My darn Jotul Firelight won't stay on!

[flipper]

it's a sit valve. and i test various things out and it passed okay i guess.

i fired the stove up again last night and watched in great dismay as the flame died again with no great decline in millivolts, maybe even another rise.

at this point, i guess i'm going to gather my tools and pack it in and start saving $ to get a pro in. anyone know anyone good in coastal rhode island?

 

[summit]

one last thing... have you checked the burner oriface?

 

[flipper]

ha! got me! forgot!

will do that today and report back ...

 

[flipper]

checked it. pulled nothing out. seems clean to me.

 

[DAKSY]

OK. One last thing to try. Jump the TH & TH-TP terminals with a wire.
Use one with alligator clips or Female spades, so you can leave it on...
If it runs fine & doesn't shut off, it's either the wiring TO the switch, or the switch itself...

 

[summit]

checked it. pulled nothing out. seems clean to me.

the little brass one?

 

[flipper]

cleaned the little brass one -- the tip, right? -- and did the jumper thing. no go. this time i watched the whole thing.

once fired up, at 11:21 am, the multimeter read 313 mv. by 11:34, the reading had declined to 260 mv. two minutes later it had risen to 270. And then in the span of 20 seconds, it rose from 270 mv to 440 mv and the burner went out.

any final thoughts before i go smash the thing to bits, ha ha, just kidding, i think ...

 

[summit]

maybe time for a new one....

 

[DAKSY]

Try it one more time with the logs out & the glass on...
I know you tried it without the logs in an earlier test,
but that was before you changed the t-pile...

 

[flipper]

okay, i've pretty much given up on this. i gather the stove needs a professional at this point and a new sit valve. i think i have two options going forward:

1/ call a pro. the only service i can find -- and the one the only jotul dealer in the state said to call -- gets *horrible* reviews on the internet. he charges $100 for the initial visit and first 1/2 hour, and $100 an hour after that. is that normal?

2/ get a new heater. in this application, i don't care about aesthetics or anything like that. a plain box would be fine with me. the area to heat is about 150 sq ft. i'd be pleased as punch to throw out this jotul and go with the least expensive alternative. i would like it vented though and could use the existing gas lines, etc.

if feasible, i'd favor option 2. might anyone suggest a plain jane plain vanilla heater that'd work? doesn't have to look like a fireplace, doesn't have to look like anything. i was looking at the northern tool procom (http://tinyurl.com/5u4ojus) but it's vent free. cost is like $115. don't see a vented model, but that's what i want. hmmm.

thanks!

 

[DAKSY]

One last thing before you start calling in a pro.
Do you have a blower on this unit?
Is it plugged in to an outlet?

 

[flipper]

No blower, nothing plugged into an outlet.

my problem w/ calling in a pro is that the authorized servicer is supposed to stink; plus, i'm worried about throwing good money after bad.

the vent free model i referred to above is $115 delivered, 10k btu. i just found an 8k btu direct vent model from housewarmer that's ... $350. why so much more for direct vent? http://tinyurl.com/6ktdbo5

thanks again.

 

[DAKSY]

No blower. Dang . That blows another theory out the window.
PM me with the serial number & model # from the unit.
Also give me your phone # & I will contact our Jotul rep
& see if he can get back to you.
Two more questions: is your unit an LP or NG unit
& if it's LP, who did the conversion?

 

[flipper]

hey, bob: wow, thank you very much. i will PM you my phone number.

Model No: Firelight DV, LPG

Serial No: L 80760

Type of Gas: Propane

I bought the unit used. From the above, I gather it's been propane all along.

thanks again!!

 

[DAKSY]

All Jotul gas stoves come from the factory as NG burning units,
but included with each is the NG-to-LP conversion kit.
If the conversion was done by a pro, there will be an LP sticker on
the gas valve & a record of fuel conversion on the rating plate.

 

[DAKSY]

Ok. Here's what I got from the Jotul Rep.
That particular model has Majestic guts inside a Jotu shell.
It hasn't been made for 12+ years.
I explained what we've talked you thru & his diagnosis is the valve,
but that's over the phone & an on-site tech may see something else...
Your best bet for Rhode Island Jotul Service is:

The Stovepipe Fireplace Shop, Inc
654 Warwick Avenue
Warwick, RI 2888
Phone: (401)941-9333

Give them a call & see what they charge.
There are other Jotul dealers out there, but
my rep says these guys are the real deal.
HTH...

 

[flipper]

Thanks, Bob, I appreciate what you've done. The Stovepipe Shop is, in fact, the dealer that recommended I contact this outside outfit that gets such terrible online reviews. And charges $100 for the first 1/2 hr and $100 an hour after that, which I still don't know if it's a reasonable rate or not. I find it a little odd that they don't do the work themselves and instead told me to call these other folks. What do you think?


thanks again.

 

[DAKSY]

Well, we'd get $129 for the call & then $80 per after than so they're in line with our rates.
Tell the guys at the stovepipe shop that Jotul recommended them, maybe that'll give em a nudge...