Jotul Oslo Gaskets

[buffygirl]

Greetings to all -- I've posted a couple of other times requesting help with my new Oslo and you have all came to my rescue -- Have any of you ever had to replace ash pan gasket on a new Oslo only burned 6-8 weeks --Just cleaned the things out and had noticed the ash pan door was closing much easier than formerly so after scraping out the ashes decided to do the dollar bill test --Whoa-- almost fell out without a tug --could have pulled a wad of dollar bills thru -- checked the big front door and it was fine -- the side load door was fine on the bottom but the top also gave the bill up very easily. Called the place where I bought the thing and the gal said that's not good --come in and get some new gasket--so I did. When she gave me what the specs called for I said that's not what's in there now it's much larger than that so she gave me the next size up. Hubby installed it that night. Tried the dollar bill again --whoosh here it came, got a toothpick out and poked it up there and I could move it all along the bottom of the ashpan door. Needless to say, I pulled it out and took the new gasket along with the one from the factory into the store and showed them -- so they gave me a couple of different sizes - large and larger.. with the instructions to start with the larger--which I did but couldn't get the door shut. So I installed the large which was the same size as what came from the factory. Waited an hour for the cement to set up and tried the dollar bill again -- here it came, although it did give me some resistance. This gasket makes it really hard to shut the door but it is closeable. Do these things ever really seal up?? Will this warp the door because it is putting pressure on it to close? Is there anyway to contact the Jotul company? Thanks for reading this, sorry it is so long -- I must be the only person who has had trouble with Jotul. I know you all love yours.
Buffygirl

 

[grommal]

Strange that it should have a gap so soon. Are you sure there was not some other issue, like something gone wrong with the hinge or the latch? My ash pan door closes quite easily, yet I still can't pull a bill through the seal without almost tearing it. If the door closes very hard, yet still does not seal well, it sound like the door is not fitting up straight to the stove body, such that it contacts at some places way before others.

 

[buffygirl]

Thanks Grommal for your input. I agree about the door not fitting properly. I wouldn't think I should have to replace the gaskets yet, either, cause I haven't burned it that hard . When I went back to the dealer, she gave me a larger gasket than the specs call for. Shouldn't the gasket fit in that groove and then the door fit tightly? Do you pull the gasket tight or skrunch it in there or just put it in there naturally? I skrunched the new gasket in and closed the door but I don't like the way it shuts, I'm afraid it will warp the door. Can the door be adjusted? Something is not right here but can't figure it out. I'm letting the stove cool off and pulling out this gasket and going to put it back naturally. I've had problems regulating this stove from the beginning and dealer thinks it's caused from the ashpan door. Thanks, again.

Buffygirl

 

[grommal]

Thanks Grommal for your input. I agree about the door not fitting properly. I wouldn't think I should have to replace the gaskets yet, either, cause I haven't burned it that hard . When I went back to the dealer, she gave me a larger gasket than the specs call for. Shouldn't the gasket fit in that groove and then the door fit tightly? Do you pull the gasket tight or skrunch it in there or just put it in there naturally? I skrunched the new gasket in and closed the door but I don't like the way it shuts, I'm afraid it will warp the door. Can the door be adjusted? Something is not right here but can't figure it out. I'm letting the stove cool off and pulling out this gasket and going to put it back naturally. I've had problems regulating this stove from the beginning and dealer thinks it's caused from the ashpan door. Thanks, again.

Buffygirl

I remember you posting about control troubles. I'd suspect the door never did seal correctly then. I can pretty much dial my Oslo in anywhere between 400 and 600 stovetop, with no control issues at all.

I have not looked closely at the construction of the ash door, so I can't answer your question about adjustments (and I won't be spending a long while with that door open looking at it until the stove goes cold sometime over the next couple of days). But, I THINK that the latch is adjustable and the hinge is just a pin. One thing I'd look at is whether the hinge pin is installed correctly, seated well in both the top and bottom section of the hinge (the parts on the stove body). If it's not, that would certainly lead to a poor door fit.

 

[xman23]

Buffy,
I replaced mine after about 7 years. It had been unglued from the bottom groove for a few years. The door never had a tight feel with the original gasket. What I replaced it with was 1/16 or 1/8 larger. It created a tight, somewhat hard to close door. My stove isn't here so I can't look at the door, but I don't think there are any adjustments to the pin hinge or the spring latch.

When you install the gasket just lay it in the groove with out stretching or skrunching, close the door for a hour or so so the gasket is seated in the groove and adhesive. Then open the door and let it dry. Then do burn in's.

I think the dollar bill test can be very subjective. With a graphite gasket lubing the bill I find it pulls out rather easily. You just need the gasket against the stove's door frame edge.

Tom

 

[grommal]

Buffy,
I replaced mine after about 7 years. It had been unglued from the bottom groove for a few years. The door never had a tight feel with the original gasket. What I replaced it with was 1/16 or 1/8 larger. It created a tight, somewhat hard to close door. My stove isn't here so I can't look at the door, but I don't think there are any adjustments to the pin hinge or the spring latch.

When you install the gasket just lay it in the groove with out stretching or skrunching, close the door for a hour or so so the gasket is seated in the groove and adhesive. Then open the door and let it dry. Then do burn in's.

I think the dollar bill test can be very subjective. With a graphite gasket lubing the bill I find it pulls out rather easily. You just need the gasket against the stove's door frame edge.

Tom

Absolutely true. It does not have to be tight. It just has to come out with a little resistance.

 

[logger]

Hey Grommal,
You're not from the Jim Thorpe area of PA are you?

 

[colebrookman]

I agree with grommal. Have you tried the door without the ash pan? Could be preventing the door from closing.
Be safe.
Ed

 

[buffygirl]

Colebrookman -- Thanks for the reply. I'm getting the door closed, it's just not sealing well. The retailer had me change the gasket to 3/4" - specs require 1/4" and it put so much pressure on the door to close I just ripped it out cause I was afraid it would warp or crack the door. I don't think I should have to doube the size of the gasket - it didn't even fit in the groove, it just kind of laid there. Anyway I am going to try to put the original back into the door. I don't think it's 3/8 but it's what came in the stove. Isn't putting a larger gasket in the door just a band-aid on the problem?

Buffygirl

 

[colebrookman]

Can I be a pain an assume you did try it without the ash pan. If so next I would pull off the door and lay it on a smooth surface to see if it may be warped. It's not a piano but it should be flat. This is not common with our stoves. I'll try the dollar test later on my stove when it cools down. We are looking at 64 degrees, saving wood!! Be safe .
Ed

 

[buffygirl]

Colebrookman -- Thanks again -You're not causing me any pain compared to this stove. No I didn't try it without the ash pan - I'm sure I'm getting the door closed cause it takes some pressure to close the handle and the spring squeaks and can't pull it open without turning the handle. Hubby has checked it and we feel the door is closing. That said - HOW do I get the door off? It has this wedge shaped pin in the hinge-- I pulled up on it and nothing happened --I'm afraid to do too much cause I might really mess it up.

P.S. Just pulled out the ashpan and shut the door -- don't see any difference.

 

[colebrookman]

I said that only because I was able to close my door, hard to turn the handle but it did latch, yet the ash pan was not in all of the way because of ash at the back side stopping the pan from going in. We're not talking a large door opening, Just make sure you take a flashlight to the inside of the ash compartment and check the far wall for any built up ash. Sometimes I miss the basic and get in deeper than needed in my repairs. I'll check my stove in a while. Be safe.
Ed

 

[buffygirl]

Thanks again, Colebrookman--when I empty the ash pan I always take the poker and scrape the ashes out from back to front. They told me to put 3/4" gasket in this door--when it only requires 1/4--does that seem right? It was so big I could barely get the door closed - put it in real bind so I ripped it out and am going to try to put the old back in. Thanks again.

 

[colebrookman]

Did you actually look inside?
Ed

 

[nelraq]

Where I live, in western Canada, the distributor of the Jotul, PE, Hearthstone and probably some others, employs at least 2 troubleshooters/repair men.
You have to contact the rep via the dealer that you bought the stove from. The service is free; as long as your warranty is still valid.

My previous stove was a PE - which had several serious problems. The area tech was at my place quite quickly. Between him and the dealer from whom I bought the stove, the problems were rectified - took awhile, but at least it got done!!

I am now burning an Oslo. There is certainly a steep learning curve on this stove; but I am finally "getting it." I haven't tried the dollar bill test on the doors yet--but don't think I have to - it seems to be a very tight stove! Funny how the PE had way too much draft and the Oslo seems to struggle getting a good fire going!

Get after your dealer - get the tech out to check out your Oslo. You shouldn't have to be going through this!

 

[firefighterjake]

Hmmm . . . being new you really shouldn't have to replace the gasket already . . . most folks with Oslos don't change out the gaskets for five years or more.

The dollar bill test should result in some resistance, but a gentle tug may be enough to pull out the bill.

With my ash pan it seems to have a decent seal . . . in fact I have to push in the handle a bit while turning.

I think I would go with the original gasket material . . . and if there is a continued problem with gapping perhaps the stove shop would send a tech to check things out. If there is a problem with the way the door is fitting or the gasketing it may fall under warrantee . . . and if it is a simple problem that can be rectified by the tech it would be a small price to pay for the service call as you would end up with a working stove and peace of mind.

 

[grommal]

I said that only because I was able to close my door, hard to turn the handle but it did latch, yet the ash pan was not in all of the way because of ash at the back side stopping the pan from going in. We're not talking a large door opening, Just make sure you take a flashlight to the inside of the ash compartment and check the far wall for any built up ash. Sometimes I miss the basic and get in deeper than needed in my repairs. I'll check my stove in a while. Be safe.
Ed

This is a valid point. I had this happen on my old VC, which taught me to check the back of the ash pan enclosure periodically. Raking out the ash without looking carefully into the enclosure may fool you into thinking you got it all. There's much less room for it to build up in the Oslo than there was in my VC.

I looked at my ash pan door today. The hinge has no adjustment, as it's just a pin. The latch has no built-in adjustment, but if disassembled, it could probably be modified with a washer for more clearance, or by grinding down the spacer for less clearance. I don't think that's the right approach, though, unless you can be sure that the door is closing so that the door edge is parallel to the front of the opening when they meet with normal gasket thickness, but the latch isn't pulling tight enough. That does not sound like your problem, though. If there's a much bigger gap on one side or end than the other, then there's some sort of alignment issue that may have been there right from the start.

 

[colebrookman]

FYI I checked my ash door and the side door with a dollar bill. Even with a shrinking dollar it would have ripped in half if I kept pulling. Stove is 6+ years old, primary source of heat for 1200sq. ft. Don't bother pulling the door, it's not built flat but curves to match stove. I think someone already said to try a little smoke around the door when burning. Good luck. Be safe.
Ed

 

[xman23]

When I replaced mine I ended up using a gasket that was slightly larger, so I think I must have used 5/16. Only did this because it was all I could find. That was very tight on the hinge side. As I recall the hinge is a straight pin that I pulled out to removed the door and do the gasket replacement on a flat padded surface.
3/4 gasket sounds like it would be to large for the hinge side to close. I wonder if the issue you are having removing the hinge pin is you bent it closing the door with the large gasket. Otherwise there have been a number changes from my stove which is 10 year old, maybe the hinge is one of them.