Jotul 8?? Can anyone shed some light on that stove?

[begreen]

I think you pull the bypass handle to open the bypass and push it in to close the bypass and engage the cat. It should be apparent when the cat is engaged. Smoke should stop emitting from the chimney. A catalytic probe thermometer also will help.

The manual is located here:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/jotul-stoves/?noRedirect=1
download the Jotul 8 newer catalytic manual - Jotul 8_1097.pdf

 

[Ashful]

User manual: (broken link removed to http://jotul.com/us/guides/_attachment/12814?_download=true&_ts=13e1d9f313a)

 

[stovelark]

Hi all- Pulling the silver egg (rod handle) out is the bypass position, bypass engaged is pushed in. One would also tell by the engaged position burning much more slowly and controlled. I too like the original 8 for its simplicity/durability, there are many still out there heating homes. A new clean burning stove is still my preference, but used correctly, the old stoves still have a purpose to fulfill. Not everyone can afford new cars or stoves..Stay warm.

 

[scottgen20]

I currently have a Jotul 8, the 1st version with the spin draft wheel and am heating my new to me 1700sf farmhouse with it. In my previous home (in my avatar), I had two different newer stoves with burn tubes (Jotul and an England insert). I had planned on replacing this Jotul 8 with something newer, but after using it for 1.5 seasons now, I'm not so sure I want to part with it.

The 8 is super quick to heat up - I can have it up to temp in no time at all. It has a very easy learning curve and damping it down (closing the spin wheel to about 95%) for an overnight burn leaves me with coals that I can use to revive the fire in the morning. I was worried that it wouldn't be clean burning, but I'm pleasantly surprised that most times when I go out and look at the chimney there is no visible smoke. It's got a great size firebox and even without a newer air wash, the glass stays surprisingly clean. In my opinion, I think this was a great design for Jotul. I have it in red enamel which looks great, too!

 

[defiant3]

It seems too long since I've heard that kind of thing. Older conventional stoves CAN be relatively clean, efficient, not to mention cost effective heaters! Perhaps we undervalue "pre-digital" knowledge? Or are even suspect of under sophisticated technology? I wonder, but my feeling is that a good stove is a good stove, and there's more to it than simply how new it is. End of rant, thank you for tolerating it.

 

[begreen]

Jotul has made good stoves for a long time. Properly run, burning dry wood, they are good heaters. My favorite was the F118 which seemed to extract more heat from the flue gases. The Jotul 8 preceded the F400 Castine. Both have similar burn times, but without a doubt the emissions for the old 8 are much higher than for the Castine. I don't have official tests for the F8 but would not be surprised if they are 10x higher. I think the F400 also returns more heat to the room per pound of wood burned, but have not seen a side by side test. The F400 runs about a 100ºC lower flue temp with a nominal burn. The F8 is tested having 75% efficiency, the F400 as 84% energy efficiency. The F8 may have a small edge on the F400 for fuel capacity due to the large baffle and secondary structure that doesn't exist on the F8.

FWIW I used to think my F602 was a pretty clean burning little stove. When it was in the kitchen I only occasionally went out to look at the flue cap to see how well it was burning. Seemed pretty clean at the time. Then I moved it to the greenhouse where I look right out at the stack. That was an eye opener. Until the wood stops outgassing I see smoke even with a good hot, dry wood burn.

 

[Ashful]

It seems too long since I've heard that kind of thing. Older conventional stoves CAN be relatively clean, efficient, not to mention cost effective heaters! Perhaps we undervalue "pre-digital" knowledge? Or are even suspect of under sophisticated technology? I wonder, but my feeling is that a good stove is a good stove, and there's more to it than simply how new it is. End of rant, thank you for tolerating it.

They may be reasonably efficient, high emissions aside, But old stoves built by cementing together cast iron panels have a very limited lifetime, unless you're willing to do a complete break-down, cement removal, and rebuild. Failed cement seams, and the subsequent inevitable overfiring, is the death of almost every old cast-iron Jotul.

I love old cars, too. But commuting any distance to work every day in a 30 year old car with 300k miles on it is a guaranteed recipe for frustration.

 

[begreen]

A rebuild during the summer is a good plan for a 30 yr old stove. The original Jotul 8 was a simple stove. It can be rebuilt in a couple hours and if no new parts are needed then all it will cost is the price of some cement and maybe a drill and tap plus some bolts. Hearthstone sells a high quality stove cement that is worth getting for this job.

 

[defiant3]

I used to be able to actually work on my car 30 years ago, now they're just too complicated. Life is full of trade offs, and I'm really not wishing the 80's back again. I got SO sick of Duran Duran for example. But I don't see giving up my old Defiant any time soon either.

 

[begreen]

I'm really not wishing the 80's back again. I got SO sick of Duran Duran for example.

LOL Try hearing Inna Gadda Da Vida a few hundred times.

 

[rangeroad]

Resurrecting an old thread here. I’ve got a series 8 with both the draft wheel on door and damper slider in upper right. It’s also has the ash pan. The only reference to series 8 with an ash pan is with the catalytic converter. My does not have this. Is it possible the previous owner took it out? Or, do I have a one-off or hiccup from the factory? Any insight appreciated. Thx

 

[begreen]

The Jotul naming for this stove is confusing. There is the series 8 and the original Jotul 8 which it sounds like you have. The original 8 had some later variations called the 8A and 8C (their first cat attempt), then the 8TDC (2nd attempt) then the Series 8 (third cat model).

Only the 8, 8A and 8C had the spin draft control. If yours has no cat, but a short baffle, that is the original model 8.

 

[spirilis]

My old original Jotul 8 didn't have a draft slider in the upper right fwiw. I thought that was a feature of catalyst versions?

Maybe the old owner took out the catalyst, who knows. The top lid should lift right off if I'm not mistaken - it's held in place by its own weight and a large fiberglass gasket seals it.

 

[begreen]

Yes, the description is confusing. I forgot, there is also the Jotul TD, but that doesn't have the spinwheel draft.
@rangeroad post a picture of the front of the stove and one of the inside for a positive ID and so that we can see what you are seeing.

 

[rangeroad]

 

[rangeroad]

View attachment 251206

Hopefully these come through. You can’t see it in pic but mine has the standard ash pan on the bottom with lever on the left side.any thoughts?

 

[begreen]

Ah, that does not have the spin-draft control. It is a newer model. Looks like a Series 8, non-cat unless there is a bypass handle on the right side. Can't see this in the picture. There should be a UL tag on the back with model designation. Can you post some shots of the interior of the stove?

 

[spirilis]

View attachment 251206 View attachment 251207

Ahh ok yours doesn't have the true "spin" draft at the bottom (on mine that round thing was an actual draft control, with handle and 2 semicircular slots for admitting primary air on the top & secondary air underneath). It's just controlled by the upper right. Might still be a non-catalytic model, not sure.

 

[rangeroad]

Ok now I’m really confused lol. The spin wheel on the bottom of mine definitely controls the draft, alongside the slider on the upper right. I don’t understand what a true ‘spin draft’ does different compared to mine?

It snowed last night so will be a few days before interior shots, but I will post those.

 

[begreen]

Ok now I’m really confused lol. The spin wheel on the bottom of mine definitely controls the draft, alongside the slider on the upper right. I don’t understand what a true ‘spin draft’ does different compared to mine?

It snowed last night so will be a few days before interior shots, but I will post those.

The little air intake on the door is for start-up air. Close it once the fire is burning well. The spin-wheel draft control on the older Jotuls is much larger and controlled all the air.

Here is an older model 8 with the spin wheel. Notice there is no upper air control.

 

[rangeroad]

The little air intake on the door is for start-up air. Close it once the fire is burning well. The spin-wheel draft control on the older Jotuls is much larger and controlled all the air.

Here is an older model 8 with the spin wheel. Notice there is no upper air control.
View attachment 251267

Ah got it, thank you!

 

[rangeroad]

Ok here are some interior photos, not the best quality but maybe someone can chime in if this is a cat or non-cat?

 

[1990Jotul]

Definitely non-catalytic. You have an interesting mix of things here. The insides of your stove are pre-catalytic, but the sliding air control on the upper right side (as looking at stove) suggests it was an 8TDC or 8TDIC (as does your door without the spin draft control). The one thing I am still unclear on is that you mentioned a bottom ashpan, but I cannot see that. Are you sure this has a gasketed removable pan under it? If so, that would be consistent with a a Series 8, but you clearly do not have that, as you have no catalyst mechanism in the front. Adding all this up, my best guess is that this stove was not made for the USA market, but is a Jotul F8 which is sold in the UK, Europe, and other parts of the world. If you measure your flue exhaust, it should be 6 inches. You have no identification plate on the back of the stove? I also noted your top baffle was manufactured in 1994, so unless it was a replacement part, there is no way this could have been a USA model.

 

[1990Jotul]

Correction to my last post, I see you actually said you had a "standard ash pan" so ignore my comment about the removable gasketed one. The other thing I just noticed, is you are in Canada, so this is consistent with my theory of it being a non-USA model F8. You can still buy these in certain parts of the world.

 

[rangeroad]

Thank you! Yes, after seeing photos of various Series 8 stoves I’ve been curious as to what exactly this is. Unfortunately no plate on back of stove. It’s interesting that if you look closely at markings on side plate in the photos, you can read the lettering KAT. That got me wondering if it was Norwegian for a catalytic ID. But when you empty the ash pan, it’s clear that it’s just the grate separating the pan, nothing in between. And yes my flue is 6”.

At any rate, this is my first experience with a wood stove, and I have to say I really love this one. Easy to get a fast fire going, and seems to draw really well. The ash pan is a little awkward as ash always falls in between the gap, so it requires another cavity sweep so the pan will fit back properly. The ashpan door has a gasket, but the pan does not; it’s just a deep pan approx 4” deep. It’s a bit of a yoga exercise to empty lol, other than that a perfect camp stove that I found for a great price.