Jotul Oslo air control lever??

This is from another thread that didn't belong, sort of an off-topic tangent of sorts. I posted the initial responses from myself and another member so you can see what I'm talking about.

My Jotul Oslo has had decreased burn times over the last 2 years and I was leaning towards the air control lever as a possible problem. Is there any other Castine or Oslo owners who have issues with their burn times?

If IIRC the F500 is a 2.0 cu. ft. stove. What are you getting for burn times? I get 10-12 hr. + burns easily with the T5 a 2.1 cu. ft. stove. Seems that the F500 should get easy overnight burns as well..

I'm not sure whats going on with the Oslo. I have had very different results over the last 2 years with burn times than when I first got it. I don't get 8 hrs anymore, at least not in the last 2 yrs. The seals have all been replaced, I have air checked anywhere there is a fixed gasket (glass and top plate), I have looked for cracks and anything out of place, I see nothing that would be a red flag. Secondaries are ok, wood is perfect, venting is awesome....no idea. The one thing that I cannot check or don't know how to is the air lever. It can be tricky to find the right place, I sometimes have to listen to the air going into the stove and not just look where the lever is to get the right burn. I have never heard of any problems with the air lever on these stoves but who knows???? Thats my story and I'm sticking with it!

 

No Jotul folks out there to give me a hand with this??

 

Take the dog house cover off and work the air lever. Make sure ash didn't build up underneath the plate that slides back and forth. Vacuum out doghouse and put the cover back on.
Give that a shot.

 

I did the dog house clean out last year on someone's suggestion, it was in decent shape when I got there. I'm wondering more along the lines of the slide or lever creating more of an air problem that causes increased air getting into the firebox. I'm not sure what to look for if I do take it apart again. Thanks for your help

 

Pretty simple system. The lever slides the plate over the square opening letting more or less air in depending on the lever/plate position. I would work the lever real good and slow with the doghouse off to make sure it is in fact moving that plate over the opening as it should. Ash/crud could get under that plate making it sit not flush when it slides back and forth. This could let extra air in.
I know older oslos had a straight end to the lever, where it attaches to the plate. Newer ones have a curved end. I think this was supposed to make the plate slide easier/better.
I have heard of people using graphite powder to help the lever and slide as well.

 

BV, I appreciate your post. I did exactly what your explaining last year around this time, this is the same time of year when I was getting frustrated like I am this year. I posted this problem with the "other" forum and a few members suggested the same thing as you. I found nothing out of the ordinary when I took doghouse and parts apart. A little bit of ash and a quick vac and all was ok. Still I'm trying to find out why this stove is eating wood. I'm not sure where else to look

 

Interesting. Are you thinking air leak? I know you said you checked gaskets and cracks. Did you use the incense stick method or flashlight looking for light through cracks?
I had a VC encore that leaked air like a sob. I must have waved a dozen incense sticks around that thing for weeks looking for a leak. Not fun. Finally fixed the problem... I bought an Oslo.
Sounds like not much, if anything has changed in your stove and setup in the last few years. Do you think the unusually cold weather this winter has something to do with her eating through wood or is it something much more?
What kind of burn times and temps are you getting, and what did you get a few years ago?

 

I've been burning my oslo for around 7 years now. I've had the top off to clean it out, if you've never removed the top and cleaned it I would recommend that.

I've also used rutland stove cement to redo the inside firebox floor joints along the sidewalls.

What else, hmmm, I've had to tighten a side plate that the bolt worked loose over time, can't recall where this particular bolt was, but I think it was inside upper front right.

I've made sure to clean the burn tubes well, making sure the burn tube holes are clear of soot buildup etc.

I have the original air lever and still have to pop the doghouse once or twice a season to graphite so it works smoothly.

I am always careful to make sure the ash pan door is closed properly, that would be one spot that you may take a closer look at, especially the hinge end of the door, however, if there were a noticeable air leak there then once again, that would show quickly in terms of stove top temps. I always have to shut down my stove on a full load when she's 650 degrees max. and on the lower end depending on draft I can shut the air off when it reaches around 500.

I feel pretty sure if my oslo were to develop an air leak of some sort that it would show up quickly just by reading my stove top thermometer.....an air leak would likely cause it to run too hot on a full load.

 

Hey ans, thanks for your input. Ray and I have been going back and forth for a few days now trying to narrow down some ideas on why my stove is not running so well.
After trying a few different burn techniques it showed no real change. I got a 6 hr burn this morning, coals died down to a 230 deg stove top after a full load and a top down start.
Looks like I'm gonna have to sniff out the leak or leaks with some smoke and see where the drafty leak takes me.

If you have any other leak testing suggestions please throw em my way. Thanks

 

Well, you're welcome

Some times I just can't figure out this wood burning stuff, I think weather plays a big part, high pressure systems, low pressure systems, wind, temperature. It seems with wind, and high pressure, when it's cold, my loads burn up faster. When its warmer, and misty/foggy and such, load goes on longer. I don't know.

I can't ever keep a burning fire for more than 4 to 5 hours tops, but always have coals after 12 hours, unless I'm burning real lightweight wood like willow or boxelder. With good hardwood I always have good coals.

I'd focus on those inner sidewall seams at the firebox floor, make sure all interior assembly bolts are tight, and really make sure that ash pan gasket is right on the money.

I don't see how the air control handle could affect things. I always vac mine out good when I'm in there.

I recall bringing the air compressor in one time and firing it into the air inlet at the center lower rear of the stove, just to make sure things weren't clogged up in there.

 

After some discussion a couple months ago about ash pans I decided to let mine run full and clean just the ash bed in the stove when it got full. Since then my wife has cleaned the ash pan and this is when I started to notice some small changes. I just replaced the ash pan door gasket in December, I changed them all out in December. Anyways, I think I'll let it fill up again and I'll see if that is one of the problems.

 

I have the same problem with my Jotul f 500, except that it is much worse. A full load of dry hardwood will last only 3 hrs, and I suspect that the stove gets too hot. I checked all the possible air leaks, changed the gaskets. With the air control fully closed, the flame is much too 'active'. If I block the the large air admission hole at the back of the stove, the flame goes out immediately, so the problem is not a major air leak. I read in other forums that the fire in this stove may get 'out of control' and this is what happens with mine. The suggestion is that the air control mechanism is the culpirt and that the base of the plate sould be sanded, but this has not changed anything (n the base was clean and flat). This 'out of control' situation has been reported by many owners but I have not seen any adequate solution ( the usual recommendation is to install a damper!). It is not normal that a stove that works fine when new begins to overheat after a few years. How come the manufacturer or importer do not give any clue as to what happens and what is the cure? Anybody has a solution???

 

Hi Paul, welcome to the FWHC forums! and I especially welcome you with information like this. The Oslo issues that you have brought with you are exactly the same problems I am having too. After running through the stove and looking for typical seals and cracks type problems and found nothing, my mind took me to mechanical and so it is. I always have low burns with active flames, way too much heat and way too low burn times for what it should be.

I did install an inline damper on my stove pipe. I didn't want to but I thought I had no choice because of what was going on. The damper turned into a hassle of sorts, part of the 'making adjustments' process of getting the lower burns. It took awhile to get that down. I agree with you in wanting to know why the manufacturer hasn't come up with a solution as to why a new stove begins to have failures after just a few years in service. The last 2 years have been bad for burn times for me, I find waking up and having no coals most morning seriously unacceptable for a stove this size from a company with a decent reputation.

Prior to coming here (FWHC) I brought this Jotul issue to the other popular wood forum and got nowhere either. I wrote the manufacturer and they suggested I regularly vacuum all the air control parts for ash. I was doing that anyways!!

 

Here we go again. My ongoing issue with the the air control on my Oslo. The Oslo is off of it's hearth, in pieces and on wheels in the dining room. I have been in contact with my stove shop for the last 2 weeks about my short burn times and they (the stove shop) said that Jotul is aware there is a problem but has not come up with a remedy yet. So last night I forwarded 3 pages of online forum posts from here and H.com., all from Oslo owners experiencing the same problem.

Today I took the doghouse off the primary air inlet housing. The plate seems ok, just a little ash dust underneath, same as other times when I have cleaned it. I don't think the plate is the problem from what I can see. I'm leaning towards the air inlet on the bottom back of the stove, it appears to also feed the secondary air tubes as well as the primary air. I wonder if the secondaries aren't burning that maybe the tubes are feeding the fire and making it burn too hot when it's choked out.

Can any other Oslo owners (or former) chime in here please.

 

So your problem is short burn times and you think it is due to your Air Control?

 

I am leaning that way strongly. I have had this stove since 08' and only in the last 2 seasons has it been the way it is now, poor burn times.

I researched other forums in the last couple days, in order to show the Jotul folks what I am dealing with. In 2 hours of cut and paste I collected
3 pages of forum posts with Oslo owners with the exact same or simular problems as mine.

I have gone through the typical problem solving protocols and eliminated the basic stuff (gaskets, cracks etc.) Best part is that Jotul (through my stove shop) has recognized there is a problem but has not gone any further with it.

Thats where things are at right now. Not sure if they(Jotul) will do anything for me or not.

Do you have any problems with your stove??

 

My stove is work release. Working on the air intake problem.

 

This is where the dog house would go. The lever would control the slider over the air intake here. All seems ok