Jotul c550 Rockland tips thread

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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]

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

 

[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]

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]

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]

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]

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.