do I need a gasket around the door?

[tmckenzie]

Hello all. Nice forum here. I bought and old alaska kodiak wood stove. Redid it and have been burning on a few of the cold nights and it works great. It is almost identcal to the fisher stoves. I read that they do not need a gasket around the doors. I put a gasket on it. The same size as the one that came with it. I am wondering if I need one. It does not close completly. Thanks in advance.

 

[pen]

If it doesn't close completely ditch it and find out if that stove requires it or not. My old fisher had a channel in the stove that sealed against a ridge in the door. No gasket was ever used.

If you can find a gasket that will allow you to close the door then it certainly can't hurt. But I don't like the idea of the door being left less than securely latched.

Welcome to the forum.

pen

 

[CamFan]

On the original Fishers, the doors were set and welded to be classified as air tight metal to metal as Pen said. Later the doors had spacers used before welding to accomidate the space needed to accomidate the gasket. A quick and easy test to see which you have even tho it is not a Fisher is take a cardboard box, cut it in 1/2" strips and put it in the channel on the front of the stove and try to shut the door. The hinge side of the door is the only place you need to put the cardboard. If it shuts easy you have room for gasket. If it will not shut without force you better leave it alone.
Installing a new gasket is another topic.