Jotul f500 problem... and solution

[jotul8e2]

I am on my eighth season with my Jotul Oslo f500. You would think I had it down by now, but noooo!

Beginning with the tail end of last season and again at the start of this season I started having problems with cold starts. It was just taking far too long to get the stove up to operating temp. Wood? Check. Gaskets? Check. Flue? Check.

To cut to the grand finish, I finally realized that for many years a fresh load took six splits, but it was now sometimes difficult to load even four into an empty stove. I took all the large pieces in my use-it-next pile and split them once or twice again and, problem solved! If your Oslo is like mine, it likes most of a load to be splits no wider than four inches, and three is better for a cold stove.

I had wondered why I was getting my splitting finished so much faster these days!

 

[Toploader]

Well no doubt the Oslo is not an easy breather but it's strange that this problem should start all of the sudden. Something must have changed. I know with my Oslo and my normal 6 month old "seasoned" wood I have to crack the side door until the temp gets up to 450 or 500F and that can certainly take a while. On the rare occasions when I've had dry wood I can close the side door much sooner and every aspect of the burn is much better.

 

[jotul8e2]

I should make myself more clear - what changed is that over time I have been letting my splits get bigger and bigger. Where once I was going for three to four inch splits, my pile is now full of stuff six inches and even larger. I am having to go through it and split much of it once, and even twice again.

I just started up the cold stove this evening with three or four inch splits and it gets going just like it used to.

 

[Toploader]

Ok I see, that makes sense, I think I could have surmised that from your original post if I had read it a little more carefully.

 

[firefighterjake]

I realized that smaller splits = easier to ignite and get going quicker a number of years ago.

My issue now is that some of my now primo, well seasoned wood is almost burning too quickly so I guess I need to start splitting up larger chunks . . . or invest in a damper.

 

[Toploader]

I really like a good mix so I have options, usually four or five splits fills the fire box any smaller and they will burn up a little fast but it's nice to have smaller splits too for those times when you're in a hurry or for warmer days when the draft isn't as good. My wood isn't at the perfect moister level but even still I prefer mostly larger chunks.
Also I rebuilt my secondary air system, re-cemented all the components, and that makes the stove more controllable, no need for my homemade secondary air control or a damper.

 

[jotul8e2]

I do like to keep some five to six inch rounds for overnight. I find that I can get a cold stove going with a load of two to four inch splits plus one larger split or round on the bottom at the back. Once warm and with a bed of coals a load of three to four inch splits works and I can add one larger piece without slowing things down too much.

But a full load of six inch splits (and even larger!) is not easy to get started. I also have an Englander NC 30 and it burns anything that will fit through the door.

 

[Toploader]

But a full load of six inch splits (and even larger!) is not easy to get started. I also have an Englander NC 30 and it burns anything that will fit through the door.

The people I'm doing a renovation for have some kind of insert, not sure of the brand name, and I can't believe how easily it takes off compared to the Oslo, I think Jotul are a bit lazy in that they just keep pumping out the same cast iron stoves year after year without ever improving them. They even say in the manual to crack the side door on start up: how about designing in a start up air and while you're at it throw in a cat so we can get more more 3 hours of heat out of a load. I like my Oslo but I really think it would be nice to have something similar in looks with the performance of say the Woodstock PH.