Eko Model 25 Silicone Door Gasket Failure (21 Feb 2014)

Just out of interest what was the old gasket made of?

JTWALL said:

Hmmm...Good question. Unsure. Some type of high temp fiber. The reason I replaced it was that it frequently stuck to the firebox opening, even though I would frequently soak it with silicone.

PS: New one is at least 1-inch in diameter.

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I had a problem with mine some how I got a piece of nail or a screw jammed in lower door it was so melted up not sure what it was and top of door leaked hot gas and burned the gasket it took a lot to clean it good I took door off on work bench the new horizon man sent new gasket and a sticky back fiberglass tape put on first then jam in silocone rope gasket it was a b...h to get in but now works good no leaks had no problem with new h so far very helpful and sent it fast

JT,

Get some High Temp RTV and seal up the cracks. Personally I wouldn't classify that a failure, I have had that same gasket in place for 3 seasons now without cracking. You could also remove the gasket and put it in backwards, I am planning on doing this at the end of this season see if I can get some more use out of it.

timberr said:

You could also remove the gasket and put it in backwards, I am planning on doing this at the end of this season see if I can get some more use out of it.

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Good advice!

Check the mating surface (jam) for any gouges or imperfections and hone the surface with a medium to fine honing stone. At least one burned spot appears to be a leak that allowed the fire to vent past the gasket.

For easier gasket install, use silicone spray lube.

Mine only lasted 1 season I now just fill over the top of it with high temp silicone.

Knock on wood...I think I'm 4 season in with mine with no problems.

JTWALL said:

I installed a new silicone door gasket on my Eko Orlan Model 25 at the start of this heating season.

Several places have split; one split is letting gasses out. I contacted New Horizon to see if this was a known problem. Their response surprised me. They said: "Keep running, we will see what happens."

What does this mean? I think it means: I don't care if you have a problem.

The old-style gasket lasted for years.

Anyone else seen this type of failure?

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That is my description of "failure" .
Can you stuff fiberglass rope in to that channel? I replaced a similar looking silicone gasket with the FG rope (about 1" dia) I found online. Bedded it in silicone caulk. Has worked well and is a cheaper fix.

4 years on my silicone too. I think I've tightened the door 3 times and door latch is needing it again. I plan to pull it out, clean, turn it over and reinstall during off season. I'm due for a new U block and nozzle this summer too both are original (6 years old) so I'm pretty satisfied.

JTWALL said:

Can you supply a link to that FG rope you purchased. Thanks.

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Sorry it was a while ago. I did a search for 1" FG rope stove gasket (or a combination of things like that) and it came on a spool, 50'? for under $50. Also got a bunch of silicone caulk (HT) for cheap $$ as well but the color was random.

I hate the silicone gasket it is so hard to close the door and I backed it out as recommended and after several fires it still doesn't seal right and it is so tight it is ruining the door lock. I am pulling it out and getting the 1" fiberglass rope with silicone sealer. Furthermore, it doesn't seal well still get smoke out of the corners. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with good old fashioned technology.
Just my humble opinion.

JTWALL said:

Can you supply a link to that FG rope you purchased. Thanks.

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I got mine on amazon.com Brand was Rutland.

The silicone burned off my lower door in about 2 weeks, been nothing but a pain in the ass.. I'll try flipping it over . Nothing but problems with both doors ever since purchased. good thing I have a separate boiler room.

When installing the silicone gasket to my Eko, I experienced leakage immediately. First assumption was a bad gasket or inferior installation on my part. After further inspection, I found the frame is not continuously welded and leakage was occurring at two of those locations. High temp silicone did the trick.

The silicone rope gaskets are good except for how they bend a 90 degree corner. If using in the future, I am thinking of cutting the rope to a clean miter and using RTV to seal the miters.

I haven't had any problems with door gaskets. I replaced the upper one three years ago because it had taken a set and I wanted to grind the hinges loose and re-align the door so it was square with the opening so a new gasket was in order. I have never replaced the lower gasket but I will be re-aligning the lower door in the near future. The plan was to soak the old gasket in a strong soap solution for an extended period to see if it would retain or come close to retaining it's original shape but that hasn't happened.
There seems to be no damage from heat on the lower door or gasket which made me wonder if the units with two nozzles have the front nozzle closer to the door. I just grabbed a tape measure and hooked it to the nozzle opening from below and it is about 10.5 inches to the door jamb. I do run a lazy fire as compared to what I could have if I had it adjusted with more air. Perhaps that contributes to the longevity. If you have time, take a measurement to see what the distance is. Make sure the fire is out first.

I do think a lot of the problem is the door gasket track and the mating surface of the boiler don't line up very well.

I have found if you clean the old gasket then apply some HT silicone to the area that is by-passing
then cover this with waxed paper and close door up tight and let dry for a few hours,this works well as
it don't pull off and makes a good seal. I have done this a few times around the whole door,this
makes a fine seal but you gotta use the waxed paper a lifesaver for sure.

What size gasket rope do I need for an EKO 25. I had the same one on now for 8 yrs and is original. The only thing not original is the controller. I just may try to take off the rope, soak it is mineral spirits for a week and re install it? If that doe not work I need to get some more rope but can't find the size. It does not look like 1" though.