metalsped, my F 55 is in a 480 sq ft room with ceilings that peak at 20 ft (average ceiling height of 14 ft) and lots of glass...this room gets pretty hot (>80*) if I'm not actively moving cold air in from other parts of the house and outdoor temps are not too low. The F 55 puts out some heat...even burning low. If your goal is mostly to heat that large room the F 55 might be overkill.
Anyone run a Jøtul F 55 Carrabassett
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Hi VT, and welcome, the room your 55 is in, is it newer construction, insulated well, good windows, drafty ?
Does the stove have a blower ? Thanks, Todd
Sounds like what Bub381 found with the F 50. It might be a good idea to make sure that you can move the heat out of that room before putting an F 55 in there.
Hi Todd, my house was built in 1980 and is above average construction...it seems to be insulated well (I was told that the ceiling was very well insulated when I had the chimney installed). The room with the stove has several groups of 2' x 6' casement windows with a couple of drafts (8 individual windows), a 8' x 7' sliding glass door, and two custom windows measuring 3' x 8' and 3' x 10'...all double pane glass, but still quite a bit of glass. The sliding glass door has a window quilt that we keep down overnight and when it gets cold during the day, but all the other windows have no coverings and - like I said previously - there are a couple of drafts. If my goal was not to heat my entire home (~1900 sq ft of it anyway) exclusively with wood I would want a smaller stove than the F55, BUT if metalsped is willing to move some cold air back into the stove room from the further reaches of the house (I use 1 small Vornado and it works great for my situation) the F55 would certainly heat more of his house and temps in the stove room will not peak as high.
Edit: forgot to add that the stove does not have a blower, but there is a ceiling fan always running in the stove room and a small Vornado air circulator blowing into the stove room from a second floor bedroom where heat does not flow to well naturally.
Bub381
Minister of Fire
What i seemed to experience with this so called medium sized stove (Rangeley) was it heated like a large stove.Loved that N S loading.
FullCompliment
Member
The Oslo does have an air wash--a pretty good one. I can't compare it to the F55, though. Maybe it's better. I only get dust/ash on my door glass. Just curious, why did you get rid of the Oslo?
The F55 would be my next stove (if I ever move) just based on it's simple, straight-forward design and lack of an ashcan which I see as a definite benefit. I'm glad you're happy!
I'm not aware that any primary air is introduced into the firebox above the glass in the Oslo...maybe in a newer version. I never had a problem with the Oslo glass (only cleaned once a month or so) but the way the air wash works on the F55 the primary air introduced above the glass (air wash) drops down the front of the stove and hits the coals almost the entire width of the stove and things take off real quick (there is additional air introduced at the dog house - as in the Oslo).
As for the reason I got rid of the Oslo...wanted a deeper more square firebox so I could load EW and NW. Also, I never managed to get a good supply of 22" wood to realy take advantage of the full size of the Oslo firebox...most of the wood I get is 16-18" and I find it easier to split and handle shorter splits anyway. The steel/cast baffle on the F55 is also super durable...it is not a problem loading her to the gills...not worried about damaging it as I was with the Oslo. Never used the ash pan on the Oslo. Hated the placement of the front door gasket on the Oslo...always collected ash if I let it build up in the firebox and dumped all over when I opened the front door (rarely used the front door because of this). I like to rake coals to the front of the stove and it is much easier to do when I can use the front door! I like the fact that the F55 is a welded steel box with one door gasket to worry about (3 door gaskets on the Oslo).
Wow...just read back through that and it comes off that I really hated the Oslo...not the case...I just really love this F55!
The F55 would be my next stove (if I ever move) just based on it's simple, straight-forward design and lack of an ashcan which I see as a definite benefit. I'm glad you're happy![/quote]
I've had both, stove without ash pan and my f50 that has one. I'm just curious on how the stove without the ash pan is a benefit (maybe one less gasket?). This stove (f50) has a slotted firebox bottom (grates?). Get up..open draft..rake a fireplace hook through the coals 2 or 3 times and ash falls into the pan..load stove..open ash door..take ash pan outside and dump (once a day)...replace and close damper and done for 5-6 hrs. Jotul even supplies the long heat resistant gloves with the stove. We found its quicker and less messy with an ash pan. If simplicity and one less gasket to deal with is your reason I totally understand.
I've had both, stove without ash pan and my f50 that has one. I'm just curious on how the stove without the ash pan is a benefit (maybe one less gasket?). This stove (f50) has a slotted firebox bottom (grates?). Get up..open draft..rake a fireplace hook through the coals 2 or 3 times and ash falls into the pan..load stove..open ash door..take ash pan outside and dump (once a day)...replace and close damper and done for 5-6 hrs. Jotul even supplies the long heat resistant gloves with the stove. We found its quicker and less messy with an ash pan. If simplicity and one less gasket to deal with is your reason I totally understand.
The way I see it is I like this stove for several reasons:
Ray
- It has a large firebox.
- It's a welded steel firebox so no cement seams to leak.
- It has a cast iron skin for aesthetics and radiates a softer heat and retains it well with the mass it has.
- It's a convection stove so it's comfortable sitting near the stove.
- It has a nice heavy baffle which I believe is lifetime guaranteed.
- The price is reasonable.
- It requires a hearth with ember protection only.
- It's a Jotul a name that everyone knows and respects.
Ray
Newmann welcome to the forum! Did you try to post something? The only thing I see a previous post in your post..
Ray
Ray
Hi all;
New here and new to wood stove heating. Bought an F55 for our old drafty farmhouse in Woodbine, Maryland and my intent is to heat 24/7 with the stove. I did the break in and then some, but I'm sort of struggling trying to get a handle on a few things. I get smoke in the house at times when I go to reload during the day, even after just cracking the door open for about 10-15 secs. Wood is mostly seasoned, but some of it's a bit green. Mixed oaks.
How do you folks who heat 24/7 run the stove ? In other words, do you load completely up in the morning or burn smaller fires through the day ? How often are you removing the ashes/coals and when ? At night, before you turn in do you load the box N/S all the way up ? Then, when your overnight load gets going, how do you gauge when to turn the air inlet down, and do you eventually close it entirely ? Mine creaks and bangs a bit on the way up and down
Any suggestions to make the stove operate at its best are greatly appreciated. Many thanks
New here and new to wood stove heating. Bought an F55 for our old drafty farmhouse in Woodbine, Maryland and my intent is to heat 24/7 with the stove. I did the break in and then some, but I'm sort of struggling trying to get a handle on a few things. I get smoke in the house at times when I go to reload during the day, even after just cracking the door open for about 10-15 secs. Wood is mostly seasoned, but some of it's a bit green. Mixed oaks.
How do you folks who heat 24/7 run the stove ? In other words, do you load completely up in the morning or burn smaller fires through the day ? How often are you removing the ashes/coals and when ? At night, before you turn in do you load the box N/S all the way up ? Then, when your overnight load gets going, how do you gauge when to turn the air inlet down, and do you eventually close it entirely ? Mine creaks and bangs a bit on the way up and down
Any suggestions to make the stove operate at its best are greatly appreciated. Many thanks
Newman it's all about having good dry wood or you will be disappointed.. Modern EPA stoves rely on this for secondary and cat burn plus you lose lots of BTU's driving the moisture out of the wood.. Beware of creosote in your chimney flue as well.. I suggest you clean your flue monthly minimum if you're burning wet wood..
Ray
Ray
We have the Rangely so similar to yours. If your getting smoke when reloading and have the air completely open you have a draft issue (warm outside,chimney height, etc..) or smoldering splits without a good bed of coals. You don't state your burn temps but on a typical burn cycle I hit 600 regularly. This stove seems to love to burn with a full firebox. My routine is open air..spread coals around/front..load 3 splits n/s then 3 e/w on top..close draft half way to minimize overheating stove pipe but plenty of draft to get the load going good...after 10-15 minutes come back, close air completely off. The stove is around 400-450 degrees when I close off air, it will increase to around 550-650 degrees at the top of the burn and then slowly decrease without me touching a thing. My suspicion is you don't have a good coal bed or your running just a couple of splits at a time. Mine doesn't like to run on just a couple splits it likes a full firebox, but on a warm day I will just throw a couple in at a time just to keep coals in the stove for the full box in the evening but its not running great (probably would if I opened air more but I kinda let it smolder along until nightfall). We normally do the full load routine 2 or 3 times a day depending on temps. We both are not home all the time and this stove will have good coals after a LONG time..We empty the ash tray once a day. Don't be afraid to get the temperature up with this stove, I find it doesn't even start burning good until around 450 degrees. Everyone has an opinion but I wouldn't be concerned with temps hitting 700-750. Good luck and I bet with colder temps she'll come around.
If there was ever an epa stove that would be forgiving with not optimal wood these Jotuls would be it. This is the 3rd stove connected to this chimney through the years and its a drafting monster compared to the 2 previous ones (both epa's). Great advise on the chimney cleaning.
Secondaries will not light off with wet wood because of the cooling effect the moisture has on the reburn chamber. If the OP has very wet wood and he could by the sound of it he will experience smoke issues too if the flue doesn't get hot to get the draft going plus the mentioned creosote potential add this to living in a milder climate. This could be the recipe for disappointment and issues... I guess what I am trying to say is to get everything to ideal conditions and see what happens.. My T5 drafts well too but I do not run wet wood in it..
Ray
Yup..totally agree Ray..Its 33 degrees here now, Maryland must be a tad warmer and adding to poor draft. Good info on secondaries, thanks.
NP and welcome to the forum CMP! Please post a pic of your setup when you have a chance because we love pics here !
Ray
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Hi Newmann,
I did have an issue with smoke escaping from the latch side of the door on the first couple warm days burning the stove...now I just open up the air a little longer to reestablish a good draft and I have not had a problem. I burn 24/7 and depending on the outside temps have only needed to load 2-3 times a day (a full night and morning load and a 3-4 split load early evening if its in the teens/single digits - haven't seen lower temps with this stove yet). The past few days have been mild (mid 30s day 20s night) so I have only needed to load twice a day. My routine has been: around 8pm (stove top temp ~200*) shovel ash out from the front of the stove, rake coals to the front (the entire width of the front of the stove, up to the top of the dog house, 6", 8", 10" deep depending on the amount of coals), load EW starting on the floor of the firebox in the back (usually get 2 splits flat on the floor behind the coals) and add wood up to the baffle. At the front of the stove I have 1 split directly on the coals almost right up to the dog house and stack 1 or 2 splits on top of that set back an inch or two deeper into the firebox. Shut the door...most of the time I get flames in seconds (never longer than a minute) and 10 - 15 minutes later secondaries are rolling (stove top 250* - 300*) and I move the air control to the middle position. I watch the flames to determine when to shut the air down more, but usually by 350*-400* I move the air control 3/4 of the way to the left and that is where I leave it (on colder nights I have had to move the air control all the way to the left). The next morning I get up around 6am and do the same routine without emptying any ash (I empty ash nightly or every other night)...usually have the stove cruising at 7-7:30. I have needed to burn the coals down a couple of times in the morning...just rake forward with the air fully open and let it go for 30min - 1hr.
I did load NS a couple of times (using essentially the same technique described above) and stove top temps got up there real quick (600*-700*) but it burned all night...about the same cycle as my EW burns, but with more heat. I estimate that I can cram about 25% more wood in the firebox NS...can't wait for the temps to drop again so I can burn NS again!
My stove creaked and banged the first couple nights, but I haven't noticed it lately...I'll listen for it tonight. Good luck!
Summarized nicely Ray! A couple additions:
1. Roughly square firebox (can burn EW or NS)
2. Long burn times for a non-cat
3. Made in the USA - in my home state of Maine!
Secondary burn stoves can and do burn as long as a cat stove in normal burn situations. By this I mean it's cold out and you need heat.. I can burn NS and EW with the T5 but the splits must be about 15" for that and I only do this for smaller hotter quick fires.. For overnight I pack it full NS only with the coals raked forward..
Ray
My Oslo burned better with the ash pan full so I never used it...I just got used to shoveling into a bucket.
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