Can someone tell me why I should already be needing an new door gasket on a stove that has only been in use less than 3 months? Purchased the stove new from AM/FM in Oct. installed as per directed. Up until a few weeks ago had not had any issues whatsoever. Then it seems as if it takes forever for the convection blower to kick in but once it starts seems to run as should. I do the maintenance as noted in owners manual. Stove has been getting worse on lazy flame and sooting glass. Cleaned stove, pipe and chimney top to bottom and inside and out, no difference. Yesterday I come home and figure after shutdown I will check for air leaks around doors, glass hopper etc as recommended in troubleshooting. All gaskets look good and as stated the stove has been in service less than 3 months. Not only will the door gasket not hold a dollar bill it will slide thru from the top by just sliding it down on about six inches of the door on the topside near hinge end. Check with straight edge and stove has slight bow inward across the top opening. I ordered new gaskets for all yesterday in anticipation of any problems so they should be on the way. I realize these stoves need maintenance but a new door gasket already? I am wondering if after the stove has been in use and the metal has heated and cooled the door gasket no longer seals due to natural warping/curing of the stove. For whatever reason I shouldn't have to be replacing a door gasket already. Anyone else run into anything like this on their stove? Thanks
55-TRPAH Door Gasket failed
- Thread starter OPtaylor
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heat seeker
Minister of Fire
heat seeker
Minister of Fire
bogieb
Minister of Fire
CladMaster
Minister of Fire
I sent a PM to Mike Holton (stoveguy2esw) with a link to here. I would hope that it was just missed because in a general refurbish it would not always have been caught.
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acammer
Burning Hunk
I too have the same stove, bought from AMFM, this November. Mine has been fine with exception to a noisey convection blower and burn pot crack, both of which are being replaced under warranty. I have not dollar billed my stove, but I don't have any airflow issues after about 1.5 tons thought the stove, running on high pretty much around the clock. I'd be concerned about that warped frame - Mike and/or Englander should be able to address that for you and resolve an appropriate course of action.
Thanks for all the replies, stove has never been ran above 5 (Or whatever start-up feed is) since installed, no need to. I usually leave it on 3-4 depending on outside temps. Running on t-stat in auto-mode. I see no way to adjust door since the door is cast and is mounted w pins to stove body. I don't think over-fire is an issue at least on my end. Not sure if stove was refurb or blemished. The first time I cleaned in behind the plates on either side of burn pot ( chamber clean‐out ports) there was probably half a cup of shot or glass beads? from where the stove was originally blasted before painting or when refurbed. Thought that was kind of unusual as well, but i figured if it was a refurb it was likely sand blasted before repainting and someone didn't clean it as they should, I just vacuumed it out with the fly ash that had accumulated. Thanks for the help 
Yea my convection blower has been steadily getting louder as well, not near as quiet as when first started up end of oct.
Thanks,, hopefully I'll hear something frm him soon. I really like the stove but other than routine cleaning I don't think I should be needing to make any repairs to anything this early on.
I'd send him a PM or call ESW and ask specifically for MIke Holton, if you end up with his voice mail, leave your name, a daytime phone number, and that you have a bowed stove frame. Include the same in your PM.
I will tell you he is very busy and would normally have picked up on this thread if the title was other than gasket failed. All I did was point out this thread and said I have another one for you.
acammer
Burning Hunk
These stoves air wash from the front of the burn pot cradle - there are two ports and then a air deflector that sits just behind the window glass. It's all internal, it's not a draw through by the glass setup or anything like that. It is also, unfortunately, pretty weak. I found a thread once where Mike commented on that and basically said that they had to choose between keeping a long term clean burn, or keeping the glass clean. I would have made the same choice, keep that burn pot clean, the glass is easy to wipe up and doesn't inhibit the performance when it's ashed up. Now, if we could have both, that would be better still!
Straight off the website "Large fireview glass and air wash system offer a clear, beautiful view of the fire" - See more at: http://www.heatredefined.com/timber...t-auxiliary-heater-stove#sthash.u6Epk6SX.dpuf
Although as I understand it's not the best "air wash" it was designed with stove efficiency in mind.
Although as I understand it's not the best "air wash" it was designed with stove efficiency in mind.
Well your describing my situation to the tee as well. I have a refurb/blemish PAH from amfm. Worked fine for the first couple weeks but the last couple months its been nothing but trouble. Mine will degrade over a week to week and a half to where it wont even burn properly on a 1 setting and soot up the whole stove bad in a few hours. A thorough cleaning including leaf blower seems to get it back to factory, but each time lasts less than 2 weeks. I keep finding issues and fixing, but the problem still is there. I too have gaskets that didn't pass the dollar bill test. This stove was bought just this past fall. I could insert the dollar bill into the ashpan with it fully closed! I was sure this was allowing air in and creating an improper burn. My stove has a good bow to the face of it. Finally went to a stove shop and got some new gasket, went thicker than the factory gaskets, and sealed up the door and ash pan well. I didn't do the hopper lid yet, but can't believe it could leak enough air to be causing my problem when I can run the stove with it wide open and not notice any difference.
Also I found my burn pot slightly warped too, and air was leaking through the edge in the middle, like under the chute. I put some gasket under it and its not leaking air any more there. But that didn't fix the degrading burn. I'm guessing at this point that it is my venting, but going to do a thorough cleaning again as soon as I have a day off, including sweeping the chimney instead of just the leaf blower. I'd like to pull the stove out and get at the combustion blower to clean and inspect it, just have to figure out something for the gasket.
Hope you figure yours out. I'll let you know if I figure out anything for sure on mine.
I think we got the same stove, at least the same problems. Purchased in OCT and started up first part of Nov. Mine did good for first month? as far as clean burning went. I pulled the exhaust blower and gave that area a good cleaning last night, removed all buildup on fins and surrounding areas. I cannot leaf blower mine do to set-up but I connect a large shop vac to exhaust on back of stove and actually blow thru front ports with my ash vac at the same time while beating on the firebox area to try and clean it thoroughly. I am going to replace all the gaskets this weekend and see how it goes from there. Still seems to take a long time for the convection blower to kick on but it has never kicked out on any high temps. Ran the diagnostic after I cleaned the exhaust and all seemed as it should, temp sensor display 9-9 0r 9-8? blowers, auger worked when activated. Also going to tach the exhaust blower and see if it is turning the rpms name plated on the motor. I believe I read here somewhere it is a 3000 rpm motor. As far as venting goes the OAK is tied to the crawl space (old house on rock foundations very drafty lots of fresh air) The stove exits into a T up 4 ft and then elbows into an existing 6" metal flue running up about 12-15' in the middle of the house, not exposed anywhere until it exits the roof. My only other thought is with the 6" it is not maintaining enough temp to keep the flue warm and drawing as it should in the colder temps we have been having? When warmer days reappear i can see if it makes a difference. I bought the exhaust gaskets, delivery time was great, but I read somewhere some use hi-temp red rtv, cheap and easy just have to wait on it to cure before using I would think. Will post back after more time is spent on troubleshooting.
Another question I have concerns the actual temp sensor, on this stove it is mounted on the exhaust housing (ring screwed to the top of the exhaust blower) I understand that temp reading from this point will monitor exhaust temps and keep the stove from over firing although ash buildup in this area would "insulate" it from reading as it should (read about that from someone else) but I would think that the actual firebox/heat exchange area would be a better place to control the convection blower from, since as soon as the metal is saturated with heat it would start the air being circulated by the stove. Mine makes all kind of noise when it is heating up while waiting on the sensor to trigger the fan to run, would also act as a second safety to prevent overfiring, just my .02
acammer
Burning Hunk
Better run for cover, the big dollar stove elitists have found an Englander thread to pick on.
As far as the PAH having a slowly degrading burn I would agree that over time it does seem that the heat exchanger loads up to the point where you need to lean it out progressively further and further until you're at the limits of the trim controls on the board. For me this time period was over about 6 weeks and about 1.5 tons of pellets burned. At that point a full "plates off" cleaning with some spirited banging on the heat exchanger shakes loose a lot of crap and gets things flowing good again. Brush the vent pipes and I'm back up to my day one air/fuel trim burning nice and clean. I didn't do the exhaust blower, but I'd imagine that wouldn't have minded attention either.
I'm ok with having to spend a little time on scheduled maintenance - I bought a Chevy, not a Mercedes, so a little more investment into upkeep is expected. Sure a P68 would have been nice, but it also would have been another 3 grand. You guys with bowed fronts will want to get a conversation going with Englander as if that's extreme enough no amount of gasket is going to seal that up tight. Englander has a great rep for being more than fair about warranty issues, so I would give them a shot at trying to make it right.
I warped my USSC through my own stupidity or should I say pushing it past it's design limits, something you can do it you know how to.... No biggie. It went out to the shop (and this was a couple years ago btw) and fell under the gas axe (aka: Blue point tool) and ball pien hammer and got shrunk and beat back into alignment. Then I Mig'd (spray transfer) in a 1x1 angle reinforcement in the arch above the door which is the hottest part on the stove and most likely to warp if overfired. Wasn't easy, it's confined space welding but we do custom welding here so no biggie.
I have a Chebby to (pre Obama). I'd like to have a Harman (Mercedes Benz) and may at some point but the Chevy does just fine for now. Not everyone has a Harman, if they did, there wouldn't be anything else available.
I have a Chebby to (pre Obama). I'd like to have a Harman (Mercedes Benz) and may at some point but the Chevy does just fine for now. Not everyone has a Harman, if they did, there wouldn't be anything else available.
Bioburner
Moderator
acammer
Burning Hunk
Yea, it's a love hate relationship with my Chevy as well. More love than hate, but if I put one more ICM in that car I will just light it on fire and roll it off a cliff. Other than that 205,000 miles and still going strong, those 3800s are about impossible to kill unless you forget the oil or coolant.
heat seeker
Minister of Fire
The combustion blower should vary based on the control board. You'd probably have to have the heat set on 9 and also the LBA on 9 I would guess for it to be maxed out, unless the stove hits the max sooner and the LBA adjustments only mean anything for lower heat setting. Would be curious to know.
That is pretty similar to my setup. I use an elbow right off the appliance adapter up to another elbow a couple feet above the stove that goes through the crock to the internal brick chimney I have lined with 5.5" flex liner (not quite enough room for 6"), about 15' tall. Its uninsulated, but being interior chimney and sealed at the top and bottom (siliconed shut the clean out door and everything) I hoped it didn't need insulation (remember I was originally doing this for wood stove). According to their manual this should work, but I'm running out of other ideas why the stove degrades so quickly. I am still debating switching back to wood here so I don't want to remove the liner... but its always an option I could remove it and instead put 4" duravent down there. As long as the tee piece could fit inside the old masonry chimney which I'm not quite sure if there would be enough room.
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