconnect the flue.  I definitely don't want to do that.  But I searched this site and found another option...

The  Gardus Sooteater seems to be the way to go.  Using this product, I can just remove the baffles and clean the flue easily.  So that's probably what I'm going to do.  I'm glad I figured this out before I spent $80 on a 6" poly brush and 30' of rod!  

Anyway, sorry for giving bad info earlier.

Here's the sooteater...
http://www.amazon.com/Gardus-Inc-RCH205-Sooteater-Cleaning/dp/B0010H5JXA


----------



## Riggs

Ansky said:


> I may have given you some bad info. I'm looking into this process now, for myself, and it seems its a major PITA to clean the flue with a traditional 6" poly brush. I think you are right, you would have to pull the stove, and disconnect the flue. I definitely don't want to do that. But I searched this site and found another option...
> 
> The Gardus Sooteater seems to be the way to go. Using this product, I can just remove the baffles and clean the flue easily. So that's probably what I'm going to do. I'm glad I figured this out before I spent $80 on a 6" poly brush and 30' of rod!
> 
> Anyway, sorry for giving bad info earlier.
> 
> Here's the sooteater...
> http://www.amazon.com/Gardus-Inc-RCH205-Sooteater-Cleaning/dp/B0010H5JXA


 
i'm guessing this was for another thread???


----------



## Ansky

Riggs said:


> i'm guessing this was for another thread???


Nope.  I was just following up on a question USMC80 asked a few posts up.

And sorry, I don't know the answer to your question above regarding clearances.  Good luck.


----------



## Riggs

Ansky said:


> Nope.  I was just following up on a question USMC80 asked a few posts up.
> 
> And sorry, I don't know the answer to your question above regarding clearances.  Good luck.



Oh ok...somehow I missed that.  It's to to know too


----------



## J.Stempel

New Jotul 550 owner, with a question if anyone can help. This may seem absurd, but I was under the impression when we installed the 550 that we would be able to have fires with the door open if we felt like it. We bought the insert because we were tired of the inefficiency, smell, and risk of our large open Rumford fireplace, but I was worried we would lose the ambience and feel of seeing/hearing a real fire in the fireplace. Our dealer stated well before we bought/installed the unit that we could run the unit with the glass door open, but the manual advises against it. I guess what I'm wondering is whether anyone here leaves the door open when they are in the room simply to enjoy more of the fire look and feel or if there is too much smoke escape to do that or some other issue I'm not able to discern.
Thanks in advance.


----------



## Dave A.

Can't really speak to the specifics of the Rockland, but can tell you generally with wood stove inserts if you want to operate them with the door open, you need to have a firescreen in place. Maybe that's what your dealer was talking about -- there might be an accessory screen available that fits the Rockland, probably $100 or so. But if he didn't mean that, and meant to operate with the door open and no screen that's bad advice.

If you have a folding firescreen that will fit and protect against sparks and flames, you might get by with that until you get the accessory. But you probably shouldn't be out of the room with the door open until you get the one that fits it and is made for it, and if there isn't one available might be safer not to leave the door open. Check the manual further to see whether there is any mention of operation with a firescreen.


----------



## J.Stempel

Dave -
Thanks. I hear you regarding safety and a firescreen. I was more focussed on whether or not the stove draws efficiently enough when it gets hot that smoke won't escape into the room when the door is open. Since I just built my first [very small] fire tonight for break-in, I was not surprised that there was smoke that escaped into the room when I had the door open to move the wood around. I was just hoping that once the firebox was well heated up that it would draw so efficiently I could have the door open without puffing smoke into the room.


----------



## Dave A.

Okay, I looked at your manual and looked around the web, no firescreen accessory. And no mention of operation with a screen in the manual. So you may have been mislead about that.

If it's very warm there and you have a shorter flue you might be having a problem getting a good draft.



J.Stempel said:


> Since I just built my first [very small] fire tonight for break-in, I was not surprised that there was smoke that escaped into the room when I had the door open to move the wood around. I was just hoping that once the firebox was well heated up that it would draw so efficiently I could have the door open without puffing smoke into the room.​


 
You should be able to. You need to open the door slowly, however. Unlatch and kind of wait for the pressure to stabilize before you open it. If you open too fast you will get smoke. Your house might be too tight or you have exhaust fans operating. Might be necessary to crack open a window or outside door near the stove.

Again I don't have the C-550 and can't speak to it's specifics, and I see in the manual they mention not doing things I'm used to doing with other stoves -- like cracking the door or starting a fire with the door open.  So beyond that, dunno what to say.


----------



## Ansky

Hmmm. Im not sure why he told you that.  Well, yes I do...he wanted to make a sale.  I have the 550 and I can't leave the door open all the way.   I get too much smoke escape into the room.  Maybe my wood isn't dry enough, but it just doesn't work for me.  As it is, I need to open my door slowly as not to get a plume of smoke in the room.   Not to mention, if you keep the door open, you are killing the efficiency of the unit.  Basically it will be the same as a regular fireplace.  I'd recommend keeping the glass clean and shutting the door.


----------



## J.Stempel

Dave, Ansky - thanks for the input. I'm resigned to the notion that open door fires are likely not a viable option. I'm sure as winter returns I'll find it's a manageable tradeoff, it's just something we learned to enjoy. I'm sure as I see the obvious return on heat output I'll adapt.
Thanks again.


----------



## Ansky

J.Stempel said:


> Dave, Ansky - thanks for the input. I'm resigned to the notion that open door fires are likely not a viable option. I'm sure as winter returns I'll find it's a manageable tradeoff, it's just something we learned to enjoy. I'm sure as I see the obvious return on heat output I'll adapt.
> Thanks again.



You know, when I first bought my unit, I thought I'd miss the sounds/crackling of the open fire.  But my wife and I still get mesmerized by the fire and we get caught up just starring at it.  It has a nice big viewing area, so it wasn't much of a sacrifice.   Plus the warmth of the thing makes up for any crackling that your missing.  I'm happy with it.  I just wish I bought it much much sooner.


----------



## J.Stempel

Ansky said:


> You know, when I first bought my unit, I thought I'd miss the sounds/crackling of the open fire. But my wife and I still get mesmerized by the fire and we get caught up just starring at it. It has a nice big viewing area, so it wasn't much of a sacrifice. Plus the warmth of the thing makes up for any crackling that your missing. I'm happy with it. I just wish I bought it much much sooner.


Thanks for that, I think I needed to hear that. The fire has always been a gathering place for the kids in the morning and the only thing that would easily lure them into the family room on a cold morning, and I think I'm in mourning, as silly as that sounds. But reading through these posts I can easily see how we will grow to appreciate the benefits. I think I just need to get it broken in and get a couple robust fires going to get our heads around this.
On a different note, where do most people generally attach their magnetic thermostat on this unit for the best reading?
JS


----------



## Ansky

J.Stempel said:


> Thanks for that, I think I needed to hear that. The fire has always been a gathering place for the kids in the morning and the only thing that would easily lure them into the family room on a cold morning, and I think I'm in mourning, as silly as that sounds. But reading through these posts I can easily see how we will grow to appreciate the benefits. I think I just need to get it broken in and get a couple robust fires going to get our heads around this.
> On a different note, where do most people generally attach their magnetic thermostat on this unit for the best reading?
> JS



I keep mine where the blower output is.  That seems to be the most popular location.  Here's a pic.  Just ignore the mess.  I was having issues with the furnace cement after I installed my block off plate.


----------



## J.Stempel

Thanks. Figured that was the case but wasn't certain.


----------



## degkop

Just purchased a used Rockland 550 and I have a question about the Skamol Panels (part no# 93 on the parts diagram). When I removed the baffle plates from my unit, there weren't any separate parts above the baffles. Since the unit is a 2008 and I got it used, I wasn't sure if I am missing the two panels, the panels are integrated into the baffle plates, or if my older model didn't come with the Skamol panels. Anybody ever replace these panels? Would there be any reason to remove them? Thanks.


----------



## topoftheriver

rockreid said:


> Seeing how this large stove is new I think there needs to be a ongoing thread about how to operate this popular insert.
> 
> As a complete n00b to wood burning I have found through 3 days of experience that stacking a few splits stacked high and keeping the throttle on about 1/2 to 1/4 gives a good secondary burn for a long time on relatively little wood. My wood so far is not seasoned that well, although I have yet to break into my main oak cord and a half that has been stacked in full sun all summer long.
> 
> Yesterday and last night I was able to keep the house in the upper 60's and even up to 71 or 72f despite dropping outside temps to 46 or so. The wife made me fire it up again early in the day but by choice I might not have done so. I am balancing trying to keep the wife happy and saving wood for when it gets really cold here in January-March. I adjusted the blower fan to about 1/2 speed all day. My plan is to try to drop oil burning use by 1/2 this year. We'll see. But tonight there is one more burn because temps are supposed to drop to 40 before weather heating up the rest of this week.
> 
> Also, I have been having a problem keeping the large glass area clean, I suppose because of my wood quality. I have cleaned it every day with newspaper and ash. Not fun. I hope I don't have to do this every day. For those Rockland burners with well seasoned wood I would be interested in hearing if you too have a clean glass problem.


 
Have you tried to download the user's manual and schematics from Jotul"s site?  The PDF file will show you every screw, bolt, part, etc.  Then you can determine what may be missing.  If parts are missing you can get them at http://jotulparts.com.  You will have to page through to find the exact parts you may require.

As for the window, I have been burning in an Oslo 500 for a couple of years and my glass has been dirty.  I had notice last winter that the back of the baffle was broken and flames were going up the back of the stove directly into the chimney.  That is one cause of a dirty window.  When the baffle works correctly, it redirects the heat around the front of the stove and through the secondary burners which act in a torch like manner which creates a flow that burns the carbon off the glass automatically and keeps it as clean as possible.  You will still need to clean it with creosote cleaner now and then.  Green wood could be part of the problem but green wood is primarily a heat problem not so much as a dirty window problem although if the temperature is not hot enough the window will not self clean.  I would say minimally at 400 F to do an adequate job.  That is all for now.  Just my take on it.  Others here can provide different views.  Together we all work it out somehow.


----------



## degkop

@topoftheriver - Thanks for the suggestion about the website, but it appears that the user manual on the Jotul Website is for the current model, not mine. I was able to find a 2008 version of the manual and my 2008 model does not have the Skamol panels. Must have added them after 2008. Thanks again.


----------



## terpsucka

Hey all-- does anyone have any advice on how to a) access the zipper holes, and b) get to the inside of the slide assembly?  I'm a little nervous about just pulling parts out and removing bolts without knowing what I'm doing.  I have the owners manual but it doesn't help at all beyond the basics.  It appears to me, to get to the slide assembly, I need to pull off the facade that covers the slider, but I don't know how to do this.  Any info (in addition to the many, many pages of awesomeness this thread has already provided!!) would be appreciated.


----------



## JTP11

Without just turning the blower on full blast, what are you guys using to clean the dust out of the top of the firebox? You know, in between the shroud and firebox.


----------



## newcomtd

Ansky said:


> I keep mine where the blower output is.  That seems to be the most popular location.  Here's a pic.  Just ignore the mess.  I was having issues with the furnace cement after I installed my block off plate.



I'm a newbie to the world of wood burning but I have some experience with construction. That was not furnace cement that you used on your flue connection. It was fireblock sealant, which is designed to seal penetrations in fire walls (wires, pipes) to keep fire from spreading too fast. This product isn't meant to be heated over and over again. It is intended to give people a little longer to escape in the event of a structure fire. I'm not sure what the correct product would be to seal the flue connection.


----------



## degkop

Terpsucka, if you end up taking the air control apart, post some pictures of your project. I am having trouble keeping my 2008 stove from overburning and suspect that the gasket on the slider is letting air in. I'm getting temps well over 800 degrees regularly and can't seem to keep it under control with the air adjustments. I limit the amount of wood I pack in there, but my burn times suffer.


----------



## Ansky

newcomtd said:


> I'm a newbie to the world of wood burning but I have some experience with construction. That was not furnace cement that you used on your flue connection. It was fireblock sealant, which is designed to seal penetrations in fire walls (wires, pipes) to keep fire from spreading too fast. This product isn't meant to be heated over and over again. It is intended to give people a little longer to escape in the event of a structure fire. I'm not sure what the correct product would be to seal the flue connection.


 

Thanks for the heads up.  I actually re-did it this summer with furnace cement.  So hopfully that will work better.


----------



## EJL923

FYI, I bought my stove in 2009 and it only had the cast iron baffles.  

As far as the air control, there are three bolts on the inside behind the intake, two on sides and one top middle.  In my case, the air intake mod didnt help much with burn times.


----------



## Soundchasm

JTP11 said:


> Without just turning the blower on full blast, what are you guys using to clean the dust out of the top of the firebox? You know, in between the shroud and firebox.



I stole one of my wife's Swiffer things to use when it was cool, but it certainly didn't turn out "like new", and it didn't go in very far.  If that's the part we can see, I gotta' wonder about what we can't!


----------



## degkop

EJL923 said:


> FYI, I bought my stove in 2009 and it only had the cast iron baffles.
> 
> As far as the air control, there are three bolts on the inside behind the intake, two on sides and one top middle.  In my case, the air intake mod didnt help much with burn times.


----------



## degkop

Do you find that the stove gets too hot? I bought my 2008 stove used and can't pack it full without it running away from me. I routinely get into the 800's and have 4 hour burns. Is it time to get the baffles with the firebricks?


----------



## EJL923

Its a very leaky stove, lots of intake air to control, but only one lever to do it.  Baffles with firebricks wont help.  I made a secondary air adjuster last year, but haven't had time to play around with it.  Temps in the 800's isn't uncommon for this stove, just search thru anything related to the 550.  Ive been burning this stove this way for over 3 years with no mechanical problems from the heat.  The problem comes in when you cant run your blower, such as a power outage.  Before i had a generator and we lost electricity, i could only feed a couple logs at a time.  Im sure the stove is optimized for a short chimney.


----------



## degkop

How did you create the secondary air control? I have seen some posts on here where people have drilled into the fireplace brick to get to the liner, but I would prefer not to do that.


----------



## EJL923

The secondaries are the tubes at the top of the stove, and air for them comes in thru a hole at the back, unregulated.  I made a slider which slides over the hole.  It involves taking the stove out and turning it around.


----------



## Brookwood

I need to replace my door gasket. The Jotul Rockland manual page 19 says LD2 and .350, then page 21 says .360.

What diameter gasket, in fractions, do I need for the door? 

Thanks.


----------



## BrotherBart

LD means low density. 3/8 inch is .375 so I would use 3/8" low density rope gasket were it me.

Just did some looking. You need 7 1/2 feet of 3/8 inch low density gasket. All any hardware store sells is low density.


----------



## Rudyjr

Brother Bart can you tell me what you prefer to use to cement the gasket in place when you change them? Thanks, Jim


----------



## Brookwood

Thanks for the reply. I see a good number of them with graphite. It seems like a good addition but might be a waste. Now to find a sweet deal.


----------



## jatoxico

Did some maintenance on the 550. Popped off the bottom front grill. Vacuumed everything thing out including the fan blades adjusted the upper heat shield that vibrates against the switch housing. Theres some rust in the back right corner but was otherwise clean. Couple questions.
1) Don't see where to oil the fans are they serviceable?
2) What do you use to clean the exterior cast iron?
3) Was looking for air inlets for the dog house air. Can't find them but I would like to try limiting the amount of air into the box to extend the burn anyone do this? Tinfoil over the both sides of the dog house?


----------



## EJL923

The only thing i think you can oil is the bronze bearing on the end, its under that rubber red cap.
I clean with wd-40 if it has a little rust, or just a damp microfiber if its dusty
The air inlet for the doghouse is above the heat shield above the blowers, not easy to get to during normal operation.  You can start by placing screws in the holes.  size them so they just slide in, about an 1" or so.  They wont come out


----------



## jatoxico

EJL923 said:


> The only thing i think you can oil is the bronze bearing on the end, its under that rubber red cap.
> I clean with wd-40 if it has a little rust, or just a damp microfiber if its dusty
> The air inlet for the doghouse is above the heat shield above the blowers, not easy to get to during normal operation.  You can start by placing screws in the holes.  size them so they just slide in, about an 1" or so.  They wont come out



Thanks for the reply EJL.
As far as the holes above the fans I could not see them. Did you bend the heat shielding down to access? I was thinking that by tin foiling both the front and back openings of the dog house I could achieve the same thing. Then I control air as needed during the burn instead of putting screws which is semi-permanent.

In your opinion would that work or is the system too leaky? In other words will that air just find another was in unless the holes themselves are plugged?


----------



## EJL923

Yes, this stove loves to breath.  In my setup i've found the doghouse to be beneficial when needing to get a stove going.  Also, depending on the wood, i had too much coaling which would have burned down with the help of the doghouse air.The screws can be taken out in between burn cycles with heavy gloves and needle nose pliers.  The screw need not fit tight.  On my stove there are two doghouse holes, one is plugged with a loose fitting screw, not threaded.  It basically just blocks the rocket booster effect and most of the air.  I would experiment with that until your happy, then make more permanent solutions if you want.

You can see the inlet at just the right angle, but its best to take out the heat shield to see it.


----------



## jatoxico

EJL923 said:


> Yes, this stove loves to breath.  In my setup i've found the doghouse to be beneficial when needing to get a stove going.  Also, depending on the wood, i had too much coaling which would have burned down with the help of the doghouse air.The screws can be taken out in between burn cycles with heavy gloves and needle nose pliers.  The screw need not fit tight.  On my stove there are two doghouse holes, one is plugged with a loose fitting screw, not threaded.  It basically just blocks the rocket booster effect and most of the air.  I would experiment with that until your happy, then make more permanent solutions if you want.
> 
> You can see the inlet at just the right angle, but its best to take out the heat shield to see it.


 
Did you find there was a noticable difference with the one hole plugged? I also read about possibly removing material to allow more complete control of the primary air. Any other way to reduce the amount of uncontrolled air?


----------



## Halligan

Wow, great thread. I just read all 18 pages and I feel like I understand my new Rockland much better. I went from an Oslo in my old house to this stove and I'm pleased. 

The only thing is I don't have a block off plate down low. I just the stainless liner up 25' to the cap which blocks off the flue. The installer did put insulation at the top just below the cap though. Truthfully it's so tight above my stove I don't think you could get a block off plate in there. The installer had a tough time getting the pull down collar in the stove never mind having a block off plate limiting the movement of the flex liner.

Anyway, so far I love the 550.


----------



## jatoxico

I posted a thread about my modification of the primary air https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/jotul-550-primary-air-modification.120412/ .

On inspection I found that the center air opening is designed to allow air in when fully closed which is undoubtedly an aspect its ability to gain EPA certification. Two of the remaining 6 slots which should have closed fully were not. The channel that houses the adjustment knob acts as a stop for the open position but the knob could not use full travel in the closed position. I filed down the slide and now have what I believe is the full air control that was intended.

One thing I noticed when removing the air wash manifold was that the 3 bolts that fasten it were barely hand tight. While looking at the exploded view of the stove you can see the manifold and stove face sandwich some gaskets. Being as loose it was those gaskets could not have been doing their job. At the very least the air wash was not able to work as well as it should. Looking at the diagram the loose bolts may have been letting uncontrolled air in.

In my first burn after reassembly I noticed the secondaries seemed to fire earlier than I was used to as if it was pulling air better from the secondary air intake than before, the fire was more evenly distributed in the fire box (always burned more on the right) and the air wash was more active. Time will tell if it was just one of those things but that manifold should not have been that loose.


----------



## jatoxico

Just a followup. I posted about modifying or perhaps more acurately adjusting the primary air on the 550 so that I can get full use of the intended air control. Tonight was the the first time I needed to shut the air fully. It's quite a difference.

I loaded as usual but conditions were right and the fire took off. Normally this would have resulted in an 800 degree stove and I would just have to ride it out but really it's a waste of wood and heat. Too much too soon and a short lived fire. I shut it down maximally and its running on doghouse air the secondaries and what little air its getting from the primary. Been doing so for an hour and a half at 650 (fan almost on high as well). No signs of slowing down, flame color bright yellow/white no smoke from the stack.

I will open the air a bit before I go to sleep so I burn clean but I'm calling this an improvement.


----------



## bobbyblades

*3rd year with a 550   had blower speed control fail on warranty  and replaced . this year was loading more wood into stove and sparks coming out out from the knob area ,speed control .   got a new control ebay  plugged it in and more sparks  from new unit . blew fuse . ran a jumper  wire for temp  fix//        fan on full all the time and runs ok .      fan controls burning up??    
you can see the arc burn on top 


*


----------



## jatoxico

bobbyblades said:


> *3rd year with a 550   had blower speed control fail on warranty  and replaced . this year was loading more wood into stove and sparks coming out out from the knob area ,speed control .   got a new control ebay  plugged it in and more sparks  from new unit . blew fuse . ran a jumper  wire for temp  fix//        fan on full all the time and runs ok .      fan controls burning up??
> you can see the arc burn on top
> View attachment 121823
> *


 
You running on an undersized extension cord or something?


----------



## bobbyblades

jatoxico said:


> You running on an undersized extension cord or something?


no ext cord used..    doubt that would cause power to jump from control to mounting plate it sits in/weird


----------



## jatoxico

bobbyblades said:


> no ext cord used..    doubt that would cause power to jump from control to mounting plate it sits in/weird


 Hmm just didn't know if you were getting any hot wires or components. That is odd. It's only the switch that's an issue? Any fan problems?


----------



## bobbyblades

jatoxico said:


> Hmm just didn't know if you were getting any hot wires or components. That is odd. It's only the switch that's an issue? Any fan problems?


ran a 5 inch jumper where the control was   works fine   one speed   may leave it at that .  never used it on slower speeds


----------



## bobbyblades

bobbyblades said:


> ran a 5 inch jumper where the control was   works fine   one speed   may leave it at that .  never used it on slower speeds


have a speedster control laying around  
*SE Electronic Stepless Speed Controller..  amazon *
if i need to run fan slower  ill try this   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




plugs into outlet then to stove


----------



## jatoxico

bobbyblades said:


> ran a 5 inch jumper where the control was   works fine   one speed   may leave it at that .  never used it on slower speeds


 That runs the fans on full speed? Not that it has anything to do with your problem but I don't usually run at max fan spped, almost never actually.


----------



## bobbyblades

jatoxico said:


> That runs the fans on full speed? Not that it has anything to do with your problem but I don't usually run at max fan spped, almost never actually.


got 3400 sq ft   stove fit without having to extend hearth /code/
doesnt heat whole house but it dropped oil bill considerably   close off unused rooms and it manages good on max , just loud 2 more yrs  pay for itself


----------



## Fonzy

Hello,

I really need some help, we are thoroughly frustrated with our 550.  We can't seem to warm the room let alone the house.  

We are brand new to wood stoves and we purchased one for the purpose to heat the home and move off oil and so far we are frustrated beyond belief.  When we were shopping for a stove, several sales people and the installer said we will have problems moving hot air out of the room and getting it to circulate.   They suspected the room would easily be in the 80's and in practice we can't get the room above 68, once we saw 70 (it was 40 degrees outside).

The house is a center hall colonial about 3000sqft.  We have friends with similar fireplaces and similar style houses and they are able to heat their homes so we expect to be able to heat ours. The fireplace is in our family room and measures  x   feet, 8' 6" tall and on a slab.  The rest of the home is over a basement.   There are three openings to the room each 3'6" wide.   In other words, it isn't a great room or big open area.   We had friends over who have smaller units in a similar house and were curious as to why we weren't sweating.   My wife and I often feel as if this is no different then having a regular fireplace.

I read this entire forum and I'm trying many of the tips proved.  For example, today, we are waiting for the stove to reach 500 degree's where the air comes out before turing the fan on.  The door is reading 550 and the top was reading about mid 500's.  Once the fire dies down it cools down very quickly even though there are hot coals at the bottom.  In fact, I'm noticing that the right half of the unit is about 50 degrees warmer than the left half of the unit.  

In regards to the wood, I bought a moisture meter and the wood I'm using has a moister of less than 10%.  It isn't the hardest wood, (maple and sycamore) but it is dry and it is heating up the unit.   I'm getting secondary burn with no problem and I have the damper set to half way or 1/4 of the way.  

The top of the surround is 200 degree's, the glass is about 600 and the metal frame around the glass is 350.  The top of the stove where the air comes out is about 550 as mentioned above.  I have the fan on medium to medium low, I don't want it to lower the temperature of the unit.  Now, get this, the room is 67 degrees. 

Is it possible, the stove is using too much house air and depressurizing it causing the outside air to seep in?  The home was build in 1976 and has brand new efficient windows, new pink insulation in the attic and new vinyl siding, but I don't believe the previous owners put tyvek up.  Not sure why. 

I'm sitting here writing this in the family room 7 feet from the unit and I feel a cold draft.   We blocked the bottom of the door to the basement and resealed around the front door.  

Please, someone help, I'm about ready to rip this out of the wall and throw it in the trash.   This was a lot of money to be cold.


----------



## jatoxico

Fonzy said:


> Hello,
> 
> I really need some help, we are thoroughly frustrated with our 550.  We can't seem to warm the room let alone the house.
> 
> We are brand new to wood stoves and we purchased one for the purpose to heat the home and move off oil and so far we are frustrated beyond belief.  When we were shopping for a stove, several sales people and the installer said we will have problems moving hot air out of the room and getting it to circulate.   They suspected the room would easily be in the 80's and in practice we can't get the room above 68, once we saw 70 (it was 40 degrees outside).
> 
> The house is a center hall colonial about 3000sqft.  We have friends with similar fireplaces and similar style houses and they are able to heat their homes so we expect to be able to heat ours. The fireplace is in our family room and measures  x   feet, 8' 6" tall and on a slab.  The rest of the home is over a basement.   There are three openings to the room each 3'6" wide.   In other words, it isn't a great room or big open area.   We had friends over who have smaller units in a similar house and were curious as to why we weren't sweating.   My wife and I often feel as if this is no different then having a regular fireplace.
> 
> I read this entire forum and I'm trying many of the tips proved.  For example, today, we are waiting for the stove to reach 500 degree's where the air comes out before turing the fan on.  The door is reading 550 and the top was reading about mid 500's.  Once the fire dies down it cools down very quickly even though there are hot coals at the bottom.  In fact, I'm noticing that the right half of the unit is about 50 degrees warmer than the left half of the unit.
> 
> In regards to the wood, I bought a moisture meter and the wood I'm using has a moister of less than 10%.  It isn't the hardest wood, (maple and sycamore) but it is dry and it is heating up the unit.   I'm getting secondary burn with no problem and I have the damper set to half way or 1/4 of the way.
> 
> The top of the surround is 200 degree's, the glass is about 600 and the metal frame around the glass is 350.  The top of the stove where the air comes out is about 550 as mentioned above.  I have the fan on medium to medium low, I don't want it to lower the temperature of the unit.  Now, get this, the room is 67 degrees.
> 
> Is it possible, the stove is using too much house air and depressurizing it causing the outside air to seep in?  The home was build in 1976 and has brand new efficient windows, new pink insulation in the attic and new vinyl siding, but I don't believe the previous owners put tyvek up.  Not sure why.
> 
> I'm sitting here writing this in the family room 7 feet from the unit and I feel a cold draft.   We blocked the bottom of the door to the basement and resealed around the front door.
> 
> Please, someone help, I'm about ready to rip this out of the wall and throw it in the trash.   This was a lot of money to be cold.



Welcome aboard Fonz. Have no fear the 550 is a pretty capable heater, I'm not gonna lie, the flush mount of the 550 does not make it the baddest boy on the block (I needed a flush configuration) still you can get good results. It's 23 degrees here, my house is 3000 sq ft+ and it's in the 70's in the house no furnace coming on.

For starters how is the unit installed? Full liner, outside chimney? Also how are you measuring the moisture content of the wood? Should be done on the face of a fresh split not the ends.

Also you might consider posting your questions in the stove room as general thread so you get more responses. Explain you have a 550 but most everything else applies to all stoves. Best to be able to explain the install and the house layout.

I have one concern that you say you are on a slab that is acting as a heat sink. Is it in a basement? BTW I have many disadvantages in my setup, outside chimney, not fully insulated liner and in a walk out basement type situation and still can get decent heat so don't freak yet. Joe


----------



## Fonzy

Joe,

Thanks for the feedback.  I'm in south eastern PA just north of Philly so I'm in the same storm you are in and it is 67 in the family room.  I forgot to mention that the room is 13x25.

To answer some of your questions.
The stove is in the family room on the first floor.  Half the house is a slab and half is a basement and the family room is on the part that is on the slab (center hall colonial).  The wall the chimney is on is shared with the garage so the back of the chimney is cinder block and that is warm.  This morning my car (stored in the garage) temp read 45 degrees and the outside was low 30's upper 20's.  So heat is escaping out the back of the chimney. 

I'm not sure how tall the chimney is but it goes to roof of the second story and is a round stainless steel liner.  It isn't insulated but it is in terra cotta lined chimney. 

To measure the moisture I'm not splitting the wood further, I'm just sticking the meter to the wood.

I'm encouraged your house is 70 degrees.  

I didn't want to cross post because some people seem to dislike that so I figure I would try this forum first. 

Thanks,


----------



## jatoxico

Fonzy said:


> Joe,
> 
> Thanks for the feedback.  I'm in south eastern PA just north of Philly so I'm in the same storm you are in and it is 67 in the family room.  I forgot to mention that the room is 13x25.
> 
> To answer some of your questions.
> The stove is in the family room on the first floor.  Half the house is a slab and half is a basement and the family room is on the part that is on the slab (center hall colonial).  The wall the chimney is on is shared with the garage so the back of the chimney is cinder block and that is warm.  This morning my car (stored in the garage) temp read 45 degrees and the outside was low 30's upper 20's.  So heat is escaping out the back of the chimney.
> 
> I'm not sure how tall the chimney is but it goes to roof of the second story and is a round stainless steel liner.  It isn't insulated but it is in terra cotta lined chimney.
> 
> To measure the moisture I'm not splitting the wood further, I'm just sticking the meter to the wood.
> 
> I'm encouraged your house is 70 degrees.
> 
> I didn't want to cross post because some people seem to dislike that so I figure I would try this forum first.
> 
> Thanks,



The chimney being in the garage is good, not absolutely ideal but good. Mine is on an outside wall so totally exposed. How's the draft especially at start up? Smoke in the house?

As far as the wood just sticking the meter in the wood won't work. I was suspicious because 10% is rather low. To properly measure moisture take a split that is room temp and re-split it then take your measurement with the probes following the grain.

The difference between burning dry wood and wet cannot be over stated. So check your wood and to be double sure get a pack or two of kiln dried wood from the super market or box store to test with. How are  you measuring temps IR or stove top thermo? I regularly see 600-650 even 700 on the top measured in the vent.

Like I said post a new thread that simply says you are trying to get more heat from your insert, everything else will follow. People that take a litlte time to read here and learn how to operate these stoves usually have success but many, many times it is the wood.


----------



## degkop

I'm in bucks county, so in the same storm too. The 550 puts out good heat for an insert, but nothing compared to a regular wood stove. Just not enough exposed surface area. With that being said, some things will help. Was a block off plate installed at the old damper? How about some roxul insulation above that? Those really help keep the heat in the room, rather than up the chimney. I second Joe's comment about good dry wood. I had some seasoned ash that sent the stove to 800 plus, but burning some newer elm that is barely getting to 500. So get one of those bags of wood at the super market and see if that changes the temps. Finally, I put the damper all the way closed and the temps do come up more so than if left at 1/4 (stove is leaky enough). Hope that helps.


----------



## Fonzy

Joe,

Thank you for your feedback. I really do appreciate your help.

I think I'm finally understanding the impact of good wood.  We got a load of hardwood and we were told it was seasoned and I'm learning now that it clearly isn't.  Until I find a better supplier I'm using some softer woods that were cut down in late spring and split in September.   Getting the kiln dried wood is a great idea, I'll get a few packs tomorrow and give that a go.  

I'm measuring with an IR meter.  I've never seen 600 degree's, most likely because of the wood. I've borrowed good wood from people and we did notice the difference.  We are now on the hunt to find some decently priced wood that is good for burning. 

By the way, is the purpose of the fan to heat the room or to keep the temperature of the stove down?  Perhaps we are using the fan incorrectly?  Our thought is that although the wood isn't great, it does produce hot air when I use the fan, so we put it on high to try and get the air in the house to circulate.  Now I'm thinking that perhaps my understanding of the purpose of the fan is incorrect?  

I didn't know you had to split the wood to measure it.  What is a good percent to look for?

Thank you again for your feedback.  I will definitely post to the forum you suggested.

Joe


----------



## Fonzy

degkop said:


> I'm in bucks county, so in the same storm too. The 550 puts out good heat for an insert, but nothing compared to a regular wood stove. Just not enough exposed surface area. With that being said, some things will help. Was a block off plate installed at the old damper? How about some roxul insulation above that? Those really help keep the heat in the room, rather than up the chimney. I second Joe's comment about good dry wood. I had some seasoned ash that sent the stove to 800 plus, but burning some newer elm that is barely getting to 500. So get one of those bags of wood at the super market and see if that changes the temps. Finally, I put the damper all the way closed and the temps do come up more so than if left at 1/4 (stove is leaky enough). Hope that helps.



Degkop,

I'm in Bucks county as well.   Can you suggest any quality but fairly priced wood suppliers?

wow 800 degrees?  I would think that would be dangerous especially since some have said it started to melt and created what appeared to be fireballs in previous posts in this thread.  

I saw them put a white insulation blanked where the flu was previously located.  And no block off plate was installed. 

Thanks


----------



## degkop

Fonzy said:


> Degkop,
> 
> I'm in Bucks county as well.   Can you suggest any quality but fairly priced wood suppliers?
> 
> wow 800 degrees?  I would think that would be dangerous especially since some have said it started to melt and created what appeared to be fireballs in previous posts in this thread.
> 
> I saw them put a white insulation blanked where the flu was previously located.  And no block off plate was installed.
> 
> Thanks



Not sure about getting good wood this time of year. Most "seasoned" wood isn't. I scrounge for my stuff so I know when it is split. My neighbor buys and is happy, so I will ask him tomorrow. 

From what I have read, 800 isn't out of the ordinary for this stove. Was a little worried, but it was fine. Just fired up the fan at full speed and opened the damper up a little bit. Sounds counter intuitive, but it brings cooler air in and cools things down. Wet paper towels also do the trick. 

When you pull it out at the end of the season to clean, I would suggest getting some thin stainless steel and create a basic block off plate. Multiple threads on this site give you great directions and it was really easy. Have heard that it makes a huge difference. 

Dan


----------



## jatoxico

Fonzy said:


> Joe,
> 
> Thank you for your feedback. I really do appreciate your help.
> 
> I think I'm finally understanding the impact of good wood.  We got a load of hardwood and we were told it was seasoned and I'm learning now that it clearly isn't.  Until I find a better supplier I'm using some softer woods that were cut down in late spring and split in September.   Getting the kiln dried wood is a great idea, I'll get a few packs tomorrow and give that a go.
> 
> I'm measuring with an IR meter.  I've never seen 600 degree's, most likely because of the wood. I've borrowed good wood from people and we did notice the difference.  We are now on the hunt to find some decently priced wood that is good for burning.
> 
> By the way, is the purpose of the fan to heat the room or to keep the temperature of the stove down?  Perhaps we are using the fan incorrectly?  Our thought is that although the wood isn't great, it does produce hot air when I use the fan, so we put it on high to try and get the air in the house to circulate.  Now I'm thinking that perhaps my understanding of the purpose of the fan is incorrect?
> 
> I didn't know you had to split the wood to measure it.  What is a good percent to look for?
> 
> Thank you again for your feedback.  I will definitely post to the forum you suggested.
> 
> Joe



Wood of 18-20% is good. There's a lot on here about wood quality but for simplicity 20%. Even 22-24 is ok, I find real problems start above 25%. If I have to burn 22-25% wood I split it down small and try to mix it in with drier wood or throw small splits on a hot coal bed.

Many of us myself included had to make do in the first year. Since getting dry wood from a supplier is difficult folks have  gotten pallets or construction debris to mix in with the wetter wood. You can also buy compressed wood blocks to supplement a less than optimal wood supply. If your wood is sucky keep the air open to help but that does tend to cool things, but establish a coal bed and feed small splits, big chunks of wet wood won't work well.

The fan does get heat out into the room. This is especially important for a flush mount stove. At start up fan is off till she gets hot. Then I turn on low and increase fan speed depending on stove top temp. I put in on auto low when I go to bed so it will shut itself off. Too much fan is also a bad thing since it cools the stove too much killing secondary burn. I try to keep my stove top above 350 and prefer >450. As I said I see temps of 600+ all the time. I almost never run the fan flat out.


----------



## jatoxico

degkop said:


> I'm in bucks county, so in the same storm too. The 550 puts out good heat for an insert, but nothing compared to a regular wood stove. Just not enough exposed surface area. With that being said, some things will help. Was a block off plate installed at the old damper? How about some roxul insulation above that? Those really help keep the heat in the room, rather than up the chimney. I second Joe's comment about good dry wood. I had some seasoned ash that sent the stove to 800 plus, but burning some newer elm that is barely getting to 500. So get one of those bags of wood at the super market and see if that changes the temps. Finally, I put the damper all the way closed and the temps do come up more so than if left at 1/4 (stove is leaky enough). Hope that helps.



Yeah I see we're all getting the same storm. Our governor shut down some highways since we had a real problem last year w/ 36" dropped at once (was skiing in PA at the time  which partially collapsed my garage ). Think they are over reacting though. Nasty night but 10" snow and you would think the world was ending.


----------



## Soundchasm

Fonzy said:


> Hello,
> 
> I really need some help, we are thoroughly frustrated with our 550.  We can't seem to warm the room let alone the house.
> ...
> 
> I'm sitting here writing this in the family room 7 feet from the unit and I feel a cold draft.   We blocked the bottom of the door to the basement and resealed around the front door.
> 
> Please, someone help, I'm about ready to rip this out of the wall and throw it in the trash.   This was a lot of money to be cold.



I've been around the block with my 550 insert, and after three years things are finally getting through to me.  

1. Wood must be DRY.  Mine is beyond picky about this.  If your glass is turning brown, then it simply isn't dry.
2. Are you seeing secondaries?  They can be quite dramatic-rolling and tumbling.  This is where the stove begins to be worthwhile.  I could use a few more feet of stack to make more draft, but I can put the slider at 1/2 and the secondaries will sustain, depending on the wood and the draft.
3. Mine seems to make hotter air right after I clean the ashes.  I think the bottom must play a part in heating the air, so I scoop it out when it dies down.
4. I suspect the draft you feel is the air being drawn into the fans to be blown back out on the room, and not for combustion.  It's a drag if your chair has its back to the unit.  I turn on the central heat/air fan to break up that air pattern.  You probably have a nice layer of warm air 1' from the ceiling.
5. The insert simply cannot compete with the 40 year old free-stander in the basement.  Six sides of radiant heat with a blower.  I get a lot more heat out of less wood.

I'll do whatever it takes to get a blockoff plate installed next spring.  Very dry wood, and this stove seems to like a big fire.  It also seems to like burning better when temps are below 32 degrees outside.

I wish you luck, keep us posted, and more than a few have had this struggle.
Thanks,
Greg


----------



## Fonzy

Soundchasm said:


> I've been around the block with my 550 insert, and after three years things are finally getting through to me.
> 
> 1. Wood must be DRY.  Mine is beyond picky about this.  If your glass is turning brown, then it simply isn't dry.
> 2. Are you seeing secondaries?  They can be quite dramatic-rolling and tumbling.  This is where the stove begins to be worthwhile.  I could use a few more feet of stack to make more draft, but I can put the slider at 1/2 and the secondaries will sustain, depending on the wood and the draft.
> 3. Mine seems to make hotter air right after I clean the ashes.  I think the bottom must play a part in heating the air, so I scoop it out when it dies down.
> 4. I suspect the draft you feel is the air being drawn into the fans to be blown back out on the room, and not for combustion.  It's a drag if your chair has its back to the unit.  I turn on the central heat/air fan to break up that air pattern.  You probably have a nice layer of warm air 1' from the ceiling.
> 5. The insert simply cannot compete with the 40 year old free-stander in the basement.  Six sides of radiant heat with a blower.  I get a lot more heat out of less wood.
> 
> I'll do whatever it takes to get a blockoff plate installed next spring.  Very dry wood, and this stove seems to like a big fire.  It also seems to like burning better when temps are below 32 degrees outside.
> 
> I wish you luck, keep us posted, and more than a few have had this struggle.
> Thanks,
> Greg



Hi Greg,

I woke up to the house at 58 degree's this morning and hot coals in the unit.  It is cooling down rather fast.  My glass does seem to have a slight tint of brown.  

With the choke all the way down (level fully left) I get great secondary burn and a nice flame.   The wind outside is effecting my flames, is that normal?

What's interesting is that the brick on my fireplace is very hot and the wood mantle which covers a good part of the brick was extremely hot last night.  I don't have the metal plate that directs the radiant heat away from the wood because I met the clearances as per the Jotul installation guide.  Do you guys get hot mantles?

Yes, if I stand on a latter the ceiling is pretty warm.  What do you guys do to move air around. 

I have a very drafty front door that needs to be replaced and I'm beginning to think the unit is pulling air from the front door.  I may need a model that uses outside air to feed the fire.  The sales person told us it is fed from up the chimney and the installer told us it uses the room air which we were very disappointed to hear.  

Thanks,


----------



## Ansky

And here I am thinking I was getting pretty good at knowing all about my stove, and now I'm reading about all these modifications and I realize I don't know my stove at all.  Such as, what the heck is the "doghouse?"   ...aside from where I usually reside, thanks to my wife.


----------



## bobbyblades

ditto on the seal of the chimney  itwill suck out that heat.  i  pulled my stove half way out last year for cleaning  and  found no roxul no block off . called installer to complain  owner came down  got mad at his installers .loaded holes up roxul at damper hole  reset stove   WOW big difference..

my room 14x14  gets killer hot 90's so i  temp clamped a 20 in fan to top of door and pointed it  down and out into the kitchen to circulate  now room at upper 70's      i set my air on half and full stove fan   and stove stays steady temp with ir gun  add  1 log at time if i  load a hot fire too many peices at once it will drop  the output  . just a pain to go over ever hour too maintain

i also made a scoop to keep the ashes from getting into fan when i load wood

also the slower the fan the hotter the mantle gets 
	

		
			
		

		
	





as for the fan there is another door  on the other side so i dont use this way out . im short enuff to miss the fan anyway   a little crude but works great ,pulls hot air down and heats the floor in kitchen

i got 3400 sq ft   if it gets into the teens  the oil kicks in .  second floor just too far for this stove so i closed off a few rooms  up there  ..all depends on circulation and how far each room is from stove .when they invented radiators and baseboards it was heaven ..  even heat to whole house .

there's a give and take with a wood burner  hot close too cold far away


----------



## jatoxico

Ansky said:


> And here I am thinking I was getting pretty good at knowing all about my stove, and now I'm reading about all these modifications and I realize I don't know my stove at all.  Such as, what the heck is the "doghouse?"   ...aside from where I usually reside, thanks to my wife.



Dog house is that little square bump between the andirons. Air comes in and through the dog house from a couple holes in the underside of the stove.


----------



## Fonzy

bobbyblades said:


> ditto on the seal of the chimney  itwill suck out that heat.  i  pulled my stove half way out last year for cleaning  and  found no roxul no block off . called installer to complain  owner came down  got mad at his installers .loaded holes up roxul at damper hole  reset stove   WOW big difference..
> 
> my room 14x14  gets killer hot 90's so i  temp clamped a 20 in fan to top of door and pointed it  down and out into the kitchen to circulate  now room at upper 70's      i set my air on half and full stove fan   and stove stays steady temp with ir gun  add  1 log at time if i  load a hot fire too many peices at once it will drop  the output  . just a pain to go over ever hour too maintain
> 
> i also made a scoop to keep the ashes from getting into fan when i load wood
> 
> also the slower the fan the hotter the mantle gets
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 122630
> View attachment 122631
> 
> 
> as for the fan there is another door  on the other side so i dont use this way out . im short enuff to miss the fan anyway   a little crude but works great ,pulls hot air down and heats the floor in kitchen
> 
> i got 3400 sq ft   if it gets into the teens  the oil kicks in .  second floor just too far for this stove so i closed off a few rooms  up there  ..all depends on circulation and how far each room is from stove .when they invented radiators and baseboards it was heaven ..  even heat to whole house .
> 
> there's a give and take with a wood burner  hot close too cold far away



BobbyBlades,

How hot was your room getting before you fixed the insulation?


----------



## Fonzy

Fonzy said:


> Hi Greg,
> 
> I woke up to the house at 58 degree's this morning and hot coals in the unit.  It is cooling down rather fast.  My glass does seem to have a slight tint of brown.
> 
> With the choke all the way down (level fully left) I get great secondary burn and a nice flame.   The wind outside is effecting my flames, is that normal?
> 
> What's interesting is that the brick on my fireplace is very hot and the wood mantle which covers a good part of the brick was extremely hot last night.  I don't have the metal plate that directs the radiant heat away from the wood because I met the clearances as per the Jotul installation guide.  Do you guys get hot mantles?
> 
> Yes, if I stand on a latter the ceiling is pretty warm.  What do you guys do to move air around.
> 
> I have a very drafty front door that needs to be replaced and I'm beginning to think the unit is pulling air from the front door.  I may need a model that uses outside air to feed the fire.  The sales person told us it is fed from up the chimney and the installer told us it uses the room air which we were very disappointed to hear.
> 
> Thanks,



Sorry to keep bothering everyone about this but we really want this to work.  We took a video of the fire and sent it to the store and they feel the fire looks good.  They are coming out this week to take a look at what could be happening and I would like to have some information to make sure I'm not going to be crap talked.  So I have a few questions about the behavior of the unit.

I bought some kiln dried wood today and the unit didn't go above 550.  Once it hit 550 it didn't last, I put the choke all the way down and it held for a bit but the wood burned down to coals pretty quickly.  With the choke down I had a healthy fire and within three hours I'm now at coals that are black and red and the top of the unit is now about 275 degrees (down approximately 250 degrees)

Does this sound normal?  If so, then I have to load the stove with kiln dried wood every 1.5 to 2 hours to keep the heat and with the choke all the way down.  This doesn't sound right to me, but is this the behavior you guys see?

This link shows a picture (I never signed up for an image host) of my fireplace and the bricks above the unit were 160 degrees and the wood is 120 degrees.  The fan was a little less then half to blow the hot air away from the mantle.  Therefore, it didn't get hot due to the heat radiating up from the unit.   Is this what you guys would expect to see?

I appreciate the feedback, I just want to be prepared for when the store comes out next week.


----------



## jatoxico

Fonzy said:


> Sorry to keep bothering everyone about this but we really want this to work.  We took a video of the fire and sent it to the store and they feel the fire looks good.  They are coming out this week to take a look at what could be happening and I would like to have some information to make sure I'm not going to be crap talked.  So I have a few questions about the behavior of the unit.
> 
> I bought some kiln dried wood today and the unit didn't go above 550.  Once it hit 550 it didn't last, I put the choke all the way down and it held for a bit but the wood burned down to coals pretty quickly.  With the choke down I had a healthy fire and within three hours I'm now at coals that are black and red and the top of the unit is now about 275 degrees (down approximately 250 degrees)
> 
> Does this sound normal?  If so, then I have to load the stove with kiln dried wood every 1.5 to 2 hours to keep the heat and with the choke all the way down.  This doesn't sound right to me, but is this the behavior you guys see?
> 
> This link shows a picture (I never signed up for an image host) of my fireplace and the bricks above the unit were 160 degrees and the wood is 120 degrees.  The fan was a little less then half to blow the hot air away from the mantle.  Therefore, it didn't get hot due to the heat radiating up from the unit.   Is this what you guys would expect to see?
> 
> I appreciate the feedback, I just want to be prepared for when the store comes out next week.



Couple things, store bought kiln dried wood is usually not what you would get from a good hardwood like oak or maple. Plus how cold is it by you tonight? It's 10 F here which tends to eat wood.

My questions; Did you get some heat from the stove? Did you get a good secondary burn when you lowered the primary air? Once lit and the fire is burning pretty well the primary should be backed off in stages but usually don't need to shut down fully unless temps on stove are climbing too high.

Controlling the air is the way to get long burn.


----------



## Soundchasm

Fonzy said:


> Hi Greg,
> 
> I woke up to the house at 58 degree's this morning and hot coals in the unit.  It is cooling down rather fast.  My glass does seem to have a slight tint of brown.
> 
> With the choke all the way down (level fully left) I get great secondary burn and a nice flame.   The wind outside is effecting my flames, is that normal?
> 
> What's interesting is that the brick on my fireplace is very hot and the wood mantle which covers a good part of the brick was extremely hot last night.  I don't have the metal plate that directs the radiant heat away from the wood because I met the clearances as per the Jotul installation guide.  Do you guys get hot mantles?
> 
> Yes, if I stand on a latter the ceiling is pretty warm.  What do you guys do to move air around.
> 
> I have a very drafty front door that needs to be replaced and I'm beginning to think the unit is pulling air from the front door.  I may need a model that uses outside air to feed the fire.  The sales person told us it is fed from up the chimney and the installer told us it uses the room air which we were very disappointed to hear.
> 
> Thanks,



Fonzy, I turn on the central house fan to move air around.  Maybe I'll run it for 30 minutes, sometimes I forget to turn it off for a while.

I've been working up the courage to stuff the thing from top to bottom to get more than two hours out of 3-4 splits.  I don't mind adding a few splits every few hours, but long burns seem to belong to the CAT stoves.  I'll call four hours about my max effective heating length, but that's pretty subjective.

Your fires "read" to be pretty good with clean glass and secondaries.  With the temp of your mantle, it seems like all the heat must be going up the chimney.  My "chimney" is a pretty massive thing, and needs a photo.  All the brick will get 90 degrees.  As far as the metal trim, I think 200 is the top temp I've seen there.


----------



## rkofler

Fonzy said:


> Sorry to keep bothering everyone about this but we really want this to work.  We took a video of the fire and sent it to the store and they feel the fire looks good.  They are coming out this week to take a look at what could be happening and I would like to have some information to make sure I'm not going to be crap talked.  So I have a few questions about the behavior of the unit.
> 
> I bought some kiln dried wood today and the unit didn't go above 550.  Once it hit 550 it didn't last, I put the choke all the way down and it held for a bit but the wood burned down to coals pretty quickly.  With the choke down I had a healthy fire and within three hours I'm now at coals that are black and red and the top of the unit is now about 275 degrees (down approximately 250 degrees)
> 
> Does this sound normal?  If so, then I have to load the stove with kiln dried wood every 1.5 to 2 hours to keep the heat and with the choke all the way down.  This doesn't sound right to me, but is this the behavior you guys see?
> 
> This link shows a picture (I never signed up for an image host) of my fireplace and the bricks above the unit were 160 degrees and the wood is 120 degrees.  The fan was a little less then half to blow the hot air away from the mantle.  Therefore, it didn't get hot due to the heat radiating up from the unit.   Is this what you guys would expect to see?
> 
> I appreciate the feedback, I just want to be prepared for when the store comes out next week.



Where are you measuring the temperature? When you say load, how full are you packing it? No way you could load every 2 hours if you are filling her up. 
I am also suspecting your heat is going up your chimney. At minimum, you need to stuff the old damper area with Roxul.
Don't give up, and trust us, this unit is a capable heater. Single digits overnight and I woke up to my house at 69, was 74 when I went to bed at 11. Fire started as I was loading it with all the hot coals that were left at 7:30 this morning!


----------



## Fonzy

rkofler said:


> Where are you measuring the temperature? When you say load, how full are you packing it? No way you could load every 2 hours if you are filling her up.
> I am also suspecting your heat is going up your chimney. At minimum, you need to stuff the old damper area with Roxul.
> Don't give up, and trust us, this unit is a capable heater. Single digits overnight and I woke up to my house at 69, was 74 when I went to bed at 11. Fire started as I was loading it with all the hot coals that were left at 7:30 this morning!



I really want to thank everyone for the replies and the help.  I don't want to clutter this thread up too much, based on what people have replied it seems like an installation or user problem and not an issue with the unit... I hope.   But since that seems to be the case I'm going to move this post to another thread as was previously suggested

To answer a few of the questions.

To measure temp I aim the laser pointer to be about 3 inches into the top air output slot.  That was 550 and the door was over 500. The door frame was in the 300's. 

My door glass is mostly clean, sometimes I get a slight tint but if I burn it hotter it goes away.  I mess with the damper to make sure I'm getting a lot of secondary burn with a little primary burn.  

In regards to heat, it is acting just like a regular fireplace.  Within a 5 foot diameter you are hot but about 10 feet out it is much colder.  The thermometer is about 15 feet away and it is 67 or 68 at the max. Once I saw 70. But next to the unit it is burning hot.  I can only keep my hand on the air coming out at the face of the unit for a few moments before it get's too hot.   

One last thing, attached is a picture of the area above the unit with the front plate removed.  The back side of the metal chimney is touching the brick and if *I move it forward* I can feel a slight breeze going up.   You can also see how open the cavity is and why the bricks in the front are getting so hot.  

And thank you again to everyone for all their help


----------



## jatoxico

Fonz, sounds like you're burning pretty well. So we have, in part at least ruled out the wood. It's tough to get a true reading w/ the IR the way you descibed, I shoot the flue and have a magnetic thermo laid flat in the air vent.

I see insulation but if you have a breeze going up you are losing heat. I have insulation top (at the cap) and bottom. Good news for you is it looks like you have room to add a metal block off plate.

I would add as much (more) insulation (roxul works well) as you can the area by the damper and put in a block off plate. See if the installer will add insulation to the top of the cap to reduce air flow.

As you indicated post your room layout/circumstances (slab floor etc) in a new thread including ceiling height. Give us a guesstimate on your chimney height.


----------



## terpsucka

Fonzy, I really don't know what to make of your situation... the fan keeping the mantle cooler is what I would expect, and your temperature readings on the unit sound about right.  My unit tends to run a bit hotter than that (around 800 sometimes) but I would think 500s should be enough to warm up the air in the room with the fan running.  My family room (probably smaller than yours) easily gets into the 80s, with the rest of the house upper 60s.  When you run the fan, do you feel hot air blowing out from the top of the unit?  Could be that there's some issue with it where it's just blowing the air around inside your fireplace.  

With regards to the chimney, do you feel a cold draft coming out from under the unit when it isn't running?  That's how I discovered I needed to block it off at my old house-- cold air was blasting down the chimney into the room.  When I did mine I rolled up the roxul and really stuffed it in there... sounds like yours might be packed loosely.


----------



## Fonzy

terpsucka said:


> Fonzy, I really don't know what to make of your situation... the fan keeping the mantle cooler is what I would expect, and your temperature readings on the unit sound about right.  My unit tends to run a bit hotter than that (around 800 sometimes) but I would think 500s should be enough to warm up the air in the room with the fan running.  My family room (probably smaller than yours) easily gets into the 80s, with the rest of the house upper 60s.  When you run the fan, do you feel hot air blowing out from the top of the unit?  Could be that there's some issue with it where it's just blowing the air around inside your fireplace.
> 
> With regards to the chimney, do you feel a cold draft coming out from under the unit when it isn't running?  That's how I discovered I needed to block it off at my old house-- cold air was blasting down the chimney into the room.  When I did mine I rolled up the roxul and really stuffed it in there... sounds like yours might be packed loosely.



To bring some closure.  As I said, the chimney was resting against the brick and the back of the chimney was getting really hot to the point that it was warming the house. I think this had the effect of conducting the heat away from the unit. So I pulled the chimney forward a bit, it is hard to move, and stuffed a little Roxul behind it. I also moved the edges of it slightly since some corners seems less than desirable.  We now got our room to 73 last night and kept the upstairs in the low 60's with 15 degree temperature outside. That is much better results. So I'm going to ask the store to adjust the chimney so we can get some good Roxul on all sides of the chimney and perhaps add some more. I do think I need a blocking plate to prevent the brick from getting so hot from behind. I'm afraid to bring the stove up higher than 550 because the wood is so hot. 

Thanks everyone. It was nice to finally sit in a warm room.


----------



## jatoxico

Fonzy said:


> To bring some closure.  As I said, the chimney was resting against the brick and the back of the chimney was getting really hot to the point that it was warming the house. I think this had the effect of conducting the heat away from the unit. So I pulled the chimney forward a bit, it is hard to move, and stuffed a little Roxul behind it. I also moved the edges of it slightly since some corners seems less than desirable.  We now got our room to 73 last night and kept the upstairs in the low 60's with 15 degree temperature outside. That is much better results. So I'm going to ask the store to adjust the chimney so we can get some good Roxul on all sides of the chimney and perhaps add some more. I do think I need a blocking plate to prevent the brick from getting so hot from behind. *I'm afraid to bring the stove up higher than 550 because the wood is so hot. *
> 
> Thanks everyone. It was nice to finally sit in a warm room.



Alright that's an improvement! What wood is getting so hot? The stove can take some temps are you talking about a mantle or something?


----------



## Fonzy

jatoxico said:


> Alright that's an improvement! What wood is getting so hot? The stove can take some temps are you talking about a mantle or something?


Yes, the mantle is getting hot.  I believe the heat from inside the cavity is heading the bricks from behind and then heating up the mantle which was in the 120 or 130 range last night.  I have to see about getting a blocking plate installed.


----------



## fmelani

This is my second full season of owning the 550 and could not be happier.  I have a center chimney in a 2,650 square foot house so I purchased the unit to reduce my oil consumption rather than eliminate it.

Have read all 20 pages… a few times which has helped me tremendously solve and avoid many of the small issues a wood burner can run into.

My one question is at what position do most 550 owners have their air control and fan at to get the maximum amount of heat output?  To get the most heat out of the unit, I run the fan on high but have played with the air control and gotten different results.  Initially I ran the air control at ¾ open and getting temps in the 500-700 (once 800 degrees) range.  However more recently I have been running the stove in the ½ to 1/3 open, getting longer burns, better secondaries and more consistent stove temps 450-650.


How are others running their unit to get maximum heat output?  Thanks and I look forward to your responses.


----------



## Ansky

Hey there.  I've found that where I keep the air control to get optimal heat, depends on the wood I'm burning.  If I'm burning a lighter wood, like tulip that is very dry, I keep the air closed almost all the way down.  Secondaries go crazy and I get lots of heat in the 750+ range...but sacrifice burn time.  If the wood is heavier and a bit higher moisture content, say, 23-24% oak, then I need to keep the air open more...maybe 1/2 open.  Stove won't get as hot, but I'll get longer burn times.  
But most of the time, like right now, where I have a mix of wood in there, it's about 1/8th open.  The more you open the air, the more hot air you are allowing up the flue.  So I keep it as closed as possible without smoldering the fire.  But if you have really dry wood and an established fire, smoldering is not a problem.

But I'm with you, I love this stove.  I loaded up last night before bed and it was 71 in the house and 30 out.  I woke up this morning and it was 7 out and 67 in the house (1900 sq ft).   My oil heat never kicked on.  I love this stove.


----------



## jatoxico

fmelani, I think Ansky gave you a good answer especially in the sense that one size does not fit all.

I'll tell you what I do; First I "read" the fire. Is it yellow/white and lively or lazy orange and sooty looking? Orange sooty and it needs more air. Next I check temps.

On a reload if the flame is yellow/white I can cut air. If the temp rises I'm good if it goes down I add air back. I shoot for a peak temp around 650 though I'm no longer worried about hitting 700+.

Once established I'm usually somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 but if the fire wants air it gets it. I still occasionally check the stack to confirm I'm burning clean. 

If I am there I adjust the primary air _and_ the fan speed throughout the burn cycle to keep my temps where I want. I almost never run the fan flat out. I prefer a lesser volume of hotter air v. more cooler air.


----------



## fmelani

Ansky/Jatoxico, thank you.

I wanted to give it a few days before responding.  I have been cutting the air back in increments of 1/4 after the fire is established.  The heat seems to be retained in the firebox better when the air control is cut back.  Expectedly I am getting longer burn times, but instead of getting 600 and 700 degree temps on the ss liner (with the IR gun), it is in the 450 to 600 range and the firebox itself through the glass is exceptionally high.


The room the insert is in is maintaining its temperature better and I believe I am getting more heat out of the unit.  It is difficult to say, since we have had such a cold snap of single digit weather.


Thanks again.


----------



## jatoxico

Weather is warm and sunny for a January day so I ran the SootEater up the liner today. I need two sets of rods to get to the cap. The wife was around so I sent her out to see if the head was making it all the way to the cap which it did. Got about 1/2 coffee can of flakes.

Taking the cast baffles out of the 550 is not the funnerest thing I get to do but it's done. I drop the center burn tube, then the Skamol bricks (careful) then back and front burn tubes. The baffles come and go easiest by sliding towards the center before dropping. Have to sit on the hearth with hands in the firebox so can't see what I'm doing, all done by feel. Usually a little aggravated before I'm done. Sweeps I have used in the past won't drop the baffles at all so even before I had the SootEater I had to do it anyway.

Should do it for the rest of the season - Happy burning.


----------



## Ansky

jatoxico said:


> Weather is warm and sunny for a January day so I ran the SootEater up the liner today. I need two sets of rods to get to the cap. The wife was around so I sent her out to see if the head was making it all the way to the cap which it did. Got about 1/2 coffee can of flakes.
> 
> Taking the cast baffles out of the 550 is not the funnerest thing I get to do but it's done. I drop the center burn tube, then the Skamol bricks (careful) then back and front burn tubes. The baffles come and go easiest by sliding towards the center before dropping. Have to sit on the hearth with hands in the firebox so can't see what I'm doing, all done by feel. Usually a little aggravated before I'm done. Sweeps I have used in the past won't drop the baffles at all so even before I had the SootEater I had to do it anyway.
> 
> Should do it for the rest of the season - Happy burning.


 
Why did you remove the baffles and burn tubes?  When I did mine in the fall with the sooteater, I simply lifted up the 2 baffles right on top and slid them over to the side.  That provided access to the liner.  Easy peezy. Am I missing something here?


----------



## jatoxico

Ansky said:


> Why did you remove the baffles and burn tubes?  When I did mine in the fall with the sooteater, I simply lifted up the 2 baffles right on top and slid them over to the side.  That provided access to the liner.  Easy peezy. Am I missing something here?



No you're not missing anything but a lot of what falls while sweeping will end up on top of the baffles, Skamol bricks and the ledge that the baffles rest on and you want to get that stuff out of there. In addition I like to brush the top of the fire box which gets a coating of ash. It's usually not too bad but if you never sweep it the built up ash will insulate the metal and you won't get good heat transfer. Same goes for the baffles and burn tubes, they get a little "ashy" (not much) but I like to give them a wipe.

So if you were in a rush you could skip dropping everything once in awhile but I'd pull it all down sometimes at least. If you've never done it and want to, I can talk you through. I learned a few things now that I've done it several times.


----------



## Ansky

jatoxico said:


> No you're not missing anything but a lot of what falls while sweeping will end up on top of the baffles, Skamol bricks and the ledge that the baffles rest on and you want to get that stuff out of there. In addition I like to brush the top of the fire box which gets a coating of ash. It's usually not too bad but if you never sweep it the built up ash will insulate the metal and you won't get good heat transfer. Same goes for the baffles and burn tubes, they get a little "ashy" (not much) but I like to give them a wipe.
> 
> So if you were in a rush you could skip dropping everything once in awhile but I'd pull it all down sometimes at least. If you've never done it and want to, I can talk you through. I learned a few things now that I've done it several times.


 

OK, that makes sense.  Yeah, once spring arrives, maybe you can let me know how to do a thorough cleaning.  A walk-through would be appreciated.


----------



## jatoxico

Ansky said:


> OK, that makes sense.  Yeah, once spring arrives, maybe you can let me know how to do a thorough cleaning.  A walk-through would be appreciated.



Just to show you, here is an old thread I posted.  https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/what-i-found-when-cleaning-baffles-pics.92692/#post-1217521

The first pic in the thread shows what I found on the baffle. The creosote in front and to the left (yours) of the phone was on the cast iron baffle.


----------



## Ansky

jatoxico said:


> Just to show you, here is an old thread I posted.  https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/what-i-found-when-cleaning-baffles-pics.92692/#post-1217521
> 
> The first pic in the thread shows what I found on the baffle. The creosote in front and to the left (yours) of the phone was on the cast iron baffle.



Wow.  That's crazy.  It looks like the nasty, gooey creosote from your liner must have dripped down and landed on your baffles making that mess.  Good thing you found it!


----------



## jatoxico

Ansky said:


> Wow.  That's crazy.  It looks like the nasty, gooey creosote from your liner must have dripped down and landed on your baffles making that mess.  Good thing you found it!



That was from my first season with the 550 where I started out w/ some decent wood (18 mo locust) but finished with less than great stuff. I had had a mid season cleaning and then had a sweep before starting season two which is when I found that.

Not my proudest moment but in the interest of passing along information and maybe saving someone else from a problem I posted it.

Started doing my own sweeps after that and have not found anything like that since.


----------



## jatoxico

Last week I added a metal block off plate, added half a bag of Roxul above and to the back of the firebox. Air from the vent feels hotter given the same stove top temps then before.

While I was apart I did some cleanup etc of the fans. One thing that helped was that I recrimped the 4 rivets on each of the fan heat shields. Mine were loose and vibrating especially at certain speeds. Was able to give the rivets a squeeze with a pair of channel locks. The difference is noticable.


----------



## hamsey

Having lived with the C550 for a month now and reading through this thread twice I do have a question. I get wildly different readings from my ir gun and stove top thermometer. Stovetop thermometer is a Condar Inferno Stove Top Meter (100* to 900*) and my Ir gun is a Kintrex with laser targeting (-76* to 932*). Inferno will read 800* to 900* and the Kintrex will read 600* to 700* with me taking the temp right next to the Condar. Condar is placed in the blower slot upfront just left of center. I have been going by the reading of the Kintrex but figure I would double check. 

Is there a better spot for the Condar? Going a few inches in with the Kintrex the temp drops 50*-75* so it looks like it might be at the hottest part of the stove. 

Do I believe the Kintrex over the Condar?

Just want to make sure I am not doing any damage to the lovely Jotul.

Thanks!


----------



## jatoxico

That


hamsey said:


> Having lived with the C550 for a month now and reading through this thread twice I do have a question. I get wildly different readings from my ir gun and stove top thermometer. Stovetop thermometer is a Condar Inferno Stove Top Meter (100* to 900*) and my Ir gun is a Kintrex with laser targeting (-76* to 932*). Inferno will read 800* to 900* and the Kintrex will read 600* to 700* with me taking the temp right next to the Condar. Condar is placed in the blower slot upfront just left of center. I have been going by the reading of the Kintrex but figure I would double check.
> 
> Is there a better spot for the Condar? Going a few inches in with the Kintrex the temp drops 50*-75* so it looks like it might be at the hottest part of the stove.
> 
> Do I believe the Kintrex over the Condar?
> 
> Just want to make sure I am not doing any damage to the lovely Jotul.
> 
> Thanks!



I expect most stove top thermos to be off but that is quite a difference. At 800-900 I might expect to see some glowing so I tend to believe your IR. You might want to turn off the lights and look around for glowing stove parts in case the Condor is giving a true reading. Also, it's hard to get a straight shot at the top w/ the IR but my IR and stove top thermo agree pretty good.

So here's what I would do. Put your stove top thermo in the oven and set the temp to 450-500 or so (if you have on oven or meat thermometer to double check even better) and see if the Condor is calibrated/reading correctly. As you take out the Condor shoot the oven w/ the IR so you can get an idea if that's in the ballpark too.


----------



## Soundchasm

hamsey said:


> Having lived with the C550 for a month now and reading through this thread twice I do have a question. I get wildly different readings from my ir gun and stove top thermometer. Stovetop thermometer is a Condar Inferno Stove Top Meter (100* to 900*) and my Ir gun is a Kintrex with laser targeting (-76* to 932*). Inferno will read 800* to 900* and the Kintrex will read 600* to 700* with me taking the temp right next to the Condar. Condar is placed in the blower slot upfront just left of center. I have been going by the reading of the Kintrex but figure I would double check.
> 
> Is there a better spot for the Condar? Going a few inches in with the Kintrex the temp drops 50*-75* so it looks like it might be at the hottest part of the stove.
> 
> Do I believe the Kintrex over the Condar?
> 
> Just want to make sure I am not doing any damage to the lovely Jotul.
> 
> Thanks!



I'd definitely believe the Kintrex over the Condar.  My question of the magnet units is whether or not the number of degrees off is a fixed amount?  Back in the restaurant days, the little probes we used could be calibrated by sticking them in ice water and adjusting the needle to 32 degrees.  If my therm was reading 42 degrees in ice water, even if i couldn't adjust the needle, it was 10 degrees off, but still completely "accurate".

I'd like to see somebody use a skillet, the IR gun and a magnet to see if the delta is linear.  But no shortening, because that stuff is bad for you.

My IR experience on the Jotul is that the air exhaust (stovetop(?)) temps vary a lot over a few inches.


----------



## hamsey

Jatoxio, Did not see anything glowing. If I am to believe the st thermo I can get my c550 up to 500* with 4 to 6 pieces of kindling and 3 2" splits 16" long and a couple of 2" shorties on the bottom. This is from a cold start. Will do the oven test next time it is on.

Sound, I agree about getting different readings just a few inches apart on the Jotul. I just go with the highest temp I get. Try to get it cruising between 600* - 700*


----------



## AK13

So, after 3 years of solid service (or has it been 4?) I am thinking it is time to break down my Rockland and give it a thorough cleaning this summer. Has anyone done something like this? 

Part of this will be cleaning all the dust and cob webs from under the unit and cleaning the fan. Not sure what if anything should be done inside the firebox though.


----------



## Soundchasm

AK13 said:


> So, after 3 years of solid service (or has it been 4?) I am thinking it is time to break down my Rockland and give it a thorough cleaning this summer. Has anyone done something like this?
> 
> Part of this will be cleaning all the dust and cob webs from under the unit and cleaning the fan. Not sure what if anything should be done inside the firebox though.



Jatoxico did a very thorough synopsis that was just short of pulling the thing out!  ;-)  If you can search his posts, it ought to turn up.


----------



## jatoxico

If you open the door you can pop the front grate off. Then you can vacuum out the area that houses the fans. Fans are easy to remove and can be given a good cleaning.
To clean the upper part of the firebox remove the skamol bricks then the air tubes and baffles. I usually find all kinds of wonderful and crunchy things up there.


----------



## Stoneseller

First post, I just found this site and I'm enjoying reading this 550 discussion.
I had my insert installed four years ago in December. It does a nice job warming a family room with a two story ceiling and a whole wall of glass. Overall I am very happy with the unit.
Except.    Yeh, there is always one of those.

My first gripe comes from my wife. She is very bothered by the sound of the fans at anything over very low speed. Last year one fan began a rattle that even bothers me.

Second issue is the big reason I signed up here. I just replaced the cast iron floor "hearth" in my unit. It had warped and cracked in the center from front to back. I'll attempt to attach pictures. Almost $300.00 before tax, and one heck of a lot of work to R&R. The dealer I bought from was not about to get me a no cost or discounted replacement.

So I am wondering if I could possibly be the only one with this problem?


----------



## Stoneseller

Pictures


----------



## jatoxico

Stoneseller said:


> First post, I just found this site and I'm enjoying reading this 550 discussion.
> I had my insert installed four years ago in December. It does a nice job warming a family room with a two story ceiling and a whole wall of glass. Overall I am very happy with the unit.
> Except.    Yeh, there is always one of those.
> 
> My first gripe comes from my wife. She is very bothered by the sound of the fans at anything over very low speed. Last year one fan began a rattle that even bothers me.
> 
> Second issue is the big reason I signed up here. I just replaced the cast iron floor "hearth" in my unit. It had warped and cracked in the center from front to back. I'll attempt to attach pictures. Almost $300.00 before tax, and one heck of a lot of work to R&R. The dealer I bought from was not about to get me a no cost or discounted replacement.
> 
> So I am wondering if I could possibly be the only one with this problem?



Hi Stoneseller,
Can't help you w/ your warped floor, first I've heard of it. You can often quiet the fans though. Pop off the front grate and you will see they just clip in. Either reposition them or add something to insulate them floor the mounting surface.


----------



## elevatorman

Question for u jotul rockland guys I bought a used c550 over the weekend. Got it for 1750.00 with all parts minus a peice of insulation part number 20 in the manual. I looked at the stove but don't see where this peice would even go.  It's the peice that mounts between fire box and the fan compartment.


----------



## EJL923

part 20 would go underneath the cast iron bottom of the stove, where the wood would sit.  I tried taking that out once before because i was curious and love taking things apart, but it wouldnt budge.  I dont ever see a need to take it out unless something weird happens like the warping the other guy in this thread has.  Which, now that i mention that i have no idea how that would happen, unless someone tried burning coal.


----------



## benking

Stoneseller said:


> Pictures



Stonesetter, my cast iron base cracked in its third year of use.  It was replaced under warranty but I was charged labor ($300).  Anyone have a source for reasonably priced replacement fans?  My left fan has been lubed but still squeaks like crazy.


----------



## EJL923

I havent found a good place for fans.  Some stove sites will list that fan around $200, i mean ridiculous.  Do you know what it is thats squeaking?  The ball bearing or the bronze bushing?


----------



## EJL923

Finding a replacement fan might be a good question to throw out on a new forum.  Someone might know where to fins cheap jotul parts


----------



## benking

EJL923 said:


> I havent found a good place for fans.  Some stove sites will list that fan around $200, i mean ridiculous.  Do you know what it is thats squeaking?  The ball bearing or the bronze bushing?



From what I can tell its the bearing...  I'm only finding prices in the $180 - $200 range which seems really expensive.  I was successfully able to lube the other fan but the left one is done I think.


----------



## EJL923

Interesting, how old is the fan?  Mine are 5yrs old, i have only lubed the bronze bushing. Last time i took it apart, i did take a picture of the roller bearings, you should be able to find those online.


----------



## hamsey

Do anyone know how thick the plate steel of the firebox is?


----------



## Stoneseller

It looks to be 1/4" thick steel plate.
If you click on my first picture above, then zoom in, you can see the thickness of the left side quite clearly.


----------



## pigc

Wow, 21 pages of reading pleasure over the past few days.  Installed my Rockland last weekend and so far so good (except melted power cord).  If you install an outlet on the inside of the firebox to conceal the blower cord make sure it does *NOT* touch the side of the stove!  Must have shifted as we were pushing it into position.

Other than that the unit heats extremely well.  Even the auto fan seems to work well (knock on wood).   I think the block off plate with insulation makes a huge difference.  I've even got some 8-10 hour burns thanks to all the advice of previous posts.

Look forward to learning the ins and outs of this sexy insert this winter!  I really like the clean face look and wide viewing glass.
(break in fire)



Matt


----------



## OhioBurner©

Looks nice pigc!

Well I'm happy to report I got my first real good overnight burn of the season. My wood supply was sorely lacking this year (long story) all I got besides some left over scraps is some standing dead ash I cut down in September and still working on splitting it. When I started splitting it I chucked the drier feeling pieces into a different pile and have been stacking them on the porch and inside by the stoves to help dry quicker. I just got a new moisture meter and most of the drier ones are measuring between 20-25%. They have been burning but not ideal, takes a little more air, and usually long out by the time I get up in the morning. In fact sometimes I was surprised there was a some pretty large coals in the morning, only to find out later my wife got up and loaded it at 4am. lol

I picked up a ton of eco-bricks to help suppliment my ~1 cord of semi-dry ash, and have been experimenting mixing a few in and such.

Fast forward to last night. It was a bit before midnight and I had a bed of coals that probably burnt down a little too much. But I loaded 2 big splits e-w, and had one other small-medium split on top with 1 eco brick shoved behind it. Then since my splits were only 18" or so I had some room on the end I packed with 3 eco bricks. Took a bit to get it going, and it was mainly the eco brick end that got gong well, the other side really didn't have hardly any flame at all. But I got it up to around 500 fully closed down and went to bed about 1am with some good secondary action on the right side of the firebox.
I wasn't expecting a whole lot and was very surprised to see great big chunks of coals still going when I got up a little before 9am.

[ATTAC]148102[/ATTACH]
After about 9hrs from loading.



Temp about 9 hrs from loading.



I stirred up the coals and it took off again.




Climbed back up over 400.

When it was all said and done I reloaded it at 10:30am at 370F. I do believe the Ash that wasn't really burning yet on the left side did smoulder a bit, I have a bit of black soot on the left side of the glass. A combination of slightly high moisture in the ash, but high temps from the eco bricks probably had the air down quicker than the ash would have liked. But still maintained some decent temps I into the morning.

My reload at 10:30 is another test run with eco's. I'm trying to small-medium splits and a big load of 8 bricks.

Not sure if anyone has used eco's much in this stove, but I'll report back with how they are doing. Though this load might not burn as long as I'd like, it already got a little away from me before I shut it down!


----------



## elevatorman

Well here it is February and I finally got the part number 20 from jotul took one month to come in. If anyone has there c550 cooled down which I'm sure they don't givin the cold snap we are having could they look at the following?   How is the insulating peice mounted in the stove?  I have a angle peice of steel the is directly under the primary air hole in the fire box. See attached pic. Also if that were out of the way what holds it in place?  Silicone stove glue?  Thanks for the help


----------



## Stoneseller

elevatorman,

Replacing part #20 requires removing the entire front face of the stove (part 59). There are eight bolts total and two cast iron brackets (part 38).  Part 20 lays on the floor inside the stove, underneath the Firebox Grate Plate (part19). This is a pretty significant procedure.

Unless your part 19 is severely warped and/or cracked as mine was, disassembling the entire front of the stove seems rather unnecessary.
I'm curious as to why you think it needs replacing?
Part 20 is not attached in any way. 



	

		
			
		

		
	
 Should I ever need to replace part 19 again, I would be sure to do part 20 at the same time. Mine was only very slightly degraded after 3 or 4 years of operation.


----------



## elevatorman

Stoneseller said:


> elevatorman,
> 
> Replacing part #20 requires removing the entire front face of the stove (part 59). There are eight bolts total and two cast iron brackets (part 38).  Part 20 lays on the floor inside the stove, underneath the Firebox Grate Plate (part19). This is a pretty significant procedure.
> 
> Unless your part 19 is severely warped and/or cracked as mine was, disassembling the entire front of the stove seems rather unnecessary.
> I'm curious as to why you think it needs replacing?
> Part 20 is not attached in any way.
> View attachment 154453
> View attachment 154454
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Should I ever need to replace part 19 again, I would be sure to do part 20 at the same time. Mine was only very slightly degraded after 3 or 4 years of operation.


Stoneseller,

Thank you for clarifying. attached is my parts list view that caused my confusion. To back up the story some I bought the stove off craigslist the guy i bought it from said it was a floor model from a stove dealer in the area(never burned). He could not use the unit because his chimney was over 33'. Before i bought it I looked over the parts manual to verify that i was not missing any parts. When i looked at the parts list i discovered it part #20 was missing. The bottom plate shown in the image is where the fans mount. next the insulator part #20. In reality from what stoneseller is saying is that the 1/4 plate steel and the cast iron fire box piece sandwich the insulator part #20. So the print is really not right... I have a 100.00 part i do not need to my dismay. 

Im still ahead because i paid 1600.00 for a new stove.


So thank you very much stoneseller for your great response.


----------



## Stoneseller

I can see why you would be confused.  Save your part for that day in the future when you have to replace Part 19.

You did get one heck of a good deal on your stove. Do you plan to install it yourself?

My chimney is on the exterior of my house, and is about 35' high. It is sometimes difficult to get the initial draw up the chimney when starting on a cold day. Once the unit is hot I have no problems. Very dry wood is very helpful in getting a smoke free burn.
The SS pipe for mine is simply snaked through the opening where the damper used to be. Installers had to completely remove the damper, and also chisel out some masonry to get the flue to fit. They did not install a sheet metal block off plate in the fire box. They did pack the area with insulation, and put a blockoff plate at the top of the chimney.  I believe I would net a lot more heat in the house with a lower blockoff.  Maybe some year i will add one.  Overall I am very happy with the unit.


----------



## elevatorman

ok so you say that I will have to replace it someday? seems like your the second person to replace part #19. cast iron cracks or burns out from what ive read. still not a deal breaker. 

I did the install on my stove back in Oct. The install was pretty straight forward went with ss full flex liner and a top block of plate/cap. I did fabricate a bottom block off plate from some scrap steel I had.  I did not Roxul the damper area/block off plate yet because I cannot find a small bag of it around these parts. I can buy a whole  big bale of it though.  Maybe something worth buying and using else where. 

Here is my C550 run down


I have been heating aprox. 2200 square foot house with it. The house needs re insulated and is not a super open floor plan. 
I have a Rutland mag stove thermo attached to top left of stove bellow air output vent Im only getting 200-250 degree range at the part of the stove. Others have told me mounting in that location cuts the accutal temp in half. If that is true Im only running 400 to 500 back of stove temps. I feel as though im always trying to get things adusted right but, my last insert took me two years to really burn right and understand. 




overall Im well pleased with the unit. The build quality is far superior to the VC merrimack i had previous. This stove has a much better door design and there is more cast iron in this unit. 


stove 1600.00
linner SS flex king 550.00 with top cap. 
lower block off plate Free
rutland mag thermo 14.00
the mysterious part # 20   100 bucks 
with these prices who could really complain about the stove...


----------



## OhioBurner©

Forgot I was going to do my review of the Eco-Bricks in my Rockland here too... 

Since I've been burning more and more Eco-Bricks as my wood supply dwindles, I tried increasing the number of bricks and did an overnight burn of 100% EcoBricks in the Rockland. And took some pics to document it so figured I'd throw em up here.






Loaded up 12 bricks on a hot coal bed. I should have evened the coal bed out more, they are tilted and lopsided. ~41 lbs of compressed wood. 11:10pm






After getting it going I closed the air control all the way shut and settled out 600-700F across the stove top, a good cruising temp for the Rockland. 11:40pm






Woke up in the morning, shot the stove top as is after 9hrs... about 300F (blower was set on high all night too). 8:20am






And here is what it looked like after 9hrs. Several of the chunks were 3/4 or so the original size still.






I poked and stirred up the coals, turned the air open half way, and the blower down to low. The stove did climb back up slightly to 375F and burn another hour. 9:23am






Finally spread out the coals and ready for a reload, this is the hot coal bed after 10hrs 15min. All above 300F.

I think I've stretched out the burn about as much as I possibly can with the Rockland. Still no where near enough to get me through a workday, so unfortunately I am seriously considering selling it and getting a bigger cat stove. With the 10+hr burns (or 8hr when I'm home)even with my pellet stove going in conjunction on these arctic cold blasts I'm just not getting enough heat to keep the stove room (great room) in the mid 60's and the kitchen that comes off the great room is dipping down to low 50's. But more seasonable temps outside in the 20's or more and I can keep the house warm just fine. I could squeeze a few more bricks in there, but geez even at the great price I’m getting them for I'm spending around $12/day on bricks and also the same on pellets. Hoping I can get more heat out of a freestanding stove if I decide to make a hearth pad in front of my fireplace. Not for sure yet, will be a lot of money plus I really like this Rockland and its been a great stove.


----------



## Stoneseller

OB those are some serious high temps. How often do you get the stove this hot? When I had very good dry oak last year a high for me was in the 450 range. Aren't you concerned of "over burn" damage?


----------



## jatoxico

Stone, my top peaks at 650-700 all the time and cruises at 550-600. Where are you taking your temp readings?


----------



## OhioBurner©

Its pretty hard to keep mine down in the 450º range, secondary burn would be questionable and probably result in dirty burn. My Rockland usually runs up to 600-750 with good secondary burn. That's measured on the hottest point of the stovetop, usually in the middle area right in front of the flue collar (through the blower vent). If your only getting 450º either your not measuring the hottest part of the stove or else some part of your burn isn't ideal I would think.


----------



## Stoneseller

I don't know why my burns are so much cooler. Here is a photo taken about ten minutes after loading some new splits.  I'll shoot another at a 15 minute later burn.


----------



## Stoneseller

After 15 minutes with air control wide open. Wood has settled down pretty much.


----------



## jatoxico

Stone, are you shooting the glass or the door? Stove top temps should be taken from the vent to compare with most others. I keep a magnetic thermo in the vent, center right about 3" back. Hard to get a good reading with my IR but have rough agreement between the two.


----------



## Stoneseller

The glass, with the laser dot on glowing coals. The highest reading I can get in the top blower slot is about 300. I get about 350 pointed to the back, onto the stack.  When I opened to add more wood just now, after running vent half closed, the metal floor was high 600's into low 700's with door wide open. 
jatoxico, what exactly do you mean by the vent? 
I was shocked by OhioBurner's IR reading of 699 pointed at the glass, with door closed.  This is how I typically  monitor my burn, and have never seen a number like that without opening the door & shooting at coals.


----------



## jatoxico

Stoneseller said:


> The glass, with the laser dot on glowing coals. The highest reading I can get in the top blower slot is about 300. I get about 350 pointed to the back, onto the stack.  When I opened to add more wood just now, after running vent half closed, the metal floor was high 600's into low 700's with door wide open.
> jatoxico, what exactly do you mean by the vent?
> I was shocked by OhioBurner's IR reading of 699 pointed at the glass, with door closed.  This is how I typically  monitor my burn, and have never seen a number like that without opening the door & shooting at coals.



Various people have said the IR won't read correctly off the glass. I don't know how true that is but in any case I wouldn't worry too much about the temp of the fire itself or the coals. What's relevant and useful for comparing to others is the stove top. You don't want the top too much over 750 on any regular basis although once in a while won't break it. Actual glowing is the issue to be avoided. If you suspect over fire turn off the lights and look in the vent at the flue collar.

The vent I'm referring to is the air vent where hot air comes out. From there you can shoot the flue collar or try getting a reading a couple inches back. Not the easiest due to the angle but can be done. That's why many here just put a regular stove top thermo in the air vent and read that. I'm at 550 right about now, peaked at about 625 earlier.


----------



## OhioBurner©

Stoneseller said:


> I was shocked by OhioBurner's IR reading of 699 pointed at the glass, with door closed.


I don't read off the glass or anywhere on the stove except the stove top through the blower vent, as I pointed out here...


OhioBurner© said:


> That's measured on the hottest point of the stovetop, usually in the middle area right in front of the flue collar (through the blower vent).



I merely took the picture standing in front of the stove. Also with the view of the stove in the picture it would give some idea as to the vigor of the fire, which my post was documenting how Ecobricks burned.

Glass will read much lower. I think the glass reading is close to accurate, but with the air wash and all its not necessarily indicative of the stove. Short of having a remote stack probe or something, shooting the stove top through the vent is going to be best and what most of us here do.

This is a high quality heavy steel stove and can be run pretty hot. Cast iron, soap stone, thinner steel stoves are not nearly as robust in handling higher temps.


----------



## Oldman47

Stoneseller said:


> I don't know why my burns are so much cooler. Here is a photo taken about ten minutes after loading some new splits.  I'll shoot another at a 15 minute later burn.


What is the emissivity index you are using for that reading? Most IRs are set up to read a very dark or black surface, not a flame or reflective surface. Even a reading from the outside of a stainless pipe will be way off from actual temperature. I guarantee the actual temperature of that flame is over 570ºF since it is burning.


----------



## OhioBurner©

I know this has been discussed a lot in the past (I think on this thread even) but here are some numbers from my burn right now comparing different parts of the stove. About 1hr in with 8 EcoBricks, nice rolling secondaries, and air control shut all the way.

Max stove top (through blower vent) = 686F
Avg stove top (swept over full surface with IR gun set to AVG) = 531F
Max temp on door glass = 465F
Cast iron trim above door (like where air slider is but opposite side) 275F

Emissivity is set to default 0.95 which should be pretty accurate for glass and painted steel. Also remember not all thermometers are equal. I've found quite a discrepancy between them. Even with IRs unless your going to spend >100$ on a pro one I wouldn't trust they are that accurate. I've noticed significant differences between them.


----------



## Stoneseller

Oldman47 said:


> What is the emissivity index you are using for that reading? Most IRs are set up to read a very dark or black surface, not a flame or reflective surface. Even a reading from the outside of a stainless pipe will be way off from actual temperature. I guarantee the actual temperature of that flame is over 570ºF since it is burning.



I have to be honest Oldman47, I don't have a clue.  I bought that IR years ago to look for escaping heat from the ductwork in my attic. I never read the instructions other than a quick glance. I'll look into that.

Re OhioBurner. I missed the text under the photo with the 699 degree reading, and thought you got that reading at that location. My bad.

I bought some ecobricks to supplement my dwindling wood supply. They sure burn hot once you get them going.  I kind of dislike the amount of remaining ash compared to clean red or white oak. Too bad my supply ran low.


----------



## OhioBurner©

There could be some variation between batches, but I am very pleased with the ash content of mine... probably less than any species of wood I've burned (haven't ever burned much oak though), and a lot less ashes than the 'ash' I have been burning this year. I haven't exactly measured it, but during the last month or two that I've mainly burnt the bricks I've probably only been shovelling out the ashes about every two weeks. They do hold on to coals for a while though (maybe more so in mine since I have the doghouse air plugged) but if you poke em and open up the air at the end of the burn, or just reload, they will eventually turn to powder.


----------



## Stoneseller

The bricks I have yield a very fine powder once burned out. When stirring up the still warm, or cool pile after everything is burned out, it reminds me of exceptionally smooth, slightly moist sand. It even sticks to the poker a little like sand. The brand I have is "Wood Brick Fuel". I'm down to my last bundle of forty. Hopefully spring is arriving to Maryland this week, and I won't need to purchase more this season.  This winter has been a brutal one for a majority of the US, hopefully global warming will resume next winter.


----------



## EJL923

The glass has an IR coating on it to reflect heat back into the firebox, so im not sure what that does to the readings.  In any case, put a magnetic thermo in the vent area


----------



## OhioBurner©

Stoneseller said:


> The bricks I have yield a very fine powder once burned out. When stirring up the still warm, or cool pile after everything is burned out, it reminds me of exceptionally smooth, slightly moist sand. It even sticks to the poker a little like sand. The brand I have is "Wood Brick Fuel". I'm down to my last bundle of forty. Hopefully spring is arriving to Maryland this week, and I won't need to purchase more this season.  This winter has been a brutal one for a majority of the US, hopefully global warming will resume next winter.


 
Oh I see, i thought you were burning EcoBricks (a specific brand... made by Red Stone). Different makes of compressed wood bricks could be a lot different, around here I have not seen any but the ones I posted about so not sure how similar/different they are.


----------



## elevatorman

well going over my stove and hearth.com tonight figured Id finally look at my Doghouse air inlet. Most of you have said two small holes 1/8 ID. Take a look at the picture of my stove I measured the hole size to roughly be 1/2'' and there are to side openings there next to the hole prob. to hold in the small pieces of stainless that for the air jet. what to do?


 Last season I really had trouble getting long burns and I used a ton of wood. I want to seal up this stove best I can to prolong burn times and conserve wood. I did not look at the secondary air holes yet on the back of the stove. I did look at the primary air slide. With the slide fully closed I could look up through the air manifold and see the middle intake was still about a 1/4 of the way open.


----------



## EJL923

thats the intake for the doghouse.  on the inside where the air exits mine has two 1/8 holes, newer versions may differ.  i plug one with a loose fitting screw.  I tried both, but had too much coal buildup.


----------



## ChrisUK2USA

Hey, so I am a newly registered user and just wanted to say hello. This is a long thread that I need to read thoroughly, lots of good advice here.

I decided on a c550 at the beginning of this year, I worked out it would fit and the visuals passed with my wife. I had our unit installed in February. So far so good, just getting into burn season here so looking forward to seeing how I get on. My garage is stocked with wood, but not sure it's the best. Doesn't seem dry enough. Might have just learn't my lesson of the difference between seasoned wood and dry seasoned wood.

Anyway, part way through my fireplace remodel I was able to use a thermal imaging camera to take some photos of my c550. Now, I know the fireplace just looks like a 'work in progress' project in these, but I couldn't wait to fire up my 550! As of now the remodel is done, so it looks a whole lot nicer than this. Wait, because they are thermal imaging you don't really see too much of the horrors part way through my work.

I thought members here, and other c550 owners may appreciate seeing these images. I haven't seen any other thermal images in this thread.

My friend loaned me the camera, it was awesome and I hope to borrow it again sometime.

You can see the flue pipe through the wall..


I guess we hit the max for the camera here at >536F


Unit seems to get hotter in the top left, or rather the brick work gets hotter in the top left.



Heat filling the room from the top down and you can see an LED down light can there in the roof. Probably filled with hot air


----------



## uloset

Man those thermal pics are pretty cool, 

I've been stalking this thread for awhile, I just starting using my C550 this season and trying to learn the strings.  I do have a nasty downdraft sometimes so it can make it a pain to start without getting smoke in the room.  I'm guessing one of the culprits may be my whole house fan which I'm going to try and seal much better.  I may also try buying some cheap tubing and experiment with extending the chimney a few feet to see if that also helps.


----------



## jatoxico

uloset said:


> Man those thermal pics are pretty cool,
> 
> I've been stalking this thread for awhile, I just starting using my C550 this season and trying to learn the strings.  I do have a nasty downdraft sometimes so it can make it a pain to start without getting smoke in the room.  I'm guessing one of the culprits may be my whole house fan which I'm going to try and seal much better.  I may also try buying some cheap tubing and experiment with extending the chimney a few feet to see if that also helps.


For a fix on any given day push up on and slide one of the Skamol bricks to the side. You'll see the vent opening w/ the draw down adapter. Light a piece of newspaper and hold it right there in the flue. The reverse should turn around and blow out the cold air. When putting the brick back, make sure it's seated.


----------



## uloset

jatoxico said:


> For a fix on any given day push up on and slide one of the Skamol bricks to the side. You'll see the vent opening w/ the draw down adapter. Light a piece of newspaper and hold it right there in the flue. The reverse should turn around and blow out the cold air. When putting the brick back, make sure it's seated.



Thanks Funny you would mention that I was planning on burning tonight and that was my exact plan of action.  I've had mixed success with putting some small amount of paper on top of the front of the baffle and figured lifting those would give the heat a straight shot to the flue.

By sealed I'm guessing you mean seated flat in the rectangular cutout they lay in?


----------



## jatoxico

uloset said:


> you mean seated flat in the rectangular cutout they lay in?


Yup. There's enough room to lift a brick straight up and to push it to the side. Sometimes after a bunch of fires they get very slightly stuck. A tap with your fingers and it will pop up. After you just want it back in place so flames can't sneak past and mess up your 2nd burning.


----------



## uloset

jatoxico said:


> Yup. There's enough room to lift a brick straight up and to push it to the side. Sometimes after a bunch of fires they get very slightly stuck. A tap with your fingers and it will pop up. After you just want it back in place so flames can't sneak past and mess up your 2nd burning.



Alright I'll definitely give that a try tonight, thanks again.


----------



## broke

researching replacement blowers and found this site and the c550 thread. have to say the 550 was a waste of money. replaced a free standing Vermont Casting (great heat output) that was in front of the fireplace to aesthetically please the now ex-wife.  first of all, the fire needs to die to empty the ash. the V Cast had a drawer on the bottom. simple. the blowers on the 550 (when they briefly worked) suck ash that falls out of the box and pumps the ash into the room. bad blower location. poor design. this is why the blowers fail! your blowers WILL FAIL!! jotul will tell you to contact the dealer. my dealer, Preston Trading Post, told me the blowers are only covered for 1 year. bought this over priced cast-iron pile of junk in Oct., was not impressed with the heat output ( been burning for years I know what I'm doing) or the noise of the normally operating blowers. shut it down for the summer and, come Dec. of the next season, the blowers began to squeal then quit! do the math. yes it was over a year since the purchase but only 7 months of actual blower operation. Preston, the dealer, didn't want to hear it. have been running the insert ever since without the blowers. as stated at the beginning of this admitted bloviation, I'm breaking down and pricing after market blowers to please my new wife. tried to tell her the same thing will happen but, whatchya gonna do? spend more money I guess


----------



## jatoxico

Pulled the fans today to clean them and the housing area. My fans stay pretty clean since the hearth is raised but I vac'd them out and gave them the once over. Fans are well built with true bearings. Dripped some 3 in 1 into them (bearings) where I could. Actually not sure that does anything since they may be sealed. In my 5th year with them and they're still going strong.


----------



## Schnorx

I just joined this forum today but have been using a Rockland C550 for four years. After reading this thread, I may be running it cooler than I need. I burn Ash, soft and hard maple, white and red oak, mulberry and occasionally, hedge (Osage) ... some other stuff. I have so issues with the fans chirping and have not quite figured how to fix that, advice would be appreciated. I use a galvanized pail with a locking top to scoop out ashes (sort of a pain) and wish I had a stove that was easier to clean and load but for $4500, not going to be replacing this one for a while. So, chirping fan and infor on replacing fans would e helpful from more seasoned burners. Thanks.


----------



## jatoxico

Schnorx said:


> So, chirping fan and infor on replacing fans would e helpful


The fans are very easy to pull. Pop them out and vacuum and/or blow any dust out. Mine are quiet so I did not go the extra yard but if I needed to I would go to the hardware store and get a syringe or needle type oiler to hit all the bearings. The fans looked serviceable to me so a good hardware store or electric motor shop may oil and clean for you.


----------



## Schnorx

jatoxico said:


> The fans are very easy to pull. Pop them out and vacuum and/or blow any dust out. Mine are quiet so I did not go the extra yard but if I needed to I would go to the hardware store and get a syringe or needle type oiler to hit all the bearings. The fans looked serviceable to me so a good hardware store or electric motor shop may oil and clean for you.


Thanks, Jatoxico. I vacuumed them without taking them out. I will do that and get some machine oil from the ACE store. I try to avoid MD40 since it is also a solvent. Seems to also be related to how hot the stove is, Squeaks more when the stove is cool. Cleaning will have to wait. we are in single digits for a few days.


----------



## jatoxico

Schnorx said:


> I try to avoid MD40


I agree I don't think you want a penetrating oil. I used 3 in 1 but someone had mentioned they make another product that may be more suitable, little heavier possibly. May not be the bearings, could be dirt in the brushes too I suppose.


----------



## jatoxico

As a flush unit the 550 does have the disadvantages that come from being entirely contained in the old fireplace. On the other hand I'm a bit surprised how well she's keeping up with the current cold snap we are experiencing. With it's relatively small firebox I am dealing with some coaling issues as these single digits temps are really taxing. Still it never got above 18 today and we are already down to 10, but the boilers not running and temps in the house are ranging from mid 70's to high 60's in the rooms we frequent. The block off plate has made a big difference.


----------



## OhioBurner©

I think the C550 is a great unit for what it is - a flush insert, but of course this is limiting by design. Mine was mainly to appease the wife too, plus I just didn't want to put in a huge amount of money for a hearth rebuild either. I've had mine now for maybe 6 years(?) and the blowers are working fine. In fact I really don't clean it and had quite a a bit of ash packed around and right against the motors. The 550 maximizes firebox size by not having and ash pan and also heat convection by having the blowers circulate underneath, up, and then over the top. A flush insert is a compromise, not a pile of junk by any means. I will say though this year I have replaced it with a free standing stove (with lower heat output) and am quite amazed how much more heat the freestander throws out, and how much more efficient it is (and controllable). I think I'll keep the 550 though, to reinstall when I move out and take the new stove with me.





broke said:


> researching replacement blowers and found this site and the c550 thread. have to say the 550 was a waste of money. replaced a free standing Vermont Casting (great heat output) that was in front of the fireplace to aesthetically please the now ex-wife.  first of all, the fire needs to die to empty the ash. the V Cast had a drawer on the bottom. simple. the blowers on the 550 (when they briefly worked) suck ash that falls out of the box and pumps the ash into the room. bad blower location. poor design. this is why the blowers fail! your blowers WILL FAIL!! jotul will tell you to contact the dealer. my dealer, Preston Trading Post, told me the blowers are only covered for 1 year. bought this over priced cast-iron pile of junk in Oct., was not impressed with the heat output ( been burning for years I know what I'm doing) or the noise of the normally operating blowers. shut it down for the summer and, come Dec. of the next season, the blowers began to squeal then quit! do the math. yes it was over a year since the purchase but only 7 months of actual blower operation. Preston, the dealer, didn't want to hear it. have been running the insert ever since without the blowers. as stated at the beginning of this admitted bloviation, I'm breaking down and pricing after market blowers to please my new wife. tried to tell her the same thing will happen but, whatchya gonna do? spend more money I guess


----------



## jatoxico

OhioBurner© said:


> A flush insert is a compromise, not a pile of junk by any means.


Completely agree. Best thing about the 550 is that the Jotul seems to be very well built. My fans, bricks, baffles, burn tubes and on and on are in perfect condition going on 5 yrs of service. No warping or cracks of any kind, have not had to even change the door gasket. But I do agree a flush unit has some limitations.

*I just jinxed myself big time didn't I?


----------



## Stoneseller

Has anyone found reasonable priced replacement fans?  I have removed and cleaned with compressed air annually. I did a partial disassembly of one, only to find double sealed bearings on the motor shaft.  In the process, I kind of damaged the rubber retainer that the bronze bushing sits it. I managed to clean and lube the bushing, and get it all back together again. Lubing that bushing made no difference, the noise is coming from the sealed bearings.
Purchased and installed December 2010. Hearth (cast floor plate) replaced 10/4/14 due to warping and cracking.


----------



## EJL923

If you look hard enough you can find fans for $170 ish, still really expensive.  If your feeling adventurous you could try to retrofit a different fan.  Its disgusting how much they charge for these fans, knowing they will have to be replaced often.


----------



## Stoneseller

broke said:


> researching replacement blowers and found this site and the c550 thread. have to say the 550 was a waste of money. replaced a free standing Vermont Casting (great heat output) that was in front of the fireplace to aesthetically please the now ex-wife.  first of all, the fire needs to die to empty the ash. the V Cast had a drawer on the bottom. simple. the blowers on the 550 (when they briefly worked) suck ash that falls out of the box and pumps the ash into the room. bad blower location. poor design. this is why the blowers fail! your blowers



Broke, sorry to hear you have had such bad luck with your stove.  My blowers are still running, but with a lot of bearing noise and rattles.  I am in the same boat with you, my wife did not want a stove that sat out on the hearth, the flush mounting of this unit was the clincher for us. The radiant heat output sucks without the fans.


----------



## Stoneseller

EJL,  I would happily pay $170 for two new complete fan assemblies. I think I was quote almost that for one, and the price did not include the mounting base.


----------



## EJL923

Stoneseller said:


> EJL,  I would happily pay $170 for two new complete fan assemblies. I think I was quote almost that for one, and the price did not include the mounting base.


HA, that was for one.  I will not buy a stove which solely relies on the blowers again.  I bet 50% of the guys in this thread have a wife who wanted the flush look.


----------



## jatoxico

For those prices I would be trying to rebuild them. Certainly no expert but bearings and other parts should be available.


----------



## Stoneseller

EJL923 said:


> HA, that was for one.  I will not buy a stove which solely relies on the blowers again.  I bet 50% of the guys in this thread have a wife who wanted the flush look.



Ouch!  I imagine when there is absolutely no chance I will burn again this spring, I will take them to a motor shop I know of...I would agree regarding wives being the deciding factor in half the purchasers. It is a very nice look!


----------



## Patmosphere

Hi all.   Good to see some activity here.  Just finishing up my first season with the 550.   Love it!
Had it burning all day today and will tomorrow too.   A farewell to winter cold and final snow (maybe) for the season.


----------



## Stoneseller

Welcome Patmo!  I'm burning again today and tomorrow as winter's final (hopefully) storm event blows through the Mid Atlantic. Nothing like the warm dry heat when the weather outside is wet and white.


----------



## uloset

It is obviously past burning season here, but I'd just like to report in.  I struggled a bit with the unit at 1st but after switching to top down fires my warm up times are next to nothing, instead of hours. Plus a tip from jatoxico about moving  one of the baffle bricks to the side made priming the flue on bad downdraft days a breeze. Hopefully I'll find the time to install a block off plate or at a minimum stuff some roxul above the unit to improve the heat output even more.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

I have a question related the door on this stove. Once door is closed on my rockland, I noticed that the few inch section just above the door latch does not seal as good compared to rest of door as evidenced by Dollar bill test. Bill is held up by door closed in this area. But I can pull bill out without much effort. Gasket itself seems to in good shape. I'm wondering if the latch can be adjusted so as to tighten this up a bit. What do you all think?


----------



## joeyz101

Hi to All - just joined the Jotul C550 Rockland club - my unit will be installed in the coming weeks and I am very much looking forward to it !

I understand the limitations people mention as it relates to flush-mount vs. inserts that protrude out into a room and even free-standing wood stoves but I think my family and I will really enjoy the heat this unit can throw and I will keep reading up here to improve its performance where I can.

Can anyone point me to pictures / discussion / video of a block off plate installation ?  Does this happen right above the unit as well as at the top of the chimney ?  Since my unit will not be installed for another few weeks I want to make sure I consider all the options out there to best prepare my hearth to minimize heat lost and maximize heat output.

I asked my dealer about block off plates and he said they don't do them (which I find odd) but he says they've run into issues and so now they stay away.   Not sure what those issues could be but it is what it is and since I've read people here say that it can be done after the installation I want to understand how its done so I can do it myself.  

My deals said they will put fire resistant insulation above the insert - this sounds like an easy and probably not too effective way to minimize heat loss - what does everyone think about it - is there anything I should tell the installer when they do this so it is done in the best possible way ?

Pls let me know if there is anything you wish you would have done as far as prep to your hearth / chimney / etc. pre-installation that could save time and improve performance.

Really appreciate everyone in this community - thanks for your time !

joeyz101


----------



## EJL923

joeyz101 said:


> Hi to All - just joined the Jotul C550 Rockland club - my unit will be installed in the coming weeks and I am very much looking forward to it !
> 
> I understand the limitations people mention as it relates to flush-mount vs. inserts that protrude out into a room and even free-standing wood stoves but I think my family and I will really enjoy the heat this unit can throw and I will keep reading up here to improve its performance where I can.
> 
> Can anyone point me to pictures / discussion / video of a block off plate installation ?  Does this happen right above the unit as well as at the top of the chimney ?  Since my unit will not be installed for another few weeks I want to make sure I consider all the options out there to best prepare my hearth to minimize heat lost and maximize heat output.
> 
> I asked my dealer about block off plates and he said they don't do them (which I find odd) but he says they've run into issues and so now they stay away.   Not sure what those issues could be but it is what it is and since I've read people here say that it can be done after the installation I want to understand how its done so I can do it myself.
> 
> My deals said they will put fire resistant insulation above the insert - this sounds like an easy and probably not too effective way to minimize heat loss - what does everyone think about it - is there anything I should tell the installer when they do this so it is done in the best possible way ?
> 
> Pls let me know if there is anything you wish you would have done as far as prep to your hearth / chimney / etc. pre-installation that could save time and improve performance.
> 
> Really appreciate everyone in this community - thanks for your time !
> 
> joeyz101


search for my poor mans block off plate


----------



## begreen

joeyz101 said:


> Can anyone point me to pictures / discussion / video of a block off plate installation ? Does this happen right above the unit as well as at the top of the chimney ? Since my unit will not be installed for another few weeks I want to make sure I consider all the options out there to best prepare my hearth to minimize heat lost and maximize heat output.


This article should help. There are lots of links to threads with pictures at the end.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/why-damper-seal-is-needed/


----------



## joeyz101

My Jotul c550 Rockland is arriving and will be installed soon so in the meantime my dad and I are re-doing the hearth - I've attached pics to show what it looked like before (old tile) and what it looks like in it's current state and will also post a pic of the finished product.  

Basically the original hearth was about 1 inch higher than our wood floors and had old tiles that my wife and I were never crazy about.  We will be using tiles we like and used in our den and mudroom area and we are making the hearth flush with our wood floor.  

I will be purchasing gloves, a magnetic thermometer and an ash vac - are there any other tools that you find essential when it comes to tending to your fire and maintaining your insert ?

Thanks all !

joeyz101


----------



## begreen

Most essential ingredient - fully seasoned wood.


----------



## EJL923

i wouldn't plan on using the automatic fan on/off setting.  Its temperamental, doesn't turn on when you want, or vice versa.  Who knows if they've fixed it, as it has gone through changes since i bought the stove.  First couple years i used a plug in outlet timer.  Reason being, your burn times arent going to support a full work day, unless your always home.  I have modified my stove to accommodate longer burns, and can just about make it 8 hrs with enough coals to make it a pain to get going.  I now use a smart outlet, so i can turn the fan on/off as i please.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

The gloves are a must. I like using a fireplace poker to adjust logs when needed


----------



## jatoxico

Right on BG. One of the best things you could do is build yourself a wood shed.


----------



## joeyz101

Hey All - built myself a wood shed and lighting my first fire !!


----------



## jasonparallel

Anyone know the approximate weight of the c550 after taking off all of the easy to take off parts?


----------



## jatoxico

jasonparallel said:


> Anyone know the approximate weight of the c550 after taking off all of the easy to take off parts?


Always been led to believe that the 550 was given it's name because that's the weight. The bricks, door and grates weigh maybe 50lbs but that's a guesstimate.


----------



## jasonparallel

Yep the shipping weight is 550. I think I read that the surround was quite heavy.

I'm picking the unit up this week and trying to plan how much help I need to round up.


----------



## ChainsawBandit

Evening everyone!
So far, happy to be a member of this thread. I read the whole thing, learned some interesting fixes to a poor install, that I luckily have not had to pay for to date. That’s another story though. I’ll tell you this stove love to be started with a top down fire, needs to be kept hot +250 and easily leaves me hot coals after 8 hours of sleep, without much problem, and my woods still a little green. Can’t wait to see what this thing does with real dry wood.
I do have a few questions:
Lower block off plate? When I pull my stove out and install it, will this reduce or stop the drafting issue I just found at the sides of my surround shroud? I believe it will.
Also, my insert is inside what was left of an old heatilator metal fireplace box. I cut out the inside walls in the entirtry, and the flue plate leaving only the exterior wall of the heatilator, inside the masonry fireplace. The cinderblock fireplace/ chimney walls are 8” thick block with a stucco scratch coat and veneered with real stone anywhere’s from 1 1/2” to 3” thick. Any reason I should be concerned with over heating the old metal from the heatilator? I think not, should dissipate through the block or be sent back into the air gap between new and old and thus be used up by the blower fans. 
Finally, how many people have had over firing issues after installing a lower block off plate? Seems like if it does what it is suppose to, it would be easy to overfire. I suspect the further up the chimney you can block off the less chance of over firing as there will be a larger air gap there. 

Does anyone know if the latch is adjustable? Someone asked previously, but I don’t think this was answered. My brand new stove is failing the dollar bill test on the latch side.

This thread was awesome, thanks for starting it, and keeping it going. You flattened my learning curve!


----------



## Toomb

"drafting issue at the sides of the surround shield" ?  I don't quite follow...... I have a rockland 550 in a heatilator fireplace with block off plate as well.


----------



## ChainsawBandit

Toomb said:


> "drafting issue at the sides of the surround shield" ?  I don't quite follow...... I have a rockland 550 in a heatilator fireplace with block off plate as well.



I may be using the term drafting a little loosely. At the edge of my surround, there is an air gap in one spot. I need to fill it, but like i tell the wife, its on the punch list. Last night during a reload, I noticed a draft. Turns out, the old chimney is 'drafting' or pulling air. I was able to get a piece of paper stuck to the surround and wall at this spot, confirming that the draft was actually air being pulled into the old heatilator space (see pic). What this also means to me is that the 'drafting effect' that is happening outside of the liner but inside the chimney block is sucking out valuable heat from the unit, but is also sucking in cold air through any crack or drafty spot in the rest of my house. This could explain the vast temp difference from one end of the room to the other. I'm going to build the block off plate anyway, probably this weekend as the weather is supposed to warm here a little, but I guess I was looking for confirmation of my theory.


----------



## EJL923

ChainsawBandit said:


> I may be using the term drafting a little loosely. At the edge of my surround, there is an air gap in one spot. I need to fill it, but like i tell the wife, its on the punch list. Last night during a reload, I noticed a draft. Turns out, the old chimney is 'drafting' or pulling air. I was able to get a piece of paper stuck to the surround and wall at this spot, confirming that the draft was actually air being pulled into the old heatilator space (see pic). What this also means to me is that the 'drafting effect' that is happening outside of the liner but inside the chimney block is sucking out valuable heat from the unit, but is also sucking in cold air through any crack or drafty spot in the rest of my house. This could explain the vast temp difference from one end of the room to the other. I'm going to build the block off plate anyway, probably this weekend as the weather is supposed to warm here a little, but I guess I was looking for confirmation of my theory.
> View attachment 215871


Dont fill that gap, it wont do anything for you.  The secondary intake is at the back of the stove, so yes air will be pulled in there,  What you want to is to make sure you have a sealed block off plate where your liner goes through the smoke shelf, which makes sure you are lossing heat up the chimney around the liner.


----------



## ChainsawBandit

EJL923 said:


> Dont fill that gap, it wont do anything for you.  The secondary intake is at the back of the stove, so yes air will be pulled in there,  What you want to is to make sure you have a sealed block off plate where your liner goes through the smoke shelf, which makes sure you are lossing heat up the chimney around the liner.



EJL923 thanks for the tip. That actually makes more sense. The air pull was significant, seemingly much to great for the "draft" effect I was blaming it on. I'm collecting the necessary materials for the block off plate this week at work and plan on doing it this weekend. 

I guess I'll have to go around checking my weather seals on all my doors and windows to stop this cold air from being pulled in. Next issue, moving hot air around the rest of my house, but that is definitely covered in depth throughout this forum.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

I find that with my Rockland, while I don’t seem to get fires that runaway, the stove often cruise in off gassing phase at 750, sometimes a bit higher sometimes a bit lower. I know this unit runs a little hot, but high 700’s seems too much. 
     I’m measuring with stovetop therm located in front center of where warm air cones out. Temps consistent with my IR therm aim at very top of face of stove.


----------



## jatoxico

Ctwoodtick said:


> I find that with my Rockland, while I don’t seem to get fires that runaway, the stove often cruise in off gassing phase at 750, sometimes a bit higher sometimes a bit lower. I know this unit runs a little hot, but high 700’s seems too much.
> I’m measuring with stovetop therm located in front center of where warm air cones out. Temps consistent with my IR therm aim at very top of face of stove.


I sometimes had trouble moderating temps until I modd'ed the primary air. If you can't keep it where you want by cutting air earlier you may want to do that.

Is your wood split stick thin or heavy side. A load of thin splits isn't easy to control either.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/jotul-550-primary-air-modification.120412/


----------



## Ctwoodtick

Range in wood sizes. Definitely see difference with thinner splits.


----------



## Maine_girl

Hello-

I'm a new owner of a 550 (~ 1 wk since installation). I've read all 24 pages of this thread over the last few days and gathered a lot of helpful information and tips! I got my Condar 'inferno' stove top magnetic thermometer and an Etekcity IR thermometer in the mail today. I placed the magnetic thermometer on the center 'top' of the insert where the air blows out. It is horizontally flat, so the numbers face up towards the ceiling. Is this right? As for the IR gun, where should I be aiming? At the pipe in the back? or on 'top' right next to the magnetic one? The magnetic thermometer is reading much hotter than the IR... it's showing that the insert is nearing / in the 'too hot' range while the IR says it's in the 425 - 450 range. Any insights?

Also, at what temp should I re-load? I'm under 2 hrs into the first burn of the day (started around 4:15pm) and it's already dropped down to high 300s with the wood mostly burned ...


----------



## Ctwoodtick

I find the Rockland doesn’t allow good access to take a IR reading. I also have the condor stovetop thermometer placed on stove top (centered). I routinely get readings 700 to 750 and have questioned if this is too hot. Bigger splits of wood has helped bring temps down a bit.


----------



## jatoxico

Maine_girl said:


> I placed the magnetic thermometer on the center 'top' of the insert where the air blows out. It is horizontally flat, so the numbers face up towards the ceiling. Is this right? As for the IR gun, where should I be aiming? At the pipe in the back? or on 'top' right next to the magnetic one? The magnetic thermometer is reading much hotter than the IR... it's showing that the insert is nearing / in the 'too hot' range while the IR says it's in the 425 - 450 range.



Welcome MG. Thermo placed 3-4" in, facing up is the only way to get a stove top temp. Hard to read so I have a flash light handy and scratched some marks on the side of the thermo for easier reference to the temp gradiations.

Don't know what kind you have but many are marked for stove pipe which are meant to be 18" or so up so forget about the zones and focus on temperature. Stove top of 600-700 is fine, I cruise normally between 450-550 after the initial heat up.

Try to be aware of how the fire is burning. Should be bright and lively. You can reload at mostly any temp IF the stove is controllable. Be careful about loading on a heavy load of coals especially until you get used to it. I reload mostly around 400 if I need the heat to keep secondaries active but much lower if I have been running for several hours and demand is low.

I shoot my IR lots of places but the vent (right on the weld) is my favorite. The bigger angle you try to read with IR the less accurate it will be.


----------



## Patmosphere

Hello -  third burn season with my rockland 550 and hoping this thread still has active users.


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## Ctwoodtick

Patmosphere said:


> Hello -  third burn season with my rockland 550 and hoping this thread still has active users.



Active user here.


----------



## Patmosphere

Ctwoodtick said:


> Active user here.


Excellent CTwoodtick     Was just adjusting the coals of mine before reloading.  Going to hit -2F tomorrow and -10 Saturday.      Have had the 550 running for a few weeks straight!    Cold cold cold.    

What is the average wood split size you feel works best?   The big linker pieces are a pain in the rear to get hot enough for 2ndary burns. What do you think?


----------



## Ctwoodtick

I tend to split on the small to medium side due to only being able to keep 2yrs of wood stacked, due to space restrictions.  What works the best for split size to me depends on situation. Will use my bigger splits for overnight burns in weather like this. I prefer Smaller splits or medium size when I am going to be around and don’t mind more frequent reloading.  I am mindful not to load stove up if mainly small splits. I find the 550 runs pretty hot, so I don’t want to give it an excuse to overfire.


----------



## Patmosphere

Ctwoodtick said:


> I tend to split on the small to medium side due to only being able to keep 2yrs of wood stacked, due to space restrictions.  What works the best for split size to me depends on situation. Will use my bigger splits for overnight burns in weather like this. I prefer Smaller splits or medium size when I am going to be around and don’t mind more frequent reloading.  I am mindful not to load stove up if mainly small splits. I find the 550 runs pretty hot, so I don’t want to give it an excuse to overfire.




Wish I was two years out with wood.   I collected and split close to a cord this past August and have a green recently fallen oak broke down to rounds that I’ll split this spring for seasoning.   

Thanks for feedback on split size.    Seems similar to my experiences.     Been trying bigger splits but nit finding it S easy to control the heating and cooling of a successive loads.  

Still learning.  I finally got a IR thermometer.  That and a magnet mount on the top left front help me monitor temp.   I’m aware that the front plate has a layer of air behind it and it’s not the actual flame box.


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## Ctwoodtick

While I have the space for 2yrs, most of the wood I burn us in the 1 yr old category. This is why I try to find the less dense hardwoods. not sure how much time you dry your wood, but keep an eye on creosote buildup if you’re much under a year. Do you have the ability to take a look from top? (Not in this weather, of course)


----------



## Patmosphere

I haven’t climbed up my extension ladder yet but want to be able to assess the liner myself.  

Didn’t have it cleaned this season, but the past 2 seasons have had my chimney assessed and cleaned.  He said we’re birnin well with little to no build up prior to cleaning.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

Very nice, sounds like you know how to do things correctly.


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## Maine_girl

I am new, and keep checking this thread. This is my first season with the 550 and I want to love it but so far, don't. I'm wondering if i got the wrong insert (should have gone bigger with another company?). I just had a service call today and they found about a 4 inch gap where the installers missed with insulation so they filled that and I hope that will make a difference. It's been pretty cold, and I know there are many variables that contribute to heat output, but i'm generally feeling disappointed with the 550 and what we're getting from it. 

The insert is in our living room on the first floor of our 3 floor 1916 concrete house. The first & second floors are about 1200 SQ each. The ceilings are 8 ft. The living room has 5 windows, one almost the whole wall. There are two openings (no doors) into the living room - one into the kitchen and one into the front foyer. My main complaint is that even with good, dry hardwood, we can't get the living room up above 71 degrees - with the kitchen and dining room obviously cooler. Should we be getting more out of the 550 or am i expecting too much?


----------



## Ctwoodtick

Hi Mainegirl  my suspicion is that you may be expecting a bit too much from this unit. Disclaimer- this is the only wood stove I have had, so nothing to compare to.
     I’m curious where it was installer missed the insulation. Block off plate area?
      I heat my house with the 550 pretty well when temps are about 10 and above. The area it heats is two floors. Each about 800 sq feet. Ceilings 8 ft. In this very cold weather, I have to close my bedroom door and put on the electric heat, as the house will get too cold overnight in spite of me packing stove.
    Originally I wanted a free standing stove, but got voted out of that. I think freestanding would have pumped out heat, probably too much for my needs, stove is in a fairly small den.
       Also, you are well up north. I’m no expert but I would figure you may be a 2 woodstove person. Either that or finding a freestanding stove with very large firebox to put on hearth of your existing fireplace.


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## jatoxico

Hi @Maine_girl . Its hard to tell froma single post if you're asking too much of the 550 or any unit. The thing we can do is figure out a little if you're are getting the performance it's capable of.

First off if you don't have one, you need a stove thermometer so you can tell what temp you're running at. Placed in the vent a few inches back you should see minimum temps of 550 but 650-700 at times when you want some real heat is achievable.

Second is this an interior or exterior wall chimney. They all should have a well insulated firebox/smokeshelf and block off plate but even more important on an exterior wall install. Heat from insert can be lost to outside and dramatically decrease output to the home.

Last thing is the wood. Many, many people join the forum insisting their wood is good and dry but few end up being right. Wood takes on avg 2yrs to dry after being split and allowed to dry in a good location. Some species and environments can cause that time to be a bit shorter but oak by me is useless until year 3. The wood should be <20% and should burn so that the firebox stays clear even with the air turned down while giving nice secondary burn with no smoke from chimney.

Lot's more to talk about as far as operation but that's where I would start.


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## Maine_girl

Thanks for your response @jatoxico. Full disclosure, I am a total rookie when it comes to all of this although I did grow up with wood heat 24/7 and a wood burning furnace. I do have a stove thermometer that is placed in the vent. I also have an IR thermometer. I don't have a moisture meter for the wood and, while it seems pretty dry, I'm not certain of the species and I'm nearly positive it's not 3 yrs seasoned and may not even be 2 full yrs. The chimney is on an exterior wall. I did not watch the insert install but I know there is not a block off plate but there is insulation up top, but not on the sides and back of the insert. I am not 'handy' or knowledgeable enough (yet) to do this myself so would need to ask help or hire someone. I guess I could call back the guys I bought it from and ask them to come out and do the work for me...? I wish I'd known all of this prior to the initial install.


----------



## jatoxico

Maine_girl said:


> Thanks for your response @jatoxico. *I do have a stove thermometer that is placed in the vent. I also have an IR thermometer.*
> 
> *I'm not certain of the species and I'm nearly positive it's not 3 yrs seasoned and may not even be 2 full yrs.*
> 
> *I know there is not a block off plate*



This is how it goes for a lot of folks starting out especially with the newer stoves.

Wood might be OK depending on species but if you're not seeing pretty high temps when wanted and/or other signs of wet wood like slow to catch, need to leave door open, dirty glass etc etc then may have to take some steps to address that.

What kind of stove top temps are you seeing?

Most of the stove shop installers I've heard of just want to insulate up top. Just pulling off the surround and adding some Roxul insulation down below around the liner would help greatly and for minimal money. Getting the surround off should not be too tough. If you're not at all inclined maybe the shop can come and do that.


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## dtrykow

Hello Everyone.  Just had a 550 Rockland installed last week.  Nice looking stove.Big selling point with My wife (Happy Wife is a happy life).  Anyway I was burning a Lopi Declaration double door, same as a Travis Elite 33, for about 10 years. 4-5 cords a year.  Had multiple problems with it from the start like top damper sticking, thermo disk failer, and the ever popular blower fan issues.  The last straw was when I pulled off the front grill to replace the fans and I noticed the top firebox weld was cracked 13” and pulled away.  Shined a light up thru and confirmed it.  Done!! So here I am.  First thing is the firebox is smaller-narrower or shallower than the Lopi(.9 cu smaller).  My big all nighters have to be split down.  I burn mostly slabwood.  For those of you that aren’t familiar with that term.  It’s the half round half flat pieces from the outside of the logs.  Generally the first cut and they go from thin to thick.  Interesting unit.  Definitely runs hotter.  Lights easy.  Loading with the one door is new for me.  In Jøtul defense,  every single Insert runs these cheap China fans.  Can’t get around them.  Don’t forget we’re basically asking for these fans to run 3 to 4 months straight.  I’m in New England and I light my stove December 1 and run it till April.  And they run in a dirty abrasive environment.   For those of you that want to retrofit and have a little creativity, I found a website online called Fireplaceblowersonline.com.  They have a FK15 blower for $65. Plus shipping.  Exact size.  Mounting is different.  I bought two of these and was in the process of installing them in the Lopi when I saw the crack. I did run these fans for a short time and their super quiet.  Excellent site and thread.
I’ll keep you posted.  Dave T.


----------



## Soundchasm

> In Jøtul defense,  every single Insert runs these cheap China fans.  Can’t get around them.  Don’t forget we’re basically asking for these fans to run 3 to 4 months straight.  I’m in New England and I light my stove December 1 and run it till April.  And they run in a dirty abrasive environment.   For those of you that want to retrofit and have a little creativity, I found a website online called Fireplaceblowersonline.com.  They have a FK15 blower for $65. Plus shipping.  Exact size.  Mounting is different.  I bought two of these and was in the process of installing them in the Lopi when I saw the crack. I did run these fans for a short time and their super quiet.  Excellent site and thread.
> I’ll keep you posted.  Dave T.




Thanks Dave.  If I read this correctly, are you saying the FK15 blower is the same size as blower for the Rockland, but different mounting?


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## dtrykow

Hey Soundchasm:  Sorry for the late response.  yes I think they are.  When you go on Fireplaceblowers website they have a drawing of the dimensions. They also added left and right bundled pairs now.  The FK15 only comes in Left hand.  Good luck.  Dave T.


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## Soundchasm

dtrykow said:


> Hey Soundchasm:  Sorry for the late response.  yes I think they are.  When you go on Fireplaceblowers website they have a drawing of the dimensions. They also added left and right bundled pairs now.  The FK15 only comes in Left hand.  Good luck.  Dave T.



Thank you and no worries.  Very few things on my agenda are ever in immediate danger of being accomplished!  As soon as it warms up a little, I'll do the prep work and pull the trigger.  My 7-year-old fans have been chirping for several years, but this winter has been bad.

Meanwhile, on the 1978 Nashua, it's just business as usual...  According to my calculator, that's 40 years!!


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## Toomb

Thanks for the tip about fireplaceblowers outlet.........good deal.


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## dtrykow

No problem guys.  Dave T.


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## Berl2169

Greetings everyone......new to the thread and I’ve read all 25 pages now. I ran across a pretty good deal with one of these 550’s a couple weeks ago so I’ve been trying to read up on all the details and issues. The stove is described as gently used, and tomorrow will be the first time I get to lay eyes on it. The guy wants $2k for it, and a new one runs around $4200 here. The gentleman basically said he quit getting satisfaction out of building fires....nothing wrong with stove.

Here in my area I have 2 places that sell stoves/inserts. I’ve been inquiring of whether or not I can install this insert without the ss liner as I have a friend that has an old country flame insert installed this way, which is where the idea come from. Both locations say they have about a 80% success rate with that type of installation, and basically depends on draft, but do highly recommend a liner, an extra $1000 bucks or better in their pocket!! I don’t really want to go into the added expense if I don’t have to. I currently have a 21’ chimney (inside wall) with a 11”X11” clay flue and cinder block housing all the way up to roof line. 2800 sq ft single level house with basement. The damper I have is 35” X  4 1/2”

I don’t see myself burning 24/7 like some of you have to but I’d say I would be burning 3-4 times a week Nov-Feb. I’m all electric house and even though this winter (which is pretty much done) wasn’t as cold as it usually is, I still have electric bills that can reach close to $400/month. Heat pump doesn’t fair too well in climates below 28 degrees so I want a supplement. 

Sorry for the long post here but I’ve been waiting for an incredible 25 pages now to ask all of you! Thanks in advance for any and all opinions 

Anyone see any issues with this?


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## dtrykow

Good Morning:
Reading the Owners manual it states that you "should" have a SS liner.  It doesn't say the minimum length of pipe required.  Your 11x11 flue is too large to get the draft going.  You need good draft and the SS pipe heats up fast and draws a lot of air for the stove. $1,000 Well worth the expense now.  And I would guess that your 3-4/week will increase once you see how easy this stove is to run and the heat it throws. It's addicting.  Go to www.jotul.com find the Rockland 550 insert, scroll down and click on Documentation then the PDF manual.  Enjoy.  Dave T.


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## Toomb

I think you can do better than $1000.00 on the liner.  I think i paid $800.00 for a kit 2-3 years ago.  Regardless , you really need the liner.  Internal chimney in texas?...... i would not bother insulating, but others may have a different opinion.  Not sure what the wood supply is in Texas, but you could really reduce those heating bills.


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## Berl2169

So I installed the insert today and just got the time to fire it up about an hour ago. After about 20 min or so it was throwing some good heat out. I do believe the liner will have to be installed......with air wide open and door cracked it produces a good fire. Soon as that door shuts and seals the flame goes out within a couple minutes. Every time I open the door (air full throttle & slowly open door) I get smoke that comes out.....the wife REALLY X10 hates that part.  The guy that I bought it off of mentioned he has a liner so I might be able to get it from him cheaper and install it myself with a block off plate. 

Manual said no bigger than 8x12 chimney which mine happens to be just a shade bigger in sq inches......wouldn’t have thought 25 sq inches would’ve been a big deal. 

Wood supply isn’t very good in these parts. A cord of oak will cost me at least $300. I bought a cord of pinion and cedar this year for $310. I’m hoping that early this year I’ll take a trip to the nearest forest and buy a firewood permit $15 for a 5 cord max.


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## Soundchasm

Berl2169 said:


> So I installed the insert today and just got the time to fire it up about an hour ago. After about 20 min or so it was throwing some good heat out. I do believe the liner will have to be installed......with air wide open and door cracked it produces a good fire. Soon as that door shuts and seals the flame goes out within a couple minutes. Every time I open the door (air full throttle & slowly open door) I get smoke that comes out.....the wife REALLY X10 hates that part.  The guy that I bought it off of mentioned he has a liner so I might be able to get it from him cheaper and install it myself with a block off plate.
> 
> Manual said no bigger than 8x12 chimney which mine happens to be just a shade bigger in sq inches......wouldn’t have thought 25 sq inches would’ve been a big deal.
> 
> Wood supply isn’t very good in these parts. A cord of oak will cost me at least $300. I bought a cord of pinion and cedar this year for $310. I’m hoping that early this year I’ll take a trip to the nearest forest and buy a firewood permit $15 for a 5 cord max.



Congrats!  It's hard for me to imagine running w/o a liner.  That's (to me) one of the main safety features in case of a chimney fire.  However unlikely, chimney liner blocks can crack and now the fire can escape the chimney.  I'd gladly add the grand to the payback period for piece of mind.

One other thought, when you sweep the chimney once per year, won't all that creosote be falling directly on the stove top, to the sides, and behind the stove?  I'd hate that!    With a liner, it'll all end up back in the stove.

When I first got my stove, I swore it came with a self-extinguishing feature.  Turns out I had to make a mega-adjustment to my definition of "dry".  Now, with fuel under cover for two years, I pretty well don't need kindling.

Blockoff plate and lining with Roxul is mandatory to get the best heat out of this insert.


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## Berl2169

So I know my next statement will make most cringe, but I’ll say it anyway. Lol. I’ve lived in this house for 9 years and I just swept my chimney (soot eater system) for the first time prior to installing this insert and maybe got half a milk jug out of it. I’ve typically burned a cord a year on avg but maintained hot fires to get anything out of it. Good friend of mine has had a country flame insert for 25 years and never has had it swept and when we pulled his out a couple months back you could still see the original color of his clay flue. Prolly worth mentioning though, that CF insert isn’t designed for an insert. It has a wide rectangle flue opening that allows for more flow.

The previous owner is going to give me that 35’ liner so that’s good news. Supposed to be in 70’s this weekend so tonight will be last fire till then. Hard part is I’ll just have about 3” of gap between lintel and top of insert to connect. 

BTW my wife said it’s too hot in our house now and she’s the most cold nature’s person I know. So I think she’s trusting my judgment with this purchase, she never once said that with just regular fireplace.

So is there any minimum requirements to bldg the block plate as far as materials go? Never heard of roxul till this thread but I’m assuming that’s insulation that’s  laid on top?


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## Soundchasm

I'll let someone qualified to answer the technical questions, but Roxul is spun rock (I think lava).  Maybe 3" thick is common.  Cut to shape with a bread knife.

I wedged plenty around the liner going up the flue to keep heat back down on the appliance.

Then I put Roxul behind and to the left and right of the stove against the walls.  FINALLY the 550 began to make heat!!  Can't believe how much wood I WASTED before the insulation - several cords, no doubt.  But my masonry work is massive.  Once you focus all available heat back on the stove things really look up.

I had a good 40 degree installation prior, and now I have a single digit installation.


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## Berl2169

Good deal I’ve read some other threads where 24 gauge was sufficient. 

I’ll just buy some of that stuff at Lowes and use it all up.....it’s too expensive not to use it. Lol Thanks to all for the replies and advice. It’s in the teens here and heater hasn’t come on since about 5!![emoji106][emoji16]


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## Soundchasm

Regardless of what you might read, you'll want a mask and gloves when you cut and handle that stuff.  Since I have no mechanical skills, I skipped the 24 ga. and only used Roxul.

BTW, there's probably a clearance that needs to be maintained around the stove for air space, and that's so the stove can still cool naturally in case you lose electricity and can't run the fan.  It will get *warm* w/o a fan...  So in lieu of a specific, don't come into contact with the stove.


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## Ctwoodtick

Soundchasm said:


> Regardless of what you might read, you'll want a mask and gloves when you cut and handle that stuff.  Since I have no mechanical skills, I skipped the 24 ga. and only used Roxul.
> 
> BTW, there's probably a clearance that needs to be maintained around the stove for air space, and that's so the stove can still cool naturally in case you lose electricity and can't run the fan.  It will get *warm* w/o a fan...  So in lieu of a specific, don't come into contact with the stove.



Any health problems you’re aware of with roxul aside from resipiratory irritation that I see on the web? A mask is a good idea, agreed.


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## Soundchasm

Ctwoodtick said:


> Any health problems you’re aware of with roxul aside from resipiratory irritation that I see on the web? A mask is a good idea, agreed.



My impression is that once it's in place it's utterly inert.  But when you work with it, you will see the fine dust in the air given correct lighting.


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## Tim3345

Hi All, I've been following this thread for a while. Over the past months I've been burning really heavy, I've been shoveling out the ashes, and not paying to much attention to getting all the ashes out. Tonight I spent a few extra minutes with a brush getting out everything from all the nooks and crannies. There was a lot more very fine ash then I realized in the stove. This is the Wow moment - Like others mentioned, the ash insulates the bottom of the stove and the fan's auto feature takes longer to come on. After brushing everything out - the fan came on very very quickly on auto, and wow - tonight the heat output was phenomenal! Every part of the surround was extremely hot, including the left pane (typically my right pane, near the hinges get hotter than the left).

Anyways though I would share my observations - *thoroughly cleaning the ashes definitely increase heat output. 

*
Stay warm Rockland friends!

- Tm


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## Ctwoodtick

Tim3345 said:


> Hi All, I've been following this thread for a while. Over the past months I've been burning really heavy, I've been shoveling out the ashes, and not paying to much attention to getting all the ashes out. Tonight I spent a few extra minutes with a brush getting out everything from all the nooks and crannies. There was a lot more very fine ash then I realized in the stove. This is the Wow moment - Like others mentioned, the ash insulates the bottom of the stove and the fan's auto feature takes longer to come on. After brushing everything out - the fan came on very very quickly on auto, and wow - tonight the heat output was phenomenal! Every part of the surround was extremely hot, including the left pane (typically my right pane, near the hinges get hotter than the left).
> 
> Anyways though I would share my observations - *thoroughly cleaning the ashes definitely increase heat output.
> 
> *
> Stay warm Rockland friends!
> 
> - Tm


This is true for sure. Do keep a good inch or so on stove floor though. This is per manual. Like you, I have found the auto fan setting dependent on amount of ash. I switch fan on manual setting once the stovetop then gets to about 400. I switch over to auto after a while so it shuts off in the wee hours of the morning. Measuring temps on this insert is tricky though so I guess you have to do what you’re comfortable with.


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## Berl2169

Update.......I got the 6” liner installed and stuffed some roxul up in there for a “block off plate”. Amazing results compared to the 3 previous burns w/o the liner. Can’t really give an opinion on the difference with the block plate because i didn’t burn a lot prior to its install. I trust everyone’s opinion here and makes sense so it gets a 

Started off with smaller fire to check everything out.....good draw now and I can shut door and control with air intake....the way it’s supposed to work. This is a 2012 model and seems like with air all the way down it’ll choke it out so maybe no mods need to be done there. Glass was clean up until the point I loaded it up with 4 splits for the night just before 11. Left the door cracked, air wide open and it smoldered quite a bit (5-10 min) before ignition. Maybe I shouldn’t let it die down as much next time. I woke up around 4am and there was still about half of the thickest split in there with stove running around 400° fan on med and thermostat read 71 set to 67 (2800 sq ft house is well insulated with foam).

Wife thinks it was too hot (can’t sleep) but I said look at the $$$ we’re saving.

Glad I walked in that store that day and glad I ran across this forum with all the infinite wisdom you guys share!!

Thanks guys


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## Soundchasm

Berl2169 said:


> View attachment 223619
> 
> Update.......I got the 6” liner installed and stuffed some roxul up in there for a “block off plate”. Amazing results compared to the 3 previous burns w/o the liner. Can’t really give an opinion on the difference with the block plate because i didn’t burn a lot prior to its install. I trust everyone’s opinion here and makes sense so it gets a
> 
> Started off with smaller fire to check everything out.....good draw now and I can shut door and control with air intake....the way it’s supposed to work. This is a 2012 model and seems like with air all the way down it’ll choke it out so maybe no mods need to be done there. Glass was clean up until the point I loaded it up with 4 splits for the night just before 11. Left the door cracked, air wide open and it smoldered quite a bit (5-10 min) before ignition. Maybe I shouldn’t let it die down as much next time. I woke up around 4am and there was still about half of the thickest split in there with stove running around 400° fan on med and thermostat read 71 set to 67 (2800 sq ft house is well insulated with foam).
> 
> Wife thinks it was too hot (can’t sleep) but I said look at the $$$ we’re saving.
> 
> Glad I walked in that store that day and glad I ran across this forum with all the infinite wisdom you guys share!!
> 
> Thanks guys




Congrats on staying busy!  If you have Roxul left I'd still suggest putting a layer in back and to the sides of the stove.  That will make the stove somewhat hotter and easier to run.  Another great tip I got from Jtoxico was pulling the stove out 3/8"-1/2", so there's a way for heat to come out from behind the surround.  I only noticed mine standing "proud" for about two days.

Just a few thoughts-
My 550 would love to have kiln-dried wood.  Standing dead two years under cover gets me an easy light and easy to manage fire.  I use no kindling - only splits and a bit of fire starter.  Slowly make the adjustment from any previous definition of "seasoned" to something closer to "bone-dry".

A very smart piece of advice I saw only once here concerning the 550 was to load it full, every time.  That makes so much sense in that the stove will get fully up to temp, 4+ hour burn time, and a nice coal bed to re-light.  And the glass should stay clean.

Your glass is a poor man's moisture meter as well.  Black glass also means slow combustion and low temp, and theoretically, it never has to happen.  But black glass may also mean creosote in the stack.

I choose not to run my stove correctly in the shoulder season - just 3-4 splits at a time.  I know I'm building up creosote.  I sweep twice a year, every year.  Once in Jan, and once in the fall.  That's that.

You can "clean" the glass by letting her rip with the fan off.  That ought to turn it into powder.  Now, I'm about to get run out of town on a rail, but I use 00 steel wool to clean my glass when it's powder.  Bought the stove new and cannot see any damage.  My motto is that if it looks scratchy to me, I'm not done cleaning it yet.  And always best to NOT put your back into that job...


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## Berl2169

Sure wished it was cold in my area just so I could burn some wood. Lol. Got a General moisture meter today and split some pecan that I thought was still fairly green....to my surprise it was at 14.7%. Struck a deal with a local tree trimmer and I’ll get a mix of wood (soft & hard) that’ll probly equal to 10 cords when all said and done for $500. Just gotta go buy a bigger splitter. 

Looking at the Tractor supply 25 T County Line for 1000 bones. Any experience with it? 5 yr warranty kinda hard to beat


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## begreen

Lots of splitter info in the gear forum here.


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## Patmosphere

Berl2169 said:


> Sure wished it was cold in my area just so I could burn some wood. Lol. Got a General moisture meter today and split some pecan that I thought was still fairly green....to my surprise it was at 14.7%. Struck a deal with a local tree trimmer and I’ll get a mix of wood (soft & hard) that’ll probly equal to 10 cords when all said and done for $500. Just gotta go buy a bigger splitter.
> 
> Looking at the Tractor supply 25 T County Line for 1000 bones. Any experience with it? 5 yr warranty kinda hard to beat
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



My Jotul 550 has been incredible this winter.    We had sub zero temps outside for about two weeks and it was toasty inside.   Barely noticed.   In the northeast here, we’ve had 3 back to back to back nor’easters.   Lost power for 76 hours for the 3nd and about 15 hours for the third.    The stove had been a blessing.   I’ve run the blower from a battery and my Tacoma outlet to keep my family warm.   Love it.  Hope you get to use yours again soon!


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## SailorAndDiver

Hey folks!
We got our C550 Rockland installed 2 months ago and we love it.  I have been going back through many of the posts in this list, to find comments about the optimal operating temp inside the burn box.  I am wondering how hot we can get the box, before the fire bricks glow, and without causing a chimney fire or other damage.

We are still playing around with the size and number of the splits being burned, the speed of the fan at various damper settings and the speed of the ceiling fans to move the hot air away from the ceiling.

thanks in advance.


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## Patmosphere

SailorAndDiver said:


> Hey folks!
> We got our C550 Rockland installed 2 months ago and we love it.  I have been going back through many of the posts in this list, to find comments about the optimal operating temp inside the burn box.  I am wondering how hot we can get the box, before the fire bricks glow, and without causing a chimney fire or other damage.
> 
> We are still playing around with the size and number of the splits being burned, the speed of the fan at various damper settings and the speed of the ceiling fans to move the hot air away from the ceiling.
> 
> thanks in advance.



Hi SandD

I just got a fire going in my Rockland 550 for the evening.   Love it.    This is our 3rd burn season with it and I am always learning.  

I like to do 4 splits when reloading or 3 if I’m slowing how much wood I’d like to burn.  Throw in the occasional BIG linker to slow burn.   

Things I always try to do now is 
Have a nice long flat log to sit with the front edge resting on the andirons.    Then I use my poker to make sure there is a good clear path through the coals to get good air flow under this from log.   There is usually one more log behind this bottom front one.   Then 2 more on top.   I leave the door open for a bit to get it burning well before closing the door and closing the vent.   If the stove is good and hot, you can usually refill with wood, close door and half the vent right away.   


I’ve been cutting a good amount of my own wood.   Twenty-two inch wide works real well!

Smaller diameter splits get the temp up real fast and the blower on right around an hour from a cold start.   Bigger diameter logs do burn quite well provided it’s good and hot in he box.   If they are slow to get going or flames decrease a lot with door closed,  open vent and door to get them burning and he temp back up then close ‘er up and enjoy.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SailorAndDiver

Patmosphere said:


> Hi SandD
> 
> I just got a fire going in my Rockland 550 for the evening.   Love it.    This is our 3rd burn season with it and I am always learning.
> 
> I like to do 4 splits when reloading or 3 if I’m slowing how much wood I’d like to burn.  Throw in the occasional BIG linker to slow burn.
> 
> Things I always try to do now is
> Have a nice long flat log to sit with the front edge resting on the andirons.    Then I use my poker to make sure there is a good clear path through the coals to get good air flow under this from log.   There is usually one more log behind this bottom front one.   Then 2 more on top.   I leave the door open for a bit to get it burning well before closing the door and closing the vent.   If the stove is good and hot, you can usually refill with wood, close door and half the vent right away.
> 
> 
> I’ve been cutting a good amount of my own wood.   Twenty-two inch wide works real well!
> 
> Smaller diameter splits get the temp up real fast and the blower on right around an hour from a cold start.   Bigger diameter logs do burn quite well provided it’s good and hot in he box.   If they are slow to get going or flames decrease a lot with door closed,  open vent and door to get them burning and he temp back up then close ‘er up and enjoy.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks Patmosphere.

Our Jotul is in a 400 sq ft room with 20 ft ceilings and 2 ceiling fans drawing the air upward to distribute it via a convection current.  We bought it to warm that room and trying to figure out which variable(s) to address to maximize the air temp.

We had wood delivered in December and have been using it, but, as you might expect, has some water in it so it won't burn most efficiently.  We have a thermometer in the middle straddling the hot air output (to the room) and can only get the air to a max of 300F (sometimes 350F).  If some of the other posts are right, where they were able to get the air temp well over 500F, that the room will warm up quickly, I'd expect that our limiting factor is the wood.  

I also use an IR temp gun and estimate that the surface of the wood is around 500F (don't know if the glass skews the IR measurement).  We also keep the fan on max (per the user guide) when the damper is fully open, and set them to min it when the damper is nearly closed.  After a few hours we can feel the radiant heat up to 15' away.

Thoughts?


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## Ctwoodtick

I have a couple of stove top thermometers on my Rockland in area shown in pick. With wood between 20 and 22% moisture content or so, this thermometer will get to 600 easily and around 700 when full of wood turned down to lower setting. With wet wood, I would imagine struggling to see 400 or so.This is only my experience-cannot say if I doing this totally correctly or not. Nothing on the outside glows with these temps.  That said, I will not be looking to get my stove hotter, so as to avoid any overfiring.
      I have a IR thermometer and I think it’s tricky with this flush unit to know where to get good readings. I don’t buy that pointing into the area between stovetop and metal outer layer (for lack of better term) gets a legit temp.


----------



## SailorAndDiver

Ctwoodtick said:


> View attachment 224914
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have a couple of stove top thermometers on my Rockland in area shown in pick. With wood between 20 and 22% moisture content or so, this thermometer will get to 600 easily and around 700 when full of wood turned down to lower setting. With wet wood, I would imagine struggling to see 400 or so.This is only my experience-cannot say if I doing this totally correctly or not. Nothing on the outside glows with these temps.  That said, I will not be looking to get my stove hotter, so as to avoid any overfiring.
> I have a IR thermometer and I think it’s tricky with this flush unit to know where to get good readings. I don’t buy that pointing into the area between stovetop and metal outer layer (for lack of better term) gets a legit temp.




Thanks for feedback Ctwoodtick!
I'm going to place my thermometer there and check it out.

When you say "turned down to lower setting" are you referring to the damper on the upper-right of the unit, and/or the fans?  I understand that there is an opening in the back to let air in, and am wondering if having the fans on high will cause more air to enter the box.  This in turn would reduce the temp of the box as the energy is going to heating air alone and not the metal casing.

thanks again!


----------



## Ctwoodtick

I’m referring to the lever on top right of face of insert. That controls the primary air going into stove. I don’t know how much the blowers impact air going into stove.
    Given that your wood is probably fairly wet, I would be thinking more about getting a clean burn rather that air settings and so on. Check for visible smoke coming out chimney. If none, than you can try turning primary air (the lever) down a bit (to the left) to see if you can gain some efficiency. If you see smoke out of chimney, give her a little more primary air. If possible check top of liner to make sure you don’t have excessive buildup. Take a pic of it, people on here love giving feedback on buildup  questions.


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## Ctwoodtick

You can disregard the duplicate picture in above message.


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## SailorAndDiver

Ctwoodtick said:


> You can disregard the duplicate picture in above message.



Thanks for the suggestions!  I am glad that I joined this list.


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## Ctwoodtick

SailorAndDiver said:


> Thanks for feedback Ctwoodtick!
> I'm going to place my thermometer there and check it out.
> 
> When you say "turned down to lower setting" are you referring to the damper on the upper-right of the unit, and/or the fans?  I understand that there is an opening in the back to let air in, and am wondering if having the fans on high will cause more air to enter the box.  This in turn would reduce the temp of the box as the energy is going to heating air alone and not the metal casing.
> 
> thanks again!


    Also, for what it’s worth, I always keep the blower on high once stove comes up to temp.


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## SailorAndDiver

Ctwoodtick said:


> Also, for what it’s worth, I always keep the blower on high once stove comes up to temp.



All - We had our unit professionally installed, but I noticed one difference in the photos that you have posted versus the unit I have.  Most of the photos show a full opening at the top, whereas I have a metal "roof" that comes out of the unit at the top where the air blows out into the room.  Is this supposed to be there?

Looking inside, I saw several sheet metal screws holding this piece in place (along the sides and 1 in the middle just in front of the chimney exhaust).  In the image, you can see the metal just above the thermometer.  Should this have been removed during the install?

thanks again for your input!


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## Ctwoodtick

If possible, use a flashlight and get a closer pic- hard to make out what’s going on there. I doubt it’s something that needs removal, but probably something that needs a minor adjustment.


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## Perruz

Ctwoodtick said:


> If possible, use a flashlight and get a closer pic- hard to make out what’s going on there. I doubt it’s something that needs removal, but probably something that needs a minor adjustment.


We just had our stove installed last week and also have that piece of metal where the air comes out. I was told the newer stoves have that which allows the minimum clearance from the hearth to the mantel to be reduced a few inches.  Stoves with serial #s after 11902 have this shield.

I see 1 sheet metal screw on each side and a welded L bracket in the middle.

Love the stove so far, still experimenting with stove temperature, blower speed and damper openings.


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## Toomb

My stove is the same.  That is the jacket or slevve, if you will, that the heated air is blown out of...........


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## SailorAndDiver

Toomb said:


> My stove is the same.  That is the jacket or slevve, if you will, that the heated air is blown out of...........


Thanks folks.

I'm still experimenting....to get the output to 400F I have to use 5 splits.  This seems like overkill.  I hope, come November, our wood will be dry enough to get it to 600F.


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## Ctwoodtick

The first year is always tough, we’ve all been through it. It gets better.


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## malibru

I'm on about year 10 with my Rockland 550.  I too run blowers full speed through the night.  It has been a great stove for me.  It is also in about 350 ft room, 20' slope ceiling, one fan that I run in reverse, low speed.  I only run this as reqired if room gets too hot. 

My wood is all oak and maple which I tend to always "split once more" as it makes hauling easier for wife and kids (me too!).  Also, I really cram it full at night, usually 11pm.totally load the firebox. In the a.m 6-7 am, I stoke the ash and coals, put some bark or small stuff in, and run air control far right. Once it's rolling again I can add wood, then almost full left on control.  

My main complaint on this stove is on blowers.  I've replaced them once with factory ($$$$) but also removed, cleaned with compressed air, and oiled bronze end bushing.  I've found a high heat thin gun oil from Lucas works best.  This last time the squealing began I tried some Amazon motors; however they turned a slower rpm.  Housing was a bit larger but still fit.  In the end, the motor side has a pressed bearing. I fully disassembled and used a syringe to inject high temp grease into bearing. Also lubed bronze bushing per usual.  Works well enough.

I've fried the rheostat speed control(square box) by crossing wires one time, then it also burned out on it's own.  This part is exact replacement on Amazon, it's been working fine.  

Last trick is the snapstat.  If blower comes on too slowly on auto mode you can reach under, push sheet metal housing closer to floor of firebox.  Of course the ash in firebox also seems to delay the on function just by insulating it imho. 

Overall I love my stove.  I do keep up the maintenance on it though.  If the wood is wet, keep your air control full open. Once you establish bed of coals maybe halfway position.  Be careful not to over fire.  Also with wet wood I do notlatch my door when starting, i let some room air in to help out.  Crack a nearby window on cold start to facilitate a good draft, you can shut it as soon as you get a warm updraft.


----------



## upstateNY_Dave

Anyone in here bothered by the high pitch whine of the blowers on the 550? Ours are very annoying - not loud, but high frequency. It sounds like it's just a problem of the air being forced though the blower. I've uploaded a sound recording of the blowers on high at about 1 foot in front of the stove - does this sound normal?


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## EJL923

well its hard to tell from your recording what it actually sounds like, but if i had to say, mine doesnt sound like that and it doesnt bother me.  Check that the blowers spin free, no bearing issues, and oil the bronze bearing on the end with turbine oil or similar.

I will say, if you were expecting the low hum of a box fan, youre not going to get it, these are small diameter high rpm blowers.  I usually keep my speed about 3/4, good compromise between heat and noise.


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## upstateNY_Dave

EJL923 said:


> well its hard to tell from your recording what it actually sounds like, but if i had to say, mine doesnt sound like that and it doesnt bother me.  Check that the blowers spin free, no bearing issues, and oil the bronze bearing on the end with turbine oil or similar.
> 
> I will say, if you were expecting the low hum of a box fan, youre not going to get it, these are small diameter high rpm blowers.  I usually keep my speed about 3/4, good compromise between heat and noise.




Thanks so much. I've heard the blowers of other manufacturers and they seem much lower in frequency. 
Do you need to take off the surround to get the blowers out? Seems to be a tight squeeze otherwise. Where exactly should I oil?


----------



## EJL923

Take all this with a grain of salt, mine stove is 10 years old so i dont know what changed.

There are bearings around the motor on one side, and a bronze bushing holding the fan on the other.  Mine is encapsulated by a red rubber plug in the end of the cage.  The bearings are not serviceable, dont oil those they will just collect dust.  For the bushing, I use Zoom turbine oil, i get mine at ace hardware.  You could prob use 3 in 1 motor oil.  I think bronze bushings are impregnated with 30 weight oil, i forgot if detergent or non detergent.

You can check the fans just by opening the front door and lifting up/removing the cast iron grate thats in front of them.  Spin by hand and see if theyre smooth.  I forgot if you can remove them at that point, i always remove the surround and the bottom piece of cast iron across the bottom of the stove for easy access to slide them out.  Refer to the manual.


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## Patmosphere




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## Ridgewood

Got the Jotul CF550 Installed.  Heres the full install progression from start to finish.  Amazing stove - by far the best decision I've made on the new house.  Even the dog and wife love it.

https://bit.ly/2ELFrUe


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## Ctwoodtick

Ridgewood said:


> Got the Jotul CF550 Installed.  Heres the full install progression from start to finish.  Amazing stove - by far the best decision I've made on the new house.  Even the dog and wife love it.
> 
> https://bit.ly/2ELFrUe


     Looks great man!  Have a warm Xmas!


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## jatoxico

Congrats @Ridgewood they're built like tanks!


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## Ctwoodtick

Was curious if Jotul offers extension to their andirons for the 550 insert. The ones that are designed into the stove are pretty useless due to being so small.


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## jatoxico

Ctwoodtick said:


> Was curious if Jotul offers extension to their andirons for the 550 insert. The ones that are designed into the stove are pretty useless due to being so small.


Agree if they were larger it would make it easier to fill the stove if they were bigger. I don't think they make anything but I've thought of shaping a piece of metal tubing that could be slid over the existing ones.

Would also like if the existing grill had an ash lip.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

jatoxico said:


> Agree if they were larger it would make it easier to fill the stove if they were bigger. I don't think they make anything but I've thought of shaping a piece of metal tubing that could be slid over the existing ones.
> 
> Would also like if the existing grill had an ash lip.


   Nice, what thickness of steel tube would you use?


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## EJL923

You’ll find out that having larger irons in front would prob make it a pita to load if they were high enough to be effective, it would have to be high enough for a second log.  Further, it would bring ash piled up towards the door and make a mess.  You’ll get good at stacking that second front log behind the bottom front so it would lean back into the stove.  

But if you want something larger, I would just have some pieces bent and make a rack that fits inside


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## Ridgewood

On the 550 - how far to the left does your air intake go when its fully closed.  Attached is a photo of mine fully closed, and I'm concerned that its not closing all the way.


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## jatoxico

Ctwoodtick said:


> Nice, what thickness of steel tube would you use?


Would have to do a little search and think about temps etc but don't think it would take much. As far as height my first thought is something at around 4" total that could be slipped on and off.

Much more than that and I think the issues EJL mentioned would come into play too much. Just would like to get another split in across the front so you can load the box without having it ending up on the doghouse or the glass.


----------



## jatoxico

Ridgewood said:


> On the 550 - how far to the left does your air intake go when its fully closed. Attached is a photo of mine fully closed, and I'm concerned that its not closing all the way.



Goes all the way, now .


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## Ridgewood

jatoxico said:


> Goes all the way, now .



?


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## jatoxico

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/jotul-550-primary-air-modification.120412/


----------



## Ridgewood

jatoxico said:


> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/jotul-550-primary-air-modification.120412/



Got it - thanks.  I think i'll not mess around with my brand new multi-thousand dollar new insert just as winter starts  

Any idea why they made it like this in the first place?


----------



## jatoxico

Ridgewood said:


> Got it - thanks.  I think i'll not mess around with my brand new multi-thousand dollar new insert just as winter starts
> 
> Any idea why they made it like this in the first place?


Dunno. As I said in the orig thread the one center air opening is angled so it cannot ever be fully closed presumably so it met EPA specs. The other square openings should have closed all the way but a couple on one side remained partially open because the slider did not have full travel.

Now, as then I rarely shut it down all the way but now and then it is nice to have full use of the control.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

Ridgewood said:


> On the 550 - how far to the left does your air intake go when its fully closed.  Attached is a photo of mine fully closed, and I'm concerned that its not closing all the way.
> 
> View attachment 236751


That is definitely not closing all the way. It should go almost all the way to left for low burn. If stove is new I’d call dealer. The diagram in manual gives a good diagram of what all the way closed should look like.


----------



## Ridgewood

Ctwoodtick said:


> That is definitely not closing all the way. It should go almost all the way to left for low burn. If stove is new I’d call dealer. The diagram in manual gives a good diagram of what all the way closed should look like.



So I called the dealer and they checked a few other units that they've had on display; and they told me they all close exactly like what I have shown.

From jatoxico other thread - sounds like this is common place with the 550; and even those that customized it don't shut it down all the way.  I'll probably just leave it as is and enjoy the burn.


----------



## jatoxico

Ridgewood said:


> So I called the dealer and they checked a few other units that they've had on display; and they told me they all close exactly like what I have shown.
> 
> From jatoxico other thread - sounds like this is common place with the 550; and even those that customized it don't shut it down all the way.  I'll probably just leave it as is and enjoy the burn.



Make that decision with dry wood and cold weather. That's when you'll know if too much air is getting in. If you're not over-firing and are otherwise satisfied with the set-up you can leave it.

As I said I rarely shut it down all the way. _On the other hand_ I routinely use some of the extra slide travel I gained for at least some of the burn cycle.


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## EJL923

From the picture, I would say it closes even earlier now, maybe they need to meet stricter epa or uses less air elsewhere.  Mine was maybe a hair more than half of what you show.  I had major draft issues and so that helped a little being able to close all the way, which is how I run 90% of the time.  If you need to close it further, it is an easy job to grind down the stop, my shop actually did that one for me.


----------



## jatoxico

EJL923 said:


> From the picture, I would say it closes even earlier now, maybe they need to meet stricter epa or uses less air elsewhere.  Mine was maybe a hair more than half of what you show.  I had major draft issues and so that helped a little being able to close all the way, which is how I run 90% of the time.  If you need to close it further, it is an easy job to grind down the stop, my shop actually did that one for me.



I have to say it doesn't make much sense that Jotul created castings for an air control that only operates 75% or less of its capability. Notice it slides fully open. To me the answer is clearly that they made a small change to the slider so it could not close all the way because it helped them meet emissions spec when tested on a chimney that was probably 15' with moderate outside temps.

My chimney is 25-26' (something like that) and it gets cold enough here sometimes. Its like when Yamaha and other manufacturers needed to meet EPA emissions spec on their 2 strokes. Rather than a full redesign they did it by simply limiting the amount the throttle (carb) could open. Cheap easy "fix" for them, poor performance for the user. And then everyone including me, ground off the stupid little tab they added and we were back in business.


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## Ctwoodtick

Here’s mine fully closed. Bought stove new in 2013.


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## Soundchasm

Ridgewood said:


> On the 550 - how far to the left does your air intake go when its fully closed.  Attached is a photo of mine fully closed, and I'm concerned that its not closing all the way.
> 
> View attachment 236751



Mine is the same as yours.  I worried about it as well.  When you're feeling ambitious, I think that cover comes off and you can see it's deliberate on their part that you can never fully cut the air.  Having had an airtight stove before and in addition to the Jotul 550, I worried I'd never be able to cut the air to a runaway stove or chimney fire.  I think the stove has other air intakes, but I'll let the smart guys speak to that if true.

But none of that has happened.  I clean the liner twice a year, and I actually believe I don't know how to over-fire the thing!

My two rules of thumb are that is the stove is over-firing, open the door.  That inrush of cold air drops the stove temp incredibly quickly.  The other is cut the air for a chimney fire.  Sweeping twice a year from the bottom up with a sooteater prevents a chimney fire.  Done and done.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

Soundchasm said:


> Mine is the same as yours.  I worried about it as well.  When you're feeling ambitious, I think that cover comes off and you can see it's deliberate on their part that you can never fully cut the air.  Having had an airtight stove before and in addition to the Jotul 550, I worried I'd never be able to cut the air to a runaway stove or chimney fire.  I think the stove has other air intakes, but I'll let the smart guys speak to that if true.
> 
> But none of that has happened.  I clean the liner twice a year, and I actually believe I don't know how to over-fire the thing!
> 
> My two rules of thumb are that is the stove is over-firing, open the door.  That inrush of cold air drops the stove temp incredibly quickly.  The other is cut the air for a chimney fire.  Sweeping twice a year from the bottom up with a sooteater prevents a chimney fire.  Done and done.


    When did you buy your stove? I wonder if the air control differences started in the last few yrs since I bought mine.


----------



## Soundchasm

Ctwoodtick said:


> When did you buy your stove? I wonder if the air control differences started in the last few yrs since I bought mine.



Mine was installed 12/11.  Purchased as new, but I don't know the manufacture date.


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## Ctwoodtick

The most updated manual online shows diagram of the lever being able to be moved well to the left and they provide explanation of different settings.  
    Seems odd that different stoves of same model have differences like this.


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## jatoxico

Could be they limited travel even more over time but may also be explained by simple minor casting differences. I didn't measure the travel limit on mine from 2011 but was about the same as the pics give or take. It's so sad to see those poor air controls not being able to live up to their full potential.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

Ridgewood said:


> So I called the dealer and they checked a few other units that they've had on display; and they told me they all close exactly like what I have shown.
> 
> From jatoxico other thread - sounds like this is common place with the 550; and even those that customized it don't shut it down all the way.  I'll probably just leave it as is and enjoy the burn.


    We’re it me, I’d go to the dealer myself and see what their showroom stove does in terms of the air control. Maybe it’s just me, but I just don’t trust that I’m getting the straight scoop when profit motive is involved. And i imagine that potentially fixing something for them is money out of someone’s pocket other than your own.


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## jatoxico

FWIW this is an easy job that I would rather do sooner than later since the more time (burns) goes by the more likely it will be a more difficult and dirty job. Couple bolts and a hand file.


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## jatoxico

Today was a good day around here to run the Soot Eater. My notes say I did it last year on 12/30 and got about the same amount (1 1/2-2 cups) of brown creosote with a small amount of shiny flakes coming from a few feet away from the cap.

Biggest PITA is getting the baffle assembly and tubes down. Its strength is it's weakness when it comes to cleaning. 7 1/2 years later and all components are still in just about perfect shape. But those hefty cast sections are a tight fit and an awkward reach.

This is my slide travel;


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## Ctwoodtick

Regarding stove top temp, do you guys basically notice that when I have my rockland on lowest settings, you see the highest temps? Not sure if it’s just me or if this common thing.


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## jatoxico

Nice burn going, top right at 525-550.


Ctwoodtick said:


> Regarding stove top temp, do you guys basically notice that when I have my rockland on lowest settings, you see the highest temps? Not sure if it’s just me or if this common thing.


That's normal. Less air in, less air out = the heated gases have more time to transfer heat to the box. Add to that, that the secondaries fire more freely and burn more completely at higher temp and you get those nice stove top temps.

Downside is of course the more heat you "steal" so to speak from what's available the less there is to keep the chimney warm.


----------



## Ctwoodtick

jatoxico said:


> Nice burn going, top right at 525-550.
> 
> That's normal. Less air in, less air out = the heated gases have more time to transfer heat to the box. Add to that, that the secondaries fire more freely and burn more completely at higher temp and you get those nice stove top temps.
> 
> Downside is of course the more heat you "steal" so to speak from what's available the less there is to keep the chimney warm.


     I have been experimenting with being on lowest setting as a rule in the last few weeks and have had temps nearing 800, so I want to back away from that. Currently have about a 3/4 load of dry ash in there with air 3/4 closed and cruising nicely at 700, as opposed to seeing that temp keep peaking with ferocious secondaries.
   I’m also going to replace door gasket in a couple days, as I can spot some air leakage on lower part of door under the handle ( buildup on inside of door and glass).


----------



## jatoxico

Shutting the air a little earlier and more aggressively can help keep your peak temps down. On a cold start I don't generally cut the air until I'm about at 500 STT but will start shutting long before that on a reload.

But its a dynamic process and can always find an exception that proves the rule. Sometimes you can keep it in check for 30-45 min but eventually the load outgasses and burns down without much control.

This was a common problem I had until I was able to shut the primary that much more as discussed above. At some point if you limit the air going in enough you're able to burn with more control. So that doesn't happen to me really anymore.

Also bigger splits can help with the problem. Just like a load of kindling will easily burn out of control, big splits are easier to manage but of course they have to be dry or you'll just have a cold, smoldering annoying mess.


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## EJL923

When I did check, yes it can get that high.  Now I load, forget, and load again when it’s gone.  I learned quickly the 550’s a beast and when comparing with people on here, it just burns that way


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## Ctwoodtick

So this talk about air modification got me thinking. This is a pic of where the doghouse air enters bottom of firebox. I’ve been hearing that there are supposed to be 2 holes. However I see two small holes and a large hole in between the 2 smaller holes. Do this look like everyone else’s?


----------



## Ctwoodtick

Regarding having a stove top thermometer on this insert where the warm air blows out-  are folks putting the thermometer in the center or off to side like most other Jotul stoves?


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## jatoxico

Mine is just an inch or two right of center. No particular reason, just easy to see while adjusting the air.


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## Holderjc

I’ve been looking at inserts for a while now. The joyul c550 and the BK Sirocco or princess are on the table as well. Trying to figure out what the best bang for the buck is and what will adequately heat my 2000 sq/ft ranch home! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## jatoxico

The 550 is a low maintenance high quality unit. You can expect burns times around 6 hrs perhaps a bit more.

As a flush unit it depends on the fans to get the heat out. If you have the hearth room and clearance a stove that projects onto the hearth will have some advantages as far as heating without power and overall heat transfer.

You can expect to have the ability to get longer burn times with a cat stove like BK. At the same time the fire view wont be the best, something the 550 excels at.

Jotul also makes the 350 and 450 one of which can be extended onto the hearth.


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## Soundchasm

Can anybody find the sticky on blockoff plates?  I couldn't find it.  I promise I'll bookmark it this time!  ;-)


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## Ctwoodtick

Well, I’m doing my last couple of fires for the year. The front face of my Jotul Rockland has been slightly warped for a while. I have experience higher than desired temps as a result. I have replaced gasket, which worked out for a couple months with getting temps back into a good range. When that seemed to stop working, I put a few screws in the doghouse air holes in bottom inside of stove. Worked for a bit but definitely not a long term solution, as I’m again struggling to keep reloads from approach 800 degree stove top temp.
      Looking for some advice. I know they sell the cast front face of this insert but I think it’s like 1000 bucks before install. If you all had a slightly warped stove face that was causing an air leak like this, what would you do? What repairs would you try. I would hate to fork over a bunch of money for anything more stove related, but I also don’t want to hurt the liner (2yr old homesaver heavywall) by temps that are hotter than recommended. Last time I checked the liner by removing the stove surround, the liner appeared to have the expected discoloration that I have read as being common on this site, no more no less. Thoughts?


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## jatoxico

Finally trying to repair the lower valance that the installers broke way back when. I didn't notice until I tried to adjust it. They tightened the bolt too much and it broke on either side of the bolt hole. Without the support provided by the extension the ends sag and cause the middle to bow up and contact the grate which in turn starts to rattle.

Using JB Weld. Yesterday I simply joined the two pieces. Today reinforced with a filed down washer and buttered it up.  Can't butter the backside at all.


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## dtrykow

Wood tick:  what did you do with your warped front face?  Hard to believe that piece would warp.  Dave T.


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## MinM

Hi All, new owner of the Rockland.  With evening temps in the high 30s (central MA), I've been running it regularly in the early mornings and evenings all week.  Yesterday evening however, I ran into a problem- I think my air damper is stuck in the closed position.  The slide switch works fine- slides left and right without any problems, but no matter where the slider is now, as soon as I shut the door, I extinguish the flames inside of two minutes.  I called my installer and sent them an email, but no response (they're probably closed for Covid-19).  I'm thinking this is something that might be an easy fix- maybe if I can find it, I can unstick it?  Or maybe the slider has detached from the damper?  Can anyone help?  To pre- answer the wet wood question- I'm burning oak that was cut, split and stacked and stored under tarp and on top of pallets in a relatively sunny spot in 2014.  All week, it's been burning fine- until last night.  Greatly appreciate for any help.


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## EJL923

For some reason i cant access the jotul site, but unless there was some big design change, the lever you touch is one big piece of cast iron, all it does is slide left and right as one piece.  I doubt that is broken.  Look at your manual, you will see it.  all it does is block holes.  The air comes into the stove right above the door, take a look with it open.  The air comes through that slider, in above the door and curls down to the bottom of the stove.  it acts as an air wash to keep your glass clean.  My money is on draft with the wet weather.  I have never had a problem with draft myself, 24' of interior chimney.  Also, i have had oak seasoned for 3 years still wet, though 2014 is a long time.  Does it sizzle at all when it starts to burn?


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## Ctwoodtick

Sorry if this a question that’s been addressed before with the Rockland. Do people tend to have difficulty with keeping stove room clean? I am pretty attentive to cleaning/ash vacuuming the hearth area, but still struggle with wiping up some black dust when wiping furniture and things. This stove is flush with no ash lip,so it seems that every time you open the door, you putting ash in the air to some degree. I’ve had this stove for 7 yrs. it heats our house well so no complaints here about that. I would have gone with something different had I known more about stove functionality back then. Does anyone else notice these issues with the 550?
    I recently had a freestanding stove installed at our camp. Night and day in relation to the above. The draft is better there, so that could be a part of it. 
   Sorry to complain a bit- just curious about others  experience.


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## jatoxico

Ctwoodtick said:


> Do people tend to have difficulty with keeping stove room clean? I am pretty attentive to cleaning/ash vacuuming the hearth area, but still struggle with wiping up some black dust when wiping furniture and things.


A couple threads running on possibility of particulate peaks when loading stoves of all types so kinda timely topic. I'll give you my thoughts for what they're worth;

I have a white painted mantel with white shelf around 1/2 the perimeter of the room. If I was getting ash from the stove I think I would see it but it all stays clean. I do get some smoke smell when the draft is slow at startup or otherwise sluggish but usually not any problem. I take some time to slowly open the door and let the draft start pulling good before fully opening.  As you rightly said I think the majority of the concern for particulates is mainly about draft quality. 

Now if you're blowing ash around the room with the fans that's another story. First, it's true that the lack of an ash lip doesn't help but another thing anyone considering the 550 should know is that it is an essentially dedicated E/W loading box. To me this somewhat limits the full use of the firebox since if you try to fully stuff it, logs and ash tends to get on the door as the load burns down instead of settling to the sides as you tend to get loading N/S. If you do get ash spill that can go right into the fans if you're not careful (I have blown hots embers into the room, it's exciting ).  On the other hand I've seen others get the same result using different stoves regardless so there's a personal habit aspect to it as well.


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## dtrykow

We definitely have more dust/ash with the stove running in the winter.  My wife calls it mount vesuvius.   Not much I can do.  Very careful loading and cleaning it.  Dave T.


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## Brookwood

Yes, plenty of ash in the room. I open door slowly with fans off. Just bringing the wood in creates dust and dirt.


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## Markan

Insufficient draft.
 I installed a 550 in a masonry fireplace in my grandson's house about 3 months ago. I put a stove top thermometer in the vent about 2 or 3 inches behind the front cast iron plate. I can barely get it to 300 degrees with the draft control fully open, not getting much if any secondary burn. I leave the door ajar until I get a good fire going and the chimney is warmed up.  I used a 6" fully insulated chimney liner, 13' total chimney length ( Jotul says 15' min). The wood is well seasoned Douglass fir ( it burns fine in my  stove). The house is 1800 sq. feet and not very tight. We have 2 other free standing stoves in the family with the same (+/- 1') chimney length working fine. I could add another 2' of insulated pipe to the top of the chimney liner but I am not sure if that would help much since I get good draft and no smoke into the room with the door slightly ajar.  Besides, it would look weird with 3' of pipe above the masonry chimney. I don't know if there is a safe way to increase the primary air supply in these stoves. Perhaps I just have too big of a stove for the chimney length and need to pull it out and find something different.


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## jatoxico

Markan said:


> Insufficient draft.
> I installed a 550 in a masonry fireplace in my grandson's house about 3 months ago. I put a stove top thermometer in the vent about 2 or 3 inches behind the front cast iron plate. I can barely get it to 300 degrees with the draft control fully open, not getting much if any secondary burn. I leave the door ajar until I get a good fire going and the chimney is warmed up.  I used a 6" fully insulated chimney liner, 13' total chimney length ( Jotul says 15' min). The wood is well seasoned Douglass fir ( it burns fine in my  stove). The house is 1800 sq. feet and not very tight. We have 2 other free standing stoves in the family with the same (+/- 1') chimney length working fine. I could add another 2' of insulated pipe to the top of the chimney liner but I am not sure if that would help much since I get good draft and no smoke into the room with the door slightly ajar.  Besides, it would look weird with 3' of pipe above the masonry chimney. I don't know if there is a safe way to increase the primary air supply in these stoves. Perhaps I just have too big of a stove for the chimney length and need to pull it out and find something different.


What are the other stoves your wood burns well in? If you have an active fire in the 550 cutting the air back should cause the temp to rise and 2nd to kick in. If the fire smolders and grows colder then the draft is not as good as you think or the wood is not as dry as you think it is.


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## Markan

I have an Avalon free standing stove that I've used for about 25 years, not as primary heat but most evenings in winter. The fir seemed to burn well with the draft closed down where I usually run it. I have closed the draft down some on the 550 but the fire died down some and kinda smoked up the glass. I've only had about a dozen fires in this stove and only got the thermometer yesterday so I'm still a newbie at it. The wood is about 3 years split, and is stacked outside under a tarp so it could be absorbing some moisture. I've also tried a little barn dried wood from my supply and it didn't seem to make any difference. I'll try keeping the splits smaller and maybe a moisture meter


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## jatoxico

Markan said:


> I have an Avalon free standing stove that I've used for about 25 years, not as primary heat but most evenings in winter. The fir seemed to burn well with the draft closed down where I usually run it. I have closed the draft down some on the 550 but the fire died down some and kinda smoked up the glass. I've only had about a dozen fires in this stove and only got the thermometer yesterday so I'm still a newbie at it. The wood is about 3 years split, and is stacked outside under a tarp so it could be absorbing some moisture. I've also tried a little barn dried wood from my supply and it didn't seem to make any difference. I'll try keeping the splits smaller and maybe a moisture meter


Older stoves are typically more forgiving of wet wood. I can't say much about the Avalon but it may be you need some getting used to a newer stove and how they burn. If the wood is truly three years split and stacked in good conditions it should be dry enough and therefore it may be a draft issue if the fire is smoldering as you shut down the air.  I question what you mean by under a tarp. Is that top covered or fully covered which traps moisture?

Once the fire is burning well in the 550, begin shutting the air in increments (say from 100% to 75) then let then fire recover then shut down more. The final setting depends on draft which is dictated by the chimney/outside temp atmospheric cond etc etc so can't say exactly where you should end up.  As you do that the stove top temp should begin to rise and as I mentioned the extra heat secondary air should begin to show signs of lighting off. If you can't do that and you rule out the wood that extra two feet of stack may make all the difference.


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