# Jotul F 3 CB opinions



## spudzone (Oct 2, 2008)

Greetings from Hayward WI!

Since there is no shortage of opinions here, I'd like some opinions on the performance, burn times, and ease of use of the Jotul F 3 CB for a tight home of 1200 sq ft, with about 800-900 being heated by this stove. I have a lead on a slightly used one. It would be used daily mid-nov through april. We have plenty of good maple/oak/birch etc. for fuel.

I'm a newbie here, so I appreciate any thoughts.

Chris


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## HillRat (Oct 2, 2008)

Greetings, and welcome to the site!

I installed an F3CB in my house, a smaller ranch style in western NJ, one year ago. (See my avatar.) Imo, a very nice stove. I'm heating about the same size space as you. Here are some of my observations after using it as our sole source of heat last winter.

The stove is very well made. Everything fits well and works properly. It puts out plenty of heat for the area I'm heating with it. The air control is easy to use. The stove is quiet, even at full burn. The door glass rarely gets dirty. When it does, a nice hot fire will clean it up quickly. If the stovepipe is installed on top (vs. rear or side) there's not much room left on top for a water pot. I recently found a small, oval-shaped one that fits ok. The ash pan seems a bit small and I end up emptying it almost daily. I can get a six or seven hour overnight burn if I load the stove with nice, seasoned Ash. Though I would like a better overnight burn, I was able to go for weeks at a time last winter without having to strike a match to get a fire going again the next morning.

Overall I'm very happy with it and would buy another.


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## spudzone (Oct 2, 2008)

*Thanks*



HillRat said:


> Greetings, and welcome to the site!
> 
> I installed an F3CB in my house, a smaller ranch style in western NJ, one year ago. (See my avatar.) Imo, a very nice stove. I'm heating about the same size space as you. Here are some of my observations after using it as our sole source of heat last winter.
> 
> ...



I think it's rated for 18" logs. Can I cut to 18" and still feed it without hassle?

-Chris


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## HillRat (Oct 2, 2008)

spudzone said:


> I think it's rated for 18" logs. Can I cut to 18" and still feed it without hassle?
> 
> -Chris



The inside width of the firebox is 19". (I just measured it. : ) 18" will fit, but if the logs aren't cut with perfectly straight ends, you may have trouble loading them in especially when adding them to a fire that's already going. 

I ended up cutting a few inches off the largest logs I cut last winter after finding out that they were difficult to fit into the stove. I cut all this year's wood to 16" so I won't have to do that again!


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## myzamboni (Oct 3, 2008)

Hillrat is right on the money. I would not buy the stove if you expect overnight burns. Hillrat is doing very well with 6-7 hours without a reload. This little stove does throw a lot of heat. If it is a really good price jump on it. You can always try it, and if it does not meet your needs, sell it for a profit.


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## HillRat (Oct 3, 2008)

myzamboni said:


> Hillrat is right on the money. I would not buy the stove if you expect overnight burns. Hillrat is doing very well with 6-7 hours without a reload.



Yeah, let me make sure I say that overnight burns are not easy with this stove. If I use my best stuff, well seasoned Ash, it will work. Any lesser wood and the stove will be out before morning. The good stuff will leave a bed of coals that I can use to get things going again with the door open and some smaller pieces to start.

A bigger stove would hold an overnight burn better, but with the small space I'm heating I wouldn't be able to run it hot. I'd rather run a small stove hot than a larger stove cool.



myzamboni said:


> This little stove does throw a lot of heat. If it is a really good price jump on it. You can always try it, and if it does not meet your needs, sell it for a profit.



That's true. A couple of my neighbors are looking for stoves and are finding them either sold out or quite a bit more expensive than last year. Jotul is a great name that you should be able to resell easily if you want something else.


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## sredlin (Oct 3, 2008)

Going on my third winter with the F3 and have used nothing but wood the last two seasons---good stove heats my 1000 sq ft nicely


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## pjwwjp (Feb 17, 2009)

*Jotul F3*

Bought a Jotul F3 and had it installed on Jan. 26th. I have a tight 1,300 SF raised rance in Sussex County, NJ - it gets very cold here. All in all, I am extremely pleased with the F3. Only thing negative is that the ash pan is a bit small, but that doesn't bother me all that much - I rake the ashes a few times a day and empty it. When you run a wood stove, it's implicit that a certain amount of work comes with it and, if one is unwilling to do it, then a wood stove isn't for you. I find that 18 inch logs are a bit much - I cut them to to 15 inches. Worst thing you can do is get one stuck with the door open and the house filling with smoke. 15 works very nicely. I use short cut ends in the evening to build a nice hot firebed to tide us over till the morning. This morning, I got up at 7AM after having hit the sheets at 11PM the prevoius evening. At 7AM, I raked the embers, emptied the ash pan and loaded the stove with four 15" split logs. I cheated and opened the ash pan door for about three minutes to get a nice high burn --- IF YOU DO THIS, BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR IT CLOSELY SO YOU DON'T OVERFIRE THE STOVE. I've had this stove running 24X7 since I've had it with no matches or, for that matter, kindling. If you build a nice firebed, it produces nice hot charcoal, which will do a nice job come the cold morning. We love this stove. The main heat in our house is electric, and we not had the electric heat on once since it was installed. I'm kicking myself in the pants for not having done this years ago. Of course there's the cose of your time to be considered and other stuff (and risks). A good wood splitter will cost you, and a chain saw will also - and you better know how to use one safely, or it can cost you dearly. 

Paul







spudzone said:


> Greetings from Hayward WI!
> 
> Since there is no shortage of opinions here, I'd like some opinions on the performance, burn times, and ease of use of the Jotul F 3 CB for a tight home of 1200 sq ft, with about 800-900 being heated by this stove. I have a lead on a slightly used one. It would be used daily mid-nov through april. We have plenty of good maple/oak/birch etc. for fuel.
> 
> ...


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## Haywire Haywood (Feb 17, 2009)

I have the F500 instead of the F3, but in regards to length, mine is supposed to take a 22" piece. It will in an ideal situation but I have started cutting to 18". It helps to have some wiggle room when you have oddly shaped pieces or small crotches at one end of a stick.

Ian


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

*Help!!!!*

We were encouraged to buy the Jotul F3CB (as compared to the Castine) by the owner of the wood stove provider (The Wood Stove & Fireplace Center; Oakhurst, NJ). 
LOCATION: Central New Jersey where the temps do not get extremely cold but can go into the "teens" on a very cold day. 
AGE: House built in 1840; as such, not really air tight but not at all really bad drafts!. 
DIMENSION: Need to heat approx. 2,000. Room size that stove is in is approximately 170 sq ft. 
OTHER:. We purchased stove in Dec., 2010. The owner of the wood stove store came to our house to see the layout prior to recommending the stove.

We are encountering the following problems:
1) Stove does not stay hot (can initially get up to about 500 deg. but quickly goes to a comfort level of 300 deg). We are sometimes able to maintain approx. 400 deg. with a lot of work.
2) Every time we open door to put more wood in, we love approx. 20-30 deg. which is VERY hard to recoup the heat back into the stove. 
2) We have used approx. 1 cord of wood in the 1 1/2 months we have had the stove!!! We have tried 3 different kinds of wood including mixed, kiln dried and currently red oak (with some locus). None have made a huge difference except that the Kiln dried produced the most immediate heat!
3) We feed the fire every 30 minutes....as the temp. drops after that time span.
4) A damper was installed on the pipe to limit the draft, as the vendor claimed that 
perhaps there was too much draft. The damper is not stayng"in place" - opens slightly and can hear the draft. This means that we now insert wood every 30 min. as compared to every 15 min. 
5) The room that the stove is in gets "comfortable" (and it's only 170 sq ft) while the adjoining rooms "may" reach 70 degrees!...
6) We put a curtain by the stairwell so the heat does not funnel upstairs (upstairs is "included" in the 2,000 sq feet. We block that off so total first floor is approx 1,000 sq ft.)
6) We read the thermometer ALL the time. We are a slave to this stove!!
7)Total burn time, until basically ALL embers are gone is up to 3 hours. 
8)We play with the dampers to produce the "right burn", but can not in any way maintain for any extended period of time.
9)We have seen a true "blue flame" ONCE since having the stove!

The vendor claims that we do not know how to make a correct fire and/or how to maintain.

*We need any help/suggestions*, as we are NOT enjoying this stove at all!!!! ..and it is costing us more in wood than we are saving money on our PSE&G bill!!!! ugh....

Positive about stove: It does look beautiful!!! :smile:

*Please respond!!!!!*

Janet:struggle:


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## HillRat (Feb 2, 2011)

Sorry to hear about your troubles. The F3 is a great stove. Let's start with the simplest stuff first....

Are there gray rope-like gaskets on the ash pan door and the firebox door? Is the door glass secure? Is the small round air control under the middle of the door glass closed (all the way to the left?)

What type of chimney do you have? (Manufactured, existing brick, etc?) and does it run inside or outside of the the house?

P.S. Pics would be helpful if you have any!


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

*Thanks for the quick response!*

Hillrat ~THANK YOU for the quick response!!! Yes to all your initial questions about the design of the stove, the glass being secure and the air modulator being closed once we start the fire. 

We have double piping that runs up through the ceiling, through the second floor, into the attic and out the roof. There is a small bend in the piping in the attic so the pipe would not go out the apex of the roof. I can take pics and try to figure out how to post...(?)....We just got back from buying temperature thermometers so we can track how warm the room(s) get...so we can provide evidence to the vendor we bought from that the room(s) are not getting very warm. We have also sat and taken stats every 30 min. to track the decline of the temperature as per the thermometer we have on top of the stove (even after we put new wood in). 

However, I welcome more questions, thoughts and ideas!!!

We spoke with the place today where we bought the stove and he suggested 1) that we are losing 10% or slightly more b/c we have double piping (even though conceptually if the single piping went out the house we would receive NO heat from it), 2) that we call our local PSE&G Co. for THEM to figure out where our heat is going!

THANK YOU for your help!!!!!

Janet & Kevin


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

*Pic downloaded*

Hillrat ~ I added an "album" that includes a pic of the stove..let me know if you can see it! Also, I replied with a post to your lasst one, but it didn't come up yet..will check again to see it comes...it addressed your post!

Janet


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## HillRat (Feb 2, 2011)

Yup, found the album and the pic of the stove. Nice installation!

I don't see your other reply, which means it probably didn't post, but let's continue anyway.

Looks like the stovepipe exits from the rear of the stove rather than the top. Where are you measuring the stove temperature? 

My F3 will easily burn 400º-500º degrees, as measured with one of those round magnetic thermometers just to the right of the stovepipe which exits my stove from the top. (An IR thermometer shows that the metal thermometer is off by about 50º.) This is where the Jotul manual recommends reading the temperature. 

My first thought while reading your post was that the problem was likely with the seasoning of your firewood or the size of the pieces. A bunch of smaller, kiln-dried pieces will burn as you described-- fast and hot and then not much. 

Larger pieces that are not fully seasoned have the opposite effect: you can crank the air open and they'll burn, but you'll never build the heat you need to make the stove throw off enough heat for the room.

Maybe try reposting your other reply, and pics of your firewood if you have any.

Ed


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## HillRat (Feb 2, 2011)

Okay, now I see your reply. So, your setup is similar to mine: I have double wall stovepipe from the top of my stove to the ceiling support, then double wall chimney through about 4' of attic, three more feet after it passes through the roof, and then the chimney cap. 

I don't have any bends, and my stovepipe exits from the top of the stove.

One thing I'll say about my setup... I can make it plenty hot in here even with the double wall stovepipe! Yes, technically, more heat may be lost with double wall vs. single for the stovepipe, but I don't think it makes much difference overall. 

The insulation in your home can make a difference. When I added insulation to my attic floor to take it from an estimated R-6 to R-38, there was a noticeable savings in wood and in the temperature stability of the house. 

So far, I haven't heard or seen anything that would make me think that the way your stove is installed is the problem, or anything about it like gaskets or air controls, etc.

I'm still wondering if the size or condition of the firewood has something to do with it. If you are able to post pics of the different kinds of wood you're using, that might help.


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## sunfish (Feb 2, 2011)

HillRat touched on something very important, adding insulation to the attic. 
We did this last summer and I'm burning about half the wood I used to.

BTW, We got a Jotul F118CB 3 years ago and love it. Almost got the #3, but 
thought we needed just a little more stove, it's too much sometimes for our 
1200 square feet


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## Haywire Haywood (Feb 2, 2011)

My 2c about the pipe. From your description, the pipe is totally inside the house till it exits the 2nd floor ceiling and through the roof. Any heat lost due to the pipe would be lost inside the house. So.. it's not really lost. 

Ian


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## coog (Feb 2, 2011)

This has me scratching my head. I have three different Jotuls, but not the model you have. I don't like the fact that the dealer told you to get a damper, as the stove is designed to work without it. Did the dealer check your air control and rope gaskets? It sounds like you have problems associated with both too much intake air and too little intake air. I'm not sure how this would cause your problems, but I will mention that I have seen instances where sand has accumulated during the casting process, blocking the air channel. I am also surprised that the dealer didn't try to talk you into the Oslo, given your house's size and insulation. By all means you should bring this up with Jotul USA.


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## sunfish (Feb 2, 2011)

coog said:


> This has me scratching my head. I have three different Jotuls, but not the model you have. I don't like the fact that the dealer told you to get a *damper*, as the stove is designed to work without it. Did the dealer check your air control and rope gaskets? It sounds like you have problems associated with both too much intake air and too little intake air. I'm not sure how this would cause your problems, but I will mention that I have seen instances where sand has accumulated during the casting process, blocking the air channel. I am also surprised that the dealer didn't try to talk you into the Oslo, *given your house's size and insulation*. By all means you should bring this up with Jotul USA.


Yeah, the damper thing don't make sense. I was also thinking the #3 for 2000 square feet and old house? It is a great stove but a bit small. Even that, you still should not have to add wood every 30 minutes??? You really need to have a talk with that dealer...


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

Hi~

Thanks AGAIN!

I understand and agree with the wood issue...the Kiln lit up....and we question the seasoning of the present red oak we have even though the guy we bought it from said it was "seasoned" (...so he said..but it is not burning hot)...so, we purchased some "white oak" today..just a few pieces...18" and needed to chop it into smaller slivers to fit in the stove (we have a hard time finding 16" logs, especially this time of the season)...but, it did burn MUCH better and we were able to keep the stove at 500 with monitoring. That was a pleasant sigh of relief!!! We are going to go out and buy more of this wood TOMORROW!!! 

We also bought room thermometers...our main room (170 sq feet) reached max temp of 79...and the adjoining 3 rooms ranged from 67-69 (all approx the same size as the main room. Upstairs (with the curtain blcoking the stairs) reached 65 degrees. A concern about putting fans on is that 79 degrees is warm, but not really excessive where we would want to take the heat out of the room or that there is enough to really disperse.

Our attic ceiling is insulated, fortunately.....but, our stove is on the first floor and the attic is on the 3rd floor....so would insulation have the same effect?

Question 1) How often do you need to put new pieces of wood into the stove to maintain 400 - 500 degrees....and what kind of wood are you burning? 

Question 2) The holes inside the burner (at the top)..we were told they were to re-circulate the air inside the box....rarely do we see flames being blown/re-circulated out through them. Or, it may re-ciruclate if we put a new piece of wood in, for a few minutes, then it stops. Is this typical? We were under the impression that they played a major role in the "new" Jotul F3 CB....any comment(s) would be helpful.

The dealer told us we were only the 2nd home he has ever had to put a damper in...however, with the damper we can definitely hear less sucking of the air into the pipe..... 

We initially inquired about the F 400 Castline (only by seeing it on the floor when we walked into the store), and he told us it would give out too much heat. Today, when we spoke with him, he said that it was "too big" in size for our living room (?!)....sounded to me like he was back-tracking....

Do you need to use fans to move air from room to room given your size home (how many sq. ft. is your home????) or does the air find its way given the flow of your house? Our home is somewhat "boxy"...4 rooms that make a square on the first floor...with doorways flowing into the next room.

Appreciate the reply!!!! 

Janet


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## Haywire Haywood (Feb 2, 2011)

Jtracy said:


> Need to heat approx. 2,000 sq ft.


 
That stove is rated for up to 1300sq ft, and manufacturers are always generous with what their stoves are capable of. It should run you out of that little room you have it in though. We have an Oslo for our 1750 sq ft and it does a good job.

Jotul F 3 CB Woodstove

Ian


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

I agree totally!!! The logic did not make sense to me either...Think the owner tried to "squirrel" his way out of that one by saying what he did!


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## HillRat (Feb 2, 2011)

Hi Janet,

Aha, the wood made a difference! That's good! This is only my fourth winter heating with wood, and I did not fully understand "seasoned" wood when I started and now that I've learned, I've helped a few people who are new to wood heat learn it for themselves. 

I thought the damper was strange/wrong, too, but wanted to walk through the problem one step at a time. For these stoves to burn cleanly, the air regulation has to happen in the stove via its controls. Restricting the stack removes the advantages that the stove's "clean burn" design gives you.

I'm burning a mix of ash, oak, and cherry this winter. Ash grows on my property (here in Hunterdon County) and I have a lot of it. All of this wood is well seasoned. It was stored outside, split, under a light tarp covering only the top, since it was split between one and two years ago. You have to see the difference that 1 or more years of seasoning makes to appreciate it, especially with oak.

Actually, I think that's what you're seeing now! 

Ed
P.S. You're in Somerset, huh? I worked right around the corner from that little strip mall on Cedar Grove for a bunch of years. Used to live in Somerset County, too, but fled to Hunterdon for some land and a little "elbow room."


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

Haywire Haywood said:


> That stove is rated for up to 1300sq ft, and manufacturers are always generous with what their stoves are capable of. It should run you out of that little room you have it in though. We have an Oslo for our 1750 sq ft and it does a good job.
> 
> Jotul F 3 CB Woodstove
> 
> Ian


 
How big are your rooms...or is your stove in one big room? Do you have more than 1 floor to your home? Ours is 2 floors with each room being approx. 13 x 13


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

Haywire Haywood said:


> That stove is rated for up to 1300sq ft, and manufacturers are always generous with what their stoves are capable of. It should run you out of that little room you have it in though. We have an Oslo for our 1750 sq ft and it does a good job.
> 
> Jotul F 3 CB Woodstove
> 
> Ian



Do you have an open floor plan? Ours is "boxy"....1st floor is 4 rooms approx. same size each (13 x 13)...


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## sunfish (Feb 2, 2011)

Sounds like the red oak was part of the problem. These modern wood stoves are super efficient and put out a lot of heat, but they must have DRY, well Seasoned wood.



> Question 1) How often do you need to put new pieces of wood into the stove to maintain 400 - 500 degrees....and what kind of wood are you burning?


Our Jotul is on the small side, for those temps, I'd need to add wood every 2-3 hours. But it would runs us out of our house.  We add wood about every 6-7 hours, usually just 2 or 3 sticks.


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

Sunfish - you have the 118CB Black Bear (which uses only 1 piece of wood at a time),,,and you add 1 piece every 6-7 hours?! Your stove gives off more heat than the F3 CB.

We will need to re-monitor how often we put wood in with the new wood we will be purchasing...however, when we used the new wood tonight, we used 4-5 pieces in 2 1/2 hours (some were larger chunks cut in 1/2 b/c the larger 18" pieces won't fit in the stove.

Thoughts?


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## Haywire Haywood (Feb 2, 2011)

Will you always be buying wood or will you cut your own after this winter?

Ian


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

Haywire - We would love to cut our own wood..but not sure where to find the trees that you can cut down..we don't have the trees on our property...we have discovered how much we love chopping wood though~ May look into purchasing a chain saw....

Sunfish - what model do you have?

For anyone who DOES have the F3 CB, how ofen DO you need to put new wood into your stove????


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## sunfish (Feb 2, 2011)

Jtracy said:


> Sunfish - you have the 118CB Black Bear (which uses only 1 piece of wood at a time),,,and you add 1 piece every 6-7 hours?! Your stove gives off more heat than the F3 CB.
> 
> We will need to re-monitor how often we put wood in with the new wood we will be purchasing...however, when we used the new wood tonight, we used 4-5 pieces in 2 1/2 hours (some were larger chunks cut in 1/2 b/c the larger 18" pieces won't fit in the stove.
> 
> Thoughts?


 No mam, my stove (118CB) will hold 2 or 3 pieces, but at 20-24" long. We let it burn down to coals, then add one or two pieces. 

Yes, the 118CB puts out more heat the a 3CB. I believe the 118 is rated for 1800 sq feet. We have to let it burn down good before reload, or our house will get too hot.

With you having to cut the 18" pieces in half, I expect you're not able to get as much wood in the stove, as you would if you had the proper length, 15-16".

Oh, and yes, more insulation in the attic would help a bunch.

Hope this helps.


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## Haywire Haywood (Feb 2, 2011)

Jtracy said:


> Haywire - We would love to cut our own wood..but not sure where to find the trees that you can cut down..



You'll learn to spot tree service trucks, storm damage, etc from blocks away. "Hey mister... can I clean up that down tree for ya? No charge, we heat with wood and could use a couple loads for next year." 

Ian


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## Jtracy (Feb 2, 2011)

Sunfish...my apologies, I did not see the sq. ft. that yours burns..wow, I am impresed!...I love your stove - very cute...and obviously efficient!

When we asked the vendor, before we bought the stove, approx. how many pieces of wood we would need to burn a night, he said, "5"...this is way off from the truth of what we put in that stove.


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## sunfish (Feb 2, 2011)

Jtracy said:


> Sunfish...my apologies, I did not see the sq. ft. that yours burns..wow, I am impresed!...I love your stove - very cute...and obviously efficient!
> 
> When we asked the vendor, before we bought the stove, approx. how many pieces of wood we would need to burn a night, he said, "5"...this is way off from the truth of what we put in that stove.


Thanks, we like the Black Bear a lot.

I would think the #3 would burn for 6-7 hours on 5 pieces (15"-16" long) of well seasoned hard wood (white oak in my fav). At the end of the burn, the stove would be putting out little heat, but a good bead of coals to rekindle a fire.

There is a pretty good learning curve to heating with a wood stove. It does get easier.


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## banjobart (Feb 2, 2011)

First you buy the chainsaw (50cc or more Stihl or Husky) then cut and split a small mountain of wood. Then you go buy a stove. Control your own wood. It does have to be bone dry, a year or two, to burn like the ####ens. I have a similar Jotul and it heats just fine, like a sauna. But I have been cutting and splitting wood for 40 years. I have never paid a penny for wood, it is free everywhere if you look around and ask. I guess that I have always owned a pickup, too, but you can use a trailer purchased from TSC to haul firewood and tow it with anything bigger than a Geo Metro. I would never pay money for firewood. I would rather pay the power company.


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## vincem77 (Feb 3, 2011)

Jtracy, in this picture it does not appear you have the door latch closed. Is this how you run the stove?


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## myzamboni (Feb 3, 2011)

Yes, latch that door!!! Leave the pipe damper open and use only the slide control on the stove. 

Also, don't be a wood snob. Get whatever wood you can and let it season all spring/summer. The F3CB does not like unseasoned wood


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## Haywire Haywood (Feb 3, 2011)

myzamboni said:


> Get whatever wood you can and let it season all spring/summer.


 
... and winter and spring/summer again. Try to get on a 2 year cycle.

Ian


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## myzamboni (Feb 3, 2011)

Haywire Haywood said:


> ... and winter and spring/summer again. Try to get on a 2 year cycle.
> 
> Ian



True. I burn mostly softwoods and with my climate I only need ~6 months


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## skmag357 (Feb 6, 2011)

This is my second seaon with my Jotul F 3 CB. I have 1400 sq ft colonial with the stove in a 180 sq ft addition on the front of the house. My stove is semi recessed in my fireplace so i am not utlizing the full amount of the heat. I too use a large amount of wood and reload the fire every 30 mins or so. This season i have mostly been burning year old red oak and some maple. When I keep the stove going, the addition gets into the upper 80s, lower 70s in the adjorning kitchen and mid 60s in living room. The heat does go upstairs a bit but never gets above 65 degrees even though we are burning all day. My stove does stay in the 500 degree range pretty easy once its started. I too restart the fire with the ash door open and the fire gets ripping pretty quick. I typically load the stove up to the max around 11 pm and still have plenty of hot coals to get the fire started a 615 in the morning. I typically empty the ash tray every other day. I am guessing that I have burned about 2.5 cords of wood since early November. I ran out early this week and had to run over to my dads place to steal some of the wood I had stock piled there. I wish the stove would burn hotter and put out more heat.


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## Intheswamp (Feb 6, 2011)

skmag357, with it being in your new addition I'm taking it that the fireplace is on an exterior wall. You do realize that the F3CB is past it's limits for your application as for as square footage ratings go, correct? 

If you don't have one a block-off plate will help. 

An idea that I've wondered about is heat shields for the interior of the fireplace. If the fireplace is on an exterior wall then it is acting like a large heatsink and conducting some of the heat through the brick and mortar to the great outdoors. Heat shields on the inner surfaces of the fireplace might stop a good bit of the radiant heat from being absorbed by the fireplace. The block-off plate could be sloped towards the fireplace opening (low in the back, high in the front) to direct the heat rising from the heat shields back outward into the room.

From what I can tell the F3CB burns best in a cycle. Most folks state a burn a cycle time of around 2-4 hours. Your 30 minute reload just doesn't seem right. Your overnight burn of 7 hours seems great, though! ??? 

How does your burn cycles go? 

Just some thoughts.
Ed


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## ultimate buzz (Feb 6, 2011)

*heat shield*

Not to hijack the original post, but the idea of putting up heat shields on the exterior walls of the interior of the existing masonary fireplace sounds like an excellent idea. 

I have a Jotul fireplace insert,and although there is a block off plate and the stainless steel liner is insulated, i feel that the heat loss to the existing masonary fireplace is quite considerable. The masonary fireplace is on an outside exterior wall.

What do you feel would be a suitable heat shield? A heavy gauge sheet metal with a layer of kaowool against the masonary walls, screwed into the masonary walls or ?
Any input on this would be greatly appreciated-ken


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## skmag357 (Feb 6, 2011)

Not sure what a heat shield is but the fireplace did have a ventalater blower system. The inside of the fireplace is at least 1/4" steel with two blowers on each side in the wall. I got the stove and pipe at a great deal and it fits perfectly in the small space that I have. That is why I bought it. If the temps outside get up to 40, I can heat the whole house up to 80 degrees. Lower than that and it stays around 65 which is fine by me. I never really overfire the stove either. When I say that I reload the stove every 30 mins or so, I am adding wood to keep the fire ripping. My lower seals do look like they need to be replaced and I plan on ordering the gaskets soon. I also cut up my logs smaller to fit them in the stove so that may be the issue as well.


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## Intheswamp (Feb 6, 2011)

Quick note here...

Heat shields can be made of thin metal...no need for heavy stuff. The trick is using "stand-offs" to hold the metal about an inch away from the surface being shielded. Stove shops sell stand-off kits with ceramic insulators and appropriate size screws.

Shields are usually used to protect combustible surfaces when there is a problem meeting clearance specifications. ...cabinets, mantels, trim work, etc.,. 

26 gauge roofing metal should work fine and be fairly durable. Standoffs can be made from metal tubing...stainless steel would be best to reduce chances of corrosion at the area where the roofing meets the standoffs. Dissimilar metals can cause "galvanic" corrosion. Those ceramic standoffs would work very well.

Unpainted metal roofing naturally would be best...paint it with some bbq high-temp paint. Or...your metal roofing company might actually have some metal already painted with a high temp paint..???

Leave a 1" gap at the bottom and top so that air can circulate behind the metal, bringing cool air off the floor, up, and out the gap at the top to flow out of the fireplace.

I'm not sure how existing lined fireplaces are constructed...if the metal liners are in contact with the brick/mortar then they are probably conducting the heat to the outside, also.

Best wishes,
Ed


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## Intheswamp (Feb 6, 2011)

ultimate buzz, I've often wondered about insert surrounds. I've read where several people have removed the surround and been surprised by the increase in heat output they get. Having said that, I'm curious about whether ventilation holes/slots would help in letting some of the heat behind the inserts enter the room. Some of that sheet metal from the roofing company might could be mocked up as a surround with some holes/slots punched in it to give it a try. Just thinking outside the box.<grin>

Ed


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## Intheswamp (Feb 6, 2011)

skmag357 said:


> Not sure what a heat shield is but the fireplace did have a ventalater blower system. The inside of the fireplace is at least 1/4" steel with two blowers on each side in the wall. I got the stove and pipe at a great deal and it fits perfectly in the small space that I have. That is why I bought it. If the temps outside get up to 40, I can heat the whole house up to 80 degrees. Lower than that and it stays around 65 which is fine by me. I never really overfire the stove either. When I say that I reload the stove every 30 mins or so, I am adding wood to keep the fire ripping. My lower seals do look like they need to be replaced and I plan on ordering the gaskets soon. I also cut up my logs smaller to fit them in the stove so that may be the issue as well.


I think if you could get the F3CB out further into the room...more on the hearth than recessed into the fireplace that it would give you more heat. I'd go ahead and order that gasket as that will help get the stove back to "spec"...and might just improve your burn time. It seems the stove is putting out plenty of heat...you just need longer burn times. What kind of wood are you using? Is it well seasoned...from what I understand the F3CB is rather picky about burning well seasoned wood. Are you getting an hour or so of secondary burn?

Ed


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## sunfish (Feb 6, 2011)

The 3CB is a fine stove, but it's small. It'd work very good for an open floor 
plan of around 1200 sq ft. But not a larger multi room and or two story house. 
Too big a stove is also not good, because you can't run the stove hot and 
efficient. I know, I've been at both ends of the spectrum. 

Very dry wood, cut close to max length is also needed, but this is the case for 
most of these modern air tight stoves.

And like said, stuffing a free standing wood stove into a fire place is not going to put out the heat that it would sitting out in the room.


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## colin.p (Feb 6, 2011)

another "me-too" post. I am on my 5th winter with the F3CB and must say it works very well. All the short comings of the stove are true for me as well, but the benefits far out way those. I heat a 1904 eastern Ontario, 2 story 24X24 foot farm house, that there is no problem with not getting enough fresh air. However, my oil furnace will come on over night, or if the temps drop into minus 15's or so, but my 3 foot thick field stone foundation isn't the most air tight and I would prefer my furnace kicking on and not my pipes freezing. The floors can get quite cold with no heat in the dirt floor basement.
I get 2-4 hours between loads and if I fill the stove (usually just one large log), I get upwards of 6 hours or so. The stove will take an 18 inch stick, but 16 is optimal.
I like the fact that if I take the front log retainer out, I can get a fatter stick in, that's why I have a pair of channel lock pliers handy.
If I were going to do it again, I would have liked to get the 400 Castine, but I will stay with what I got.
Ash is my favourite and seems (at least to me) to be the most reliable burn. I am now getting into my 2 year old oak and ironwood, now that throws out some heat. Maybe get some apple for next year...


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## sdt7618 (Feb 7, 2011)

Lesson I learned the hard way a few years ago, damp( i.e un-seasoned) burns like Carp!.

to my mind stack the wood you have and leave it till next year. Find a good supplier to finish this season and get wood bought for next season now if you don't plan on cutting soon.

Stay safe what ever you do.


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## myzamboni (Feb 7, 2011)

Intheswamp said:


> Quick note here...
> 
> Heat shields can be made of thin metal...no need for heavy stuff. The trick is using "stand-offs" to hold the metal about an inch away from the surface being shielded. Stove shops sell stand-off kits with ceramic insulators and appropriate size screws.
> 
> ...



Exactly what I did. Stainless using aluminum square stock as stand-offs.


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## Jtracy (Feb 7, 2011)

Colin - Your home is 24 x 24 2 floor...and is the floor plan open? My home is about the same (just a tad larger) but with 4 rooms on each floor, hence walls that separate each room (approx. 4 rooms at 13 x 13). We were considering the same with taking off the log barrier, and now that we know you do it, we may do the same. Again, our problem is that the room with the stove in it (13 x 13) has reached a MAX heat of 78 degrees, while the adjoining rooms are between 67-69 degrees! Our burn time with 1 or 2 logs (after lots of embers is approx. 30-40 minutes....we are seriously thinking about calling the dealer this weekend to change the stove out for the 400 Castine...but i need to blog to see how it may work in our home - 2 floors approx. 1,000 sq. ft. on each floor.

If anyone has thoughts, please share!


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## Intheswamp (Feb 8, 2011)

I don't know it for a fact, but I've read other user's comments that the Castine may be more prone to backpuffing if conditions are favorable...I would also be a bit concerned that the Castine would turn your 13'x13' room into a heatstroke room being as it's rated for an area well over 10x that size. As for the backpuffing I would be sure that I had more than a minimal draft before going that route. 

I'm curious...once you get the F3CB burning and get the big pieces of wood charred and burning good do you start gradually cutting the primary air back? ...at some point in reducing the primary air secondary combustion should happen and the "tubes" should light up and give a good light show with good heat....this should be an efficient burn happening. Getting a good burn going while reducing the primary air will keep a lot of your heat from rocketing out of your chimney.

It does seem that the F3CB might be too small for your climate and structure. But, putting in a larger stove seems like it would make the room that it is in too hot. Kind of "dinged if you do, danged if you don't" situation. Is the house well insulated and no major air leaks? It seems the F3CB should be heating your square footage better than it is (it's rated for more square footage than you have), even with the fact that it doesn't have an open floor plan. ????

Ed



Jtracy said:


> Colin - Your home is 24 x 24 2 floor...and is the floor plan open? My home is about the same (just a tad larger) but with 4 rooms on each floor, hence walls that separate each room (approx. 4 rooms at 13 x 13). We were considering the same with taking off the log barrier, and now that we know you do it, we may do the same. Again, our problem is that the room with the stove in it (13 x 13) has reached a MAX heat of 78 degrees, while the adjoining rooms are between 67-69 degrees! Our burn time with 1 or 2 logs (after lots of embers is approx. 30-40 minutes....we are seriously thinking about calling the dealer this weekend to change the stove out for the 400 Castine...but i need to blog to see how it may work in our home - 2 floors approx. 1,000 sq. ft. on each floor.
> 
> If anyone has thoughts, please share!


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## colin.p (Feb 8, 2011)

Jtracy said:


> Colin - Your home is 24 x 24 2 floor...and is the floor plan open? My home is about the same (just a tad larger) but with 4 rooms on each floor, hence walls that separate each room (approx. 4 rooms at 13 x 13). We were considering the same with taking off the log barrier, and now that we know you do it, we may do the same. Again, our problem is that the room with the stove in it (13 x 13) has reached a MAX heat of 78 degrees, while the adjoining rooms are between 67-69 degrees! Our burn time with 1 or 2 logs (after lots of embers is approx. 30-40 minutes....we are seriously thinking about calling the dealer this weekend to change the stove out for the 400 Castine...but i need to blog to see how it may work in our home - 2 floors approx. 1,000 sq. ft. on each floor.
> 
> If anyone has thoughts, please share!


 
Yes my 1st floor is fairly open. The kitchen, living room and dining room are all open, with the stove in the north west corner of the dining room (which we actually never used as a dining room).
As I said, the house is not air tight. As a matter of fact, when they built this house, they didn't know how to spell "insulation", let alone use it. Over the years when windows were replaced, some was put around the window frames, but between the outer walls there is just brick, and not done very well at that.
I have also heard about problems with the Castine, it uses a different draft control, than the F3. So I may actually have the better stove anyway. (edit: on another forum, a lady who has burnt wood for decades, said that the castine was hard to control, as she has a very strong draft)


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## sunfish (Feb 8, 2011)

Intheswamp said:


> I don't know it for a fact, but I've read other user's comments that the Castine may be more prone to backpuffing if conditions are favorable...*I would also be a bit concerned that the Castine would turn your 13'x13' room into a heatstroke room* being as it's rated for an area well over 10x that size. As for the backpuffing I would be sure that I had more than a minimal draft before going that route.
> 
> *I'm curious...once you get the F3CB burning and get the big pieces of wood charred and burning good do you start gradually cutting the primary air back? ...at some point in reducing the primary air secondary combustion should happen and the "tubes" should light up and give a good light show with good heat....this should be an efficient burn happening. Getting a good burn going while reducing the primary air will keep a lot of your heat from rocketing out of your chimney.*
> 
> ...



Good post Ed.

Janet, there is no perfect stove, each one as pluses and minuses. I would not want a larger stove in a 170 sq ft room. Like said, would cook ya out. But the #3 is not large enough for 2000 sq ft. *Are you sure you have 2000 sq ft?*

I would be looking into adding more insulation, better windows and possible taking out some interior walls. Also find a way to move some air around.

More insulation and better windows made a *HUGE* difference in our home.


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## Jtracy (Feb 8, 2011)

Ed - We have been wondering about the secondary combustion tubes. To be honest, we see minimal usage of them...we see them throw back heat when we put a NEW piece of wood in and the new log lights up. After a log has burned or has little burn, or if there are only embers we do not see them ignite at all. If you have any suggestions on how or why, that would be appreciated, as we had been told they would recirculate the air...hence, produce more heat or keep it heated longer. 

As for our home, it is from 1840 so we are not about to break down walls (as it would take out the character) ...and believe it or not, the windows are not too bad!!!....we do plug up any leaks in windows, by the door, etc...but, we certainly are NOT as air tight as newer homes.

I am not sure what backpuffing is (when mentioned for the 400Castine) ?....

Thoughts?


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## sunfish (Feb 8, 2011)

> I am not sure what backpuffing is (when mentioned for the 400Castine) ?....



Backpuffing, is when the stove puffs smoke into the room, usually from choking it down too much (closing off the air supply). Or poor draft, don't think draft will be a problem for you.


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## YotulFrank (Jan 23, 2012)

*New Stove*

Hi,

I just purchased a Yotul F3, and was wondering about the break in instructions. It said to have 1 fire at 200, 300 and 400. It doesn't say the temperature scale C or F. It just has the little circle at the end of the number. That said, once I complete the breakin, what is the operating temperature of the stove at it max output.

Thanks


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## Axe Man (Jan 23, 2012)

I'm pretty sure those temp readings are in F degrees as 400 C is 750 degrees F.


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## colin.p (Jan 23, 2012)

I wouldn't worry too too much on the break in. Just follow it as close as possible, but this little stove is darn near bullet proof. When I got mine, the stove installer wasn't familiar with break in fires and had kind of a glazed look on his face when I told him about it.
So, he started a small fire to check for draft and leaks, I suppose. I then let it die down to around 200 degrees and the fire was pretty well out, then started another one. An hour later, I got impatient waiting for the fire to get going, so I left to go to town (draft control at half way). An hour or so later, I arrived home to the dog barking, both &^%$#@!!! smoke detectors going and the stove was at 500 degrees. That was the extent of my break in and started using it full time after that. No harm done, and after 5 years, still a good little stove.


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## v8titan (Jan 23, 2012)

Jtracy said:


> Ed - We have been wondering about the secondary combustion tubes. To be honest, we see minimal usage of them...we see them throw back heat when we put a NEW piece of wood in and the new log lights up. After a log has burned or has little burn, or if there are only embers we do not see them ignite at all. If you have any suggestions on how or why, that would be appreciated, as we had been told they would recirculate the air...hence, produce more heat or keep it heated longer.
> 
> As for our home, it is from 1840 so we are not about to break down walls (as it would take out the character) ...and believe it or not, the windows are not too bad!!!....we do plug up any leaks in windows, by the door, etc...but, we certainly are NOT as air tight as newer homes.
> 
> ...




The secondary burn tubes are there to add combustion air to the firebox to aid in full combustion of the fuel. When your fire is down to coals there will be no flames produced up in that area of the stove. When you add a new piece of wood, and the fire box is real hot, small flames will appear to be coming out of the tubes. This is not actually the case. What the tubes are doing is adding fresh air to the top of the combustion chamber and igniting the hot gasses that might otherwise just exit the stove as smoke and unburned fuel.

I believe this is an EPA requirement for non-catalytic stoves now. Others have said that it does improve efficiency. In the case of my Jotul f5, when I have strong secondary burn occurring, the stove is really cranking out the btu's. When I am burning a low fire on a milder day, there is rarely and secondary burn visible.


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## YotulFrank (Jan 24, 2012)

*F3*

Thanks for the replies. I will have my first normal fire tonight. I'm looking forward to it. The paint smell is still around, hopfully this with subside soon. So 400 - 600 F is a good ranage to run the f3. I have the ash pan, has anyone operated the stove with a cast plate installed, or better said without that ash pan option. 

Thanks


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## colin.p (Jan 24, 2012)

YotulFrank said:


> Thanks for the replies. I will have my first normal fire tonight. I'm looking forward to it. The paint smell is still around, hopfully this with subside soon. So 400 - 600 F is a good ranage to run the f3. I have the ash pan, has anyone operated the stove with a cast plate installed, or better said without that ash pan option.
> 
> Thanks


 
Some people let the ash pan fill up and then leave it full all winter. They just shovel out the ash when needed. I tried that for a few weeks, but I then had to scoop out ash every day (a severe PITA), whereas using the ash pan, only a couple times a week to clean it out. So I went back to emptying the ash pan twice a week. It's all about personal preference, but I really like this stove. Easy as can be to operate it.


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## YotulFrank (Jan 24, 2012)

Thanks,

So how long until the stink of the new stove stops, main it gives a good headache. Any suggestion on glass cleaning? Quite a heater for the size. I have a steel stove in the basement, it is interesting the difference in heat transfer between cast and steel. The yotul holds it temp much longer.

I hope the temp drops


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## YotulFrank (Jan 24, 2012)

*Suggestions for glass cleaning*

I really like my stove, it is not too much for my home, and very easy operate. That said, what is the best way to clean the glass door? It's better than TV, watching the rolling fire. My wife thinks I'm crazy. She does not share the same enthusiasm.

Just put in a few sticks of rock maple, hopefully it will have some coals in the morning.


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## Jtracy (Jan 25, 2012)

*Ash Pan*

Hi all! Would like your feedback on the ash pan and leaving ashes in the stove. I find that if I leave a hefty amount (3-4 " thick") of ash/build up IN the stove at all times, then there are more than enough embers in the morning for the fire to start up again - and there is still heat (however small) in the stove(like 8-9 hours later)....it's like the ash/build up buffers the heat from totally leaving the stove and protects the embers. Do you all find the same? With this, I am basically able to keep a fire going (or easy to get going) all day long.

One thing I find though, is that I can't necessarily get the stove to stay up to temps' consistently above 350 degrees or so.....I'm imagining that is why (?)....b/c I can't stuff it with wood...

So, it was a trade off!

Thoughts?

Stay warm~

Janet


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## blacklocst (Jan 25, 2012)

I have a Jotul 600 CB and last night it was creeping up to 600 degrees and had to choke the air intake back on the stove with 3 or 4 " of ashes on the bottom. I think the trouble your having in trying to keep temps up in the stove might be the wood your using. Also before you add wood make room by using a poker and shimming the pieces back and forth with heat resistant gloves.


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## colin.p (Jan 25, 2012)

Jtracy said:


> Hi all! Would like your feedback on the ash pan and leaving ashes in the stove. I find that if I leave a hefty amount (3-4 " thick") of ash/build up IN the stove at all times, then there are more than enough embers in the morning for the fire to start up again - and there is still heat (however small) in the stove(like 8-9 hours later)....it's like the ash/build up buffers the heat from totally leaving the stove and protects the embers. Do you all find the same? With this, I am basically able to keep a fire going (or easy to get going) all day long.
> 
> One thing I find though, is that I can't necessarily get the stove to stay up to temps' consistently above 350 degrees or so.....I'm imagining that is why (?)....b/c I can't stuff it with wood...
> 
> ...



Yes, I don't like taking too much ash out of the stove, and have found that a good layer of ash does indeed make it easier to get the stove going in the morning. Also, the temps don't typically get too high, probably because most of the wood I have is split large, so only one piece goes in without some major re-arranging. The stove temps usually stay below 500, however, if I put in a couple of ironwood, or apple sticks, the temp does shoot up.


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## myzamboni (Jan 26, 2012)

I don't burn 24/7, and find that not emptying the ashpan causes the stove to put out less heat.


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## YotulFrank (Jan 26, 2012)

*Just great*

The F3 is A1, I’ve had it for a few days, and it heats my home very nicely. It has shields on the back, would it be better to take them off. I have a huge brick flue behind the stove, no combustibles in the area. Do you think I will get more heat from the stove?


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## colin.p (Jan 26, 2012)

I wouldn't remove the shields, as the stove was designed with those in mind. Also, you don't want to heat behind the stove, just out into the room and the shields help to do so. One thing as well, if you have insurance and the house burns down (even if it had nothing to do with wood heating) if you have tampered with the structure of the stove in any way, the insurance company may not cover you. Don't forget, insurance companies are not in business to "cover" you, they are in business to make "lots" of money, and they will try any way possible to get out of paying a claim.


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## Jtracy (Jan 26, 2012)

blacklocst said:


> I have a Jotul 600 CB and last night it was creeping up to 600 degrees and had to choke the air intake back on the stove with 3 or 4 " of ashes on the bottom. I think the trouble your having in trying to keep temps up in the stove might be the wood your using. Also before you add wood make room by using a poker and shimming the pieces back and forth with heat resistant gloves.



When I start a fire (paper, twigs, sticks, bark), I can very easily get the burn to 600 degrees QUICKLY...I then add gradually splintered pieces of wood and thicker branches before putting in a smaller "real " piece of wood...however, when it comes to even small thinner pieces of wood (14 - 17" in length), the temp goes down!...even with both dampers open! The wood is well over 1 year old - I can't tell you exactly what kind of wood - it is somewhat mixed - but there is def. oak in there...any other thoughts other than age of the wood? It is so frustrating!...

I would also appreciate suggestions on becoming more proficient with using the dampers - I have 2 dampers b/c there was such a strong updraft that I was burning wood every 10 minutes!...I try hard to figure out the recipe of when to close each damper in maintaing a temp (up to 400 degrees would be ideal b/c I have a first floor plan that is made up of 4 rooms...the rooms are approx 13 x 13 each....so can't get it toooo hot in the main room!

Thoughts?

THanks!

Janet


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## blacklocst (Jan 26, 2012)

Jtracy said:


> When I start a fire (paper, twigs, sticks, bark), I can very easily get the burn to 600 degrees QUICKLY...I then add gradually splintered pieces of wood and thicker branches before putting in a smaller "real " piece of wood...however, when it comes to even small thinner pieces of wood (14 - 17" in length), the temp goes down!...even with both dampers open! The wood is well over 1 year old - I can't tell you exactly what kind of wood - it is somewhat mixed - but there is def. oak in there...any other thoughts other than age of the wood? It is so frustrating!...
> 
> I would also appreciate suggestions on becoming more proficient with using the dampers - I have 2 dampers b/c there was such a strong updraft that I was burning wood every 10 minutes!...I try hard to figure out the recipe of when to close each damper in maintaing a temp (up to 400 degrees would be ideal b/c I have a first floor plan that is made up of 4 rooms...the rooms are approx 13 x 13 each....so can't get it toooo hot in the main room!
> 
> ...



Janet, I don't know If you have kids or not but running a wood stove is like having a baby, 

You have to feed the baby (only free range organic wood)

You have to change it's diapers (sometimes empty the ash pan)

You have to keep a close eye on them (knowing when to add wood & or when to open the ash pan door to give the fire a boost)

Being patient when you child cries or is fussy (bad draft , green wood, too much air, not enough air)

And last but not least tire them out so you can sleep through the night (burn hot to make a nice bed of coals so when you add your last load of wood for the night you can choke the air intake back so you can get a long slow burn).

PS I only have one damper and it's on the stove. Do you have your second one on the stove pipe or an additional one on the wood stove?


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## YotulFrank (Jan 27, 2012)

Does anyone have a suggestion to slow the burn process, not including turning down the air intake on the stove. I was thinking about a key damper, would that be okay to install in the stove pipe. I'm burning maple, and it lasts about 2 -3 hours. The only other thing is that my flue opening is 8", I haven't put in a ss liner yet. I was thinking that when the flue heats up, it probably draws on the stove pretty good. I have 6 inch stove pipe to the chimney, adapted to 8" for the connection.

Thanks again,


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## Haywire Haywood (Jan 28, 2012)

If you try to choke down a soft wood and make it last like it was oak or hickory, you are asking for creosote. Maple doesn't last as long as oak. It's just the way it is. Want a longer burn time, use larger pieces and denser wood.

About the ash pan, I feel like my stove doesn't burn as well when the pan is full because no combustion air can circulate through the grate and come up from below.

Ian


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## YotulFrank (Jan 31, 2012)

What does the CB stand for? Jotul F3 CB


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## Mtrettel (Jul 13, 2012)

*Help with stove decision*

I have an 1851 cabin, torn down, relocated and restored. No insulation at all. It is a weekend cabin, 400 sq ft down, and a sleep loft. Big stone fireplace gets the cabin warm (tolerable) after about 3 hours when we first get there on a 20-30 degree weekend. Will a jotul fc3b do the trick? Does it need a blower? The main problem us the open stove burns down in about 90 minutes, and I end up with no sleep. And it is tough to start in the morning.

Other models? Definitely want view window. Thoughts? Thank you


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## Lysholm (Dec 25, 2018)

I know this post has been inactive for some years now but I replaced an Amity top loader, which is a slightly smaller stove when placed next to an F3 CB. The Amity needed to be overhauled but was replaced primarily because I damaged one of the front swing open doors(bent forcing a log that didn't fit while stove was hot), which cause an air leak that couldn't be overcome with re-roping, also the Amity was a traditional black cast iron finish, and the Jotul I purchased was brown Majolica.

A little background is in order, so please bear with me, my Jotul was built stateside in Maine(I believe), my parents have a Blue F3 CB, which was built overseas, also my family including the author has extensive experience burning wood over many decades as both a primary heat source for both home(s) and workshop(s) spaces, so I feel comfortable stating that I am quite proficient.

Firstly let me say that I find the overall casting and door operation of the Jotul to be more sophisticated and I find the door mechanism to be generally nicer and not as crude as most other stoves I've operated...that being said I wouldn't be caught dead buying another Modern Jotul!

Compared to the Amity this stove is terrible, the clean burn baffling cramps the fire box and you cannot maintain a coal bed, which is critical to keeping a stove lit particualarly overnight for continuous use, this is further hampered by the fact that this stove will not burn wood that is not both seasoned and kept absolutely bone dry.

Lastly, this stove is now on its 5th season and every year this thing sheds more of the majolica due to improper metal preparation, my parents stove built overseas is several years older and looks brand new, Jotul's answer via my dealer is...well nothing...buy touch up paint.

In conclusion I can comfortably say if you are considering a 3 cb...don't do it!, based on the way Jotul has stood behind this product i'd go a step further and recommend you stay away from Jotul and possibly all modern stoves starting with catalyst stoves forward. I think its safe to say this is another example of regulation putting guard rails on something and in the process forcing and industry to produce something that no one wants.

I am a competent cast iron welder, and my old stove has since been repaired, at the end of this season the Jotul will be replaced by an older 118 that I have from the 80's or the refurbed Amity, I plan to cut the Jotul in half and may even drop it off at the plant in Maine so I can personally give some unsuspecting slob an earfull!


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## Haywire Haywood (Dec 25, 2018)

Yes, stay away from any advancement that burns cleaner and extracts more heat from the wood but requires a little larger stove to accommodate baffles and also requires that you plan a little and not cut your firewood the night before the weather turns cold. The paint issue I can see as a legit complaint.

Merry Christmas


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## Little Al (Dec 25, 2018)

God Bless Godin .


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## colin.p (Dec 25, 2018)

Lysholm said:


> I know this post has been inactive for some years now but I replaced an Amity top loader, which is a slightly smaller stove when placed next to an F3 CB. The Amity needed to be overhauled but was replaced primarily because I damaged one of the front swing open doors(bent forcing a log that didn't fit while stove was hot), which cause an air leak that couldn't be overcome with re-roping, also the Amity was a traditional black cast iron finish, and the Jotul I purchased was brown Majolica.
> 
> A little background is in order, so please bear with me, my Jotul was built stateside in Maine(I believe), my parents have a Blue F3 CB, which was built overseas, also my family including the author has extensive experience burning wood over many decades as both a primary heat source for both home(s) and workshop(s) spaces, so I feel comfortable stating that I am quite proficient.
> 
> ...



Well I'm going on my 11th year of burning and I haven't done a darn thing to my F3CB, other than shovel out ash and wipe the viewing window. I certainly don't burn the best wood as I also burn pellets (to keep the crappy wood burning) but the thing still works flawlessly and has been doing it for the full 11 years.

Yes, I should have bought a bigger stove but I cannot complain about the little Jotul's performance. In short, because I live in a 120 year old very drafty farmhouse, the stove does struggle on occasion but it does exactly what it was designed for. Oh, and I have the plain black one, no fancy-schmancy colors for a non-sophisticate as myself.


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## sunfish (Dec 25, 2018)

I've since bought a Jotul f400 since this thread was started. Moved the 118 into the shop. Love the 400, but it's too much stove for 1200 sq feet! I should have got the 3cb.


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## Haywire Haywood (Dec 25, 2018)

I had an F500 for 1650 sq ft. 1.5 story. Only complaint I had was that the upstairs was always 10deg warmer than where we lived downstairs. If it had all been on one level, it would have been a better setup.


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## Lysholm (Dec 26, 2018)

Haywire Haywood said:


> Yes, stay away from any advancement that burns cleaner and extracts more heat from the wood but requires a little larger stove to accommodate baffles and also requires that you plan a little and not cut your firewood the night before the weather turns cold. The paint issue I can see as a legit complaint.



Lets be clear I didn't accuse you of being a moron, i'd appreciate it if you didn't insinuate that I am one. I usually keep 3+ cords in 20' or so lengths, about the same split and piled, and again the same stacked on pallets covered. The covered seasoned stacks generally tend to be about 1-2 years old from the time they were split/stacked.


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