Jotul 3 CB out of control -- ash gasket?

[John Lehet]

I bought a used stove, a Jotul 3 CB from Craiglist the other week, and it really burns hot. It was manufactured in 2002. Right away we were surprised how much heat we could get out of it. It burns hot and fast, and it's hard to control. If I put more than two splits in it, it will get over 600°. This is of course with the bottom air control closed and the top air control closed, Also of course the ash door closed. There seems to be a bit of a gap around the way the ash door in place, but from the parts diagram this seems like it might be normal. It's hard to tell from a small line drawing how it's supposed to sit in there. If I get my hand wet when the stove is hot and put it under the ash door, I can feel that it's sucking air there. Running a stick of incense under it, the smoke seems to not be drawing into the ash pan. The gasket seems OK around the stove door and the ash door.

The funny thing about the stove was that the guy I bought it from said he had to replace the baffle, and that is unusual with these stoves. He didn't say anything about the ash compartment, but looking carefully with a flashlight now, this looks like a newer part than the rest of the underside of the stove. The inside of the stove looked good, and the baffle is new, so I bought it. Now I wonder if there's something about the stove that's hard to control that caused it to burn out before. Certainly it will be tricky to keep it from burning out now. My wood is quite dry, But it is rather small. I'm not putting the whole lot in there at once, but still the stove gets over 600.

In the parts diagram there seems to be a gasket under the ash pan. It's part 64 in the manual I got. How does the ash pan come apart? Is it relatively easy to do?

The funny thing searching this forum, the one other thermal problem I found with a Jotul 3 CB was someone who couldn't get it over 400, couldn't get any heat out of it.

 

[John Lehet]

This photo with flash looks a little funkier at the bottom of the ash pan than it does to the naked eye. I don't know if the camera is seeing a little better than I am.

I guess the gap between the main housing and the drawer is supposed to be there?

 

[Jags]

600F isn't scary at all. That little stove loves 600F and 600F ain't gonna hurt it one bit. Actually it sounds like it is working as advertised unless there is something overly convincing to the contrary.

 

[John Lehet]

OK, I like that answer. At what temps should I worry?

The manual says to keep it 400 to 600, and there was the previously burn out baffle thing.

I didn't really expect this stove would hold a fire, but I've read reports of people keeping a fire for a good while in them. For us, poof, a hot load of wood is gone.

The wood I'm burning is the dryest of wood. It's been on the porch under cover at the back of the porch, the stuff that didn't get burned last year or the year before. Maybe I should dig into the stuff that was cut last fall, out in the open all summer.

I like the fast heat and clean burn that we get. I'm happy with the stove. I just don't want to be stove shopping in a couple of months with this $900 hunk of iron cracked and ruined.

 

[Jags]

It is probably wise to try and control the fire around the peak temp mentioned. That said - a brief stint that stays below 750 or so will not be an issue.
That is a tiny little dude. They are a quality heater and have been around for a long time, but the size will limit that to probably less than a 4 hr burn. Don't attempt to burn any wood before its time. Using less than"dry" wood will cause you more grief than it is possibly worth.

 

[John Lehet]

Yeah, I'll stick with the dryest wood I've got. I've got the very very dry stuff on the front porch, and the regular-dry stuff on the back porch. I've been burning up the older wood first.

>wise to try and control the fire around the peak temp mentioned

It seems the only way to control it is to wish I had put a bit less wood in. I guess I should have also mentioned that main thing I find alarming is that when it's shut all the way down, there are very lively flames at the bottom of the logs. The whole firebox is solid with flame. It's not like the fire is on a low cruise with some secondary burn happening around the baffle. Two small logs in there, and there's nothing about the fire that says "control."

 

[Jags]

Do the dollar bill test on all door gaskets (ash pan included). That will tell you if you are sealed properly. (the dollar bill test is easily searchable here).

 

[John Lehet]

OK, in spite of the doors seeming to close tightly and the gaskets looking really good, there are parts of the main door where the bill will slip, especially around the top of the door.

The ash door gasket looks brand new, but along the bottom of it the bill will slip right out.

Looks like some new gaskets are in store, but I'm not sure how to tighten the ash door much. It's hard to close and the gasket looks new. Maybe it's warped?

 

[Jags]

Anything is possible. If the bill will slip right out of part of the ash pan door (or anywhere for that matter) it is probably adding to the futility of trying to control the burn. Gotta get it fixed, whatever the fix is (thicker gasket, door adjustment, the use of furnace cement as a "spacer", etc).

 

[John Lehet]

Thanks!

 

[John Lehet]

OK, it was the gasket around the ash pan door, and nothing worse than that. I replaced it this morning with a larger gasket I had around here, and now the stove seems quite controllable. I'll also do the door gasket, which also is leaky in a few spots, one of these days.

 

[Jags]

That is good news (that you found the issue). Get the rest of the gaskets in order and you should have a fine little heater.

 

[John Lehet]

Yeah, I think it's a keeper.

I had a Jotul 602 once before, and that was quite an exceptional little heater too, one of the best stoves I've ever had.

I may regret not getting this stove new in enamel (or a nice used enamel one). I wasn't so sure about it and figured I'd date before marrying. We've got some cold weather ahead, we'll see.

 

[Jags]

I love it when a plan comes together.