F 500 V3 Oslo 4 / 20
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5. Operation
Please read the following section completely before
building a fire in your new Jøtul F 500 V3.
DO NOT OVERFIRE THIS HEATER.
Attempts to achieve heat output rates that
exceed heater design specifications can result
in permanent damage to the heater and to the
catalytic combustor.
5.1 Combustion Efficiency
The Jøtul F 500 V3 has an EPA test High Heating Value
(HHV) efficiency rate of 78.4%.
There are, however,
aspects of efficiency that you should be aware of in order
to get the most from your stove. Operation habits and
fuel moisture can have a significant effect on efficiency.
Poorly seasoned wood having a higher than optimum
moisture content, can reduce the amount of energy
transferred to the living area as a result of the energy
expended to evaporate the excess fuel moisture in order
for the wood to burn. Operational habits - such as not
building a robust kindling fire to readily ignite the larger
fuel pieces - can result in an inefficient, smoldering fire.
Additionally, most modern wood heaters’ optimum
performance and efficiency are at the medium to
medium-low burn rates.
The location of the stove can also have a significant
effect on heating efficiency, primarily in regard to
distribution of the heat. For example, a wood heater
centrally located in an open living area, will likely provide
better circulation of heat than will a stove located in a
room adjacent to the larger living area.
5.2 Minimize Carbon Monoxide
Emissions
Testing the F 500 V3 to CSA B415.1-10 resulted in a carbon
monoxide emission rate of .50 grams per minute.
There
are properties related to CO generation that you should
be aware of. Most means of combustion produce CO,
including wood fire. You can greatly reduce CO levels
by maintaining a well-established fire and avoiding
operation that produces a smouldering, smoky fire.
We highly recommend that a CO monitor (detector) be
installed in the same room as the stove. The monitor
should be located as far away as possible from the stove
to avoid alerts when the doors are opened.
5.3 Wood Fuel and Performance
Use dry wood.
The F 500 V3 is designed to burn natural wood only. Higher
efficiencies and lower emissions generally result when
burning air-dried, seasoned hardwoods, as opposed to
softwoods, green or freshly cut hardwoods. Wood that has
been air-dried for a period of 6 to 14 months will provide
the cleanest, most efficient heat. Wood seasoned more
than 2 years will burn too quickly to take advantage of the
stove’s low end efficiency strength.
A seasoned log will have many check marks (cracks)
through the ends and be lighter than an unseasoned log
which will show few or no check marks.
We recommend using a moisture meter that
incorporates probes to determine the moisture content
of your wood. Meters are available at your dealer or local
hardware store. For purposes of home heating, your fuel
should have a moisture content between 12 - 20% on
the meter gauge. Wood with higher moisture content
will burn, however, very inefficiently. Most of its heat
value will be lost through evaporation, driving water
out of the wood. Worse, that moisture will condense as
creosote in the relatively cool chimney flue, increasing
the potential for a chimney fire and weak draft strengh.
Use of unseasoned wood defeats the purpose of any
modern wood-burning stove.
BURN UNTREATED WOOD ONLY. DO NOT BURN:
• Coal;
• Garbage;
• Synthetic fuel or logs;
• Material containg rubber, including tires;
• Material containing plastics;
• Waste petroleum products, asphalt products, paints,
paint thinners or solvents;
• Materials containing asbestos;
• Construction or demolitioin debris;
• Railroad ties or pressure-treated wood;
• Manure or animal remains;
• Lawn clippings or yard waste;
• Salt water driftwood or other previously salt-water;
saturated materials;
• Unseasoned wood;
• Colored paper, or
• Paper products, cardboard, plywood, or particle board.
(The prohibition against burning these materials does
not include the use of fire starters made from paper,
cardboard, saw dust, wax or similar substances for the
purpose of starting a fire.)
