Door Gasket Issue on Encore Cat

[JV_Thimble]

Replaced the gaskets sometime back, but didn't look closely enough when I removed the old ones. The gasket on the left door edge seats up against the right door, but the way I've done it there are two gaps near the top and bottom of the overlap. It's not obvious to me how I should've run the gasket in those areas. There are some notches at those spots to follow the contour of the right door.

I'd really like to seal this up and make it easier to control the stove temps.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[begreen]

Have you checked to see if the air flapper is closing fully? Or with the bypass closed and the thermostat satisfied (air intake closed) does the fire still rage?

 

[JV_Thimble]

I haven't checked the air flapper, need to do that.

And I should also re-replace the griddle gasket. When I open the griddle, I have to be very careful how I close it so that I don't see orange around the edges in a couple of spots. When I replaced it, I have it pressed in more tightly in some areas and got some of the gasket cement on top of it in a couple of spots.

But I have been thinking the obvious door gaps are the first thing to take care of.

 

[begreen]

Stuff some aluminum foil in there as a temporary measure. If no change it's time to start looking elsewhere.

 

[JV_Thimble]

I also have an OAK, which I'll need to disconnect in order to check the air flapper.

 

[Diabel]

Replaced the gaskets sometime back, but didn't look closely enough when I removed the old ones. The gasket on the left door edge seats up against the right door, but the way I've done it there are two gaps near the top and bottom of the overlap. It's not obvious to me how I should've run the gasket in those areas. There are some notches at those spots to follow the contour of the right door.

I'd really like to seal this up and make it easier to control the stove temps.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I took couple of pics. Not sure if this is what you are looking for. The gasket from the other door will fill in the groove once both doors are closed.

 

[JV_Thimble]

Thanks, that's the right door, correct? I'll take a pic of my left and post when I can. I think that's where the problem lies. The aluminum foil may be helping on this firing.

 

[JV_Thimble]

Left door, edge on. The frilly parts are the gaps in the gasket, and where I wonder if I've got it wrong.

 

[JV_Thimble]

And this is the right one.

 

[Diabel]

The gasket on the first pic should be continuous one piece. For now, once the stove is cold, cut two pieces of 1" gasket and cement it in. It will work just fine.

 

[JV_Thimble]

The gasket on the first pic should be continuous one piece. For now, once the stove is cold, cut two pieces of 1" gasket and cement it in. It will work just fine.

That doesn't seem right, the surfaces are enameled. So, no gasket was ever attached there. And I don't remember one hanging loose.

 

[Diabel]

Ok, you are right.
I just looked at a set of porcelain doors. Here is a pic
Run the gasket on four side on this door and on three sides on the other door.

 

[Oldman47]

That doesn't seem right, the surfaces are enameled. So, no gasket was ever attached there. And I don't remember one hanging loose.

Look at the right door. A continuous gasket on that door would just marry up with the enamel coating on the left door, not be glued to it. From what I am seeing the strip of gasket on the left door is on the wrong door. Think of it as a squared off figure 8 of gasket. Which part is on what surface really doesn't matter as long as the entire surface is sealed well.

 

[JV_Thimble]

It looks to be the installation instructions that, in part, have me confused. I need to re-gasket these doors, and work out what I'm really supposed to do. Left and right are evidently as you face the stove. However, I couldn't quite do what they have shown. The inside of the left door just can't have a strip of gasket there. Seems to me that Figure 5 in this - http://literature.mhsc.com/vermont_castings/manuals/2008843_Encore_Gskt_3419-4109.pdf - doesn't actually match what can be done on the door itself.

 

[Oldman47]

I see what you are saying about how confusing figure 5 in your manual really is. Looking again at your pictures is it possible they intend you to run the gasket around the door latch on the right side door and complete that pass with a vertical strip where the doors come together? They are so insistent on getting a good seal I just can't imagine them just writing off the joint between the 2 doors. Have you tried a call to VC's customer service number yet?

 

[JV_Thimble]

Yes, I think something like what you describe is what I need to do. When I look closely at the inside of the right door, at least at the top, it looks like there was gasket material in that area. It's much less clear at the bottom. I haven't tried calling their customer service number or my local dealer as yet. The dealer is good, but VC is not their main line.

 

[JV_Thimble]

What seemed the most natural to me was to put a complete loop of gasket around the left door (inside to outside), and trim the corners of the right door a bit. This seems to have worked very well on the doors, although I have yet to do the dollar bill test.

 

[JV_Thimble]

I also replaced the griddle gasket. For both the left door and the griddle, I used a dremel tool to do a really good job of cleaning out the channel. And I followed the griddle instructions of installing the gasket, and then tapping the griddle with a rubber mallet. Unfortunately, the griddle is still very tricky to get into just the right place. I'm sure there's too much air coming in around it when I can see an orange glow at the edge. So, I do the best I can.

First firing after all of this went way too hot. Would've been better not to run my first test on a full load. When my cat temp hit 1750 and the stovetop 700, I bypassed the cat to avoid destroying it.

Now burning my second load (smaller fire), but still having trouble getting the griddle in just the right spot. Will do the dollar bill test sometime when the stove is cool.