should my hopper lid be warped like this??? I can't imagine that it is sealing properly with the center bent up like this. what do you guys think?? i just bought the stove a little more than 2 weeks ago and it was like this when i got it. also i'm having some trouble with my glass turning black after less than a day. could this be why??
Englander/summers heat 25-pdvc/55shp10 hopper lid problem?
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sydney1963
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Mine doesn't. I think the lid should be flat so the seal gasket makes good contact across the front. Put a small block of wood or something at the front corners, rest the lid on them, and gently push down on the center until it's flat. If you go too far, just put the blocks at the center and push the corners down, bit by bit.
And I seriously doubt this has anything to do with the glass soot. Unless you only have a small quantity of pellets in there, it's hard to imagine how a minor leak here would allow enough air to flow into the firebox through the lower auger tube to affect your burn. I believe the seal is a safety measure in case of burn-back into the hopper, probably extremely rare.
And I seriously doubt this has anything to do with the glass soot. Unless you only have a small quantity of pellets in there, it's hard to imagine how a minor leak here would allow enough air to flow into the firebox through the lower auger tube to affect your burn. I believe the seal is a safety measure in case of burn-back into the hopper, probably extremely rare.
orangecrushcj7
Feeling the Heat
mine is arched like that too. I wouldn't mess with it till you get some confirmation from Mike Holton. Nice meat thermometer!
Mine sits flat and seals good. I'd straiten it out.
As for the glass ... different pellets soot it up at different rates.
I use a 6" metal taping knife. Open the door and scape it twice, then close the door, 5 seconds max. Hit it with the shop vac and I'm good to go.
As for the glass ... different pellets soot it up at different rates.
I use a 6" metal taping knife. Open the door and scape it twice, then close the door, 5 seconds max. Hit it with the shop vac and I'm good to go.
I was thinking that this bow could have easily happened if something was sitting on the gasket at the center of the front edge and someone latched the lid down. I always check the gasket carefully for stray pellets before closing the lid. Some boob at the store could have easily done this as well, if it was on the floor as a demo.
orangecrushcj7
Feeling the Heat
Both Syd an I have the same lid "problem" as the original poster. I doubt that it is an accidental issue thot could be repeated so many times and so precisely. My hopper lid seals just fine, never had any smokeback issues. I think the slight arch is what gives the lid it's "pop" when you open it. It helps to form a tight seal by requiring the operator to push down on the lid to properly engage the latches. Please get an opinion from an Englander tech before messing with the lid and bending it. and post what you hear back.
PunKid8888
Feeling the Heat
Mine is arched the same since brand new.
I think it might just be a manufacturing problem or too loose on the drawings tolerances for flatness.
I think as long as it seals there is not a real problem. I have run a match that is smoking all the way around the lid with no signs of draft. I was suspicious because my auger tube has been getting a lot more build up on it the last month or so. I was thinking that if the lid had a leak it might be able to pull some air through the pellets in turn feeding the fire slightly from the auger causing the build up.
I might try flatting it slightly just to see if it helps, I can't imagine the arch being a designed feature.
I think it might just be a manufacturing problem or too loose on the drawings tolerances for flatness.
I think as long as it seals there is not a real problem. I have run a match that is smoking all the way around the lid with no signs of draft. I was suspicious because my auger tube has been getting a lot more build up on it the last month or so. I was thinking that if the lid had a leak it might be able to pull some air through the pellets in turn feeding the fire slightly from the auger causing the build up.
I might try flatting it slightly just to see if it helps, I can't imagine the arch being a designed feature.
mine was like this right out of the box.. the gasket is not sealing.. if you look at the underside of the lid you can very faintly see where the gasket makes contact and it's not where the lid is bent up. i think i'm ganna call englander tomorrow and see what they have to say. i'll keep you guys posted
orangecrushcj7
Feeling the Heat
Well, as a start, you could take some extra gasket material and layer it in increasingly shorter lengths to fill the gap you think you have. you know, in a pyramid shape. i would just dry stack it as a test.
orangecrushcj7
Feeling the Heat
billybono
New Member
mine is the same.......
......my stove came with the house i bought. your probably just nit-picking your stove because pellet stoves just plane suck
if i had to buy one i wouldent have one
......my stove came with the house i bought. your probably just nit-picking your stove because pellet stoves just plane suck
if i had to buy one i wouldent have one
Orange Crush CJ-7 said:
No. we have a new addition to the family here so things have been a little crazy here and i havn't had time to mess with it.
orangecrushcj7
Feeling the Heat
congrats. we have a 15 month old here... she loves the stove... when she walks by she holds out her hands and exclaims "AHHHH!"
I just checked mine again, and since the post I made above, Feb. 8, it now has a slight arch like that pictured in the OP. I'm thinking that several slightly over-filled hopper loads might have put enough pressure on the center part to bow it up when the lid latch corners are pushed down to close.
I took 2 pieces of 3/4" X 3/4" X 3" wood blocks from the grandchildrens toybox, put them at the corners resting across the gap between the gasket and the lip at the front, so the edge of the turn-down on the lid is on the blocks, and gently pushed down with both palms in the center. It took 2 tries and it's now flat and even across the front edge. I can see a mark from the gasket all the way across too, in the paint on the underside of the lid, so I'm sure this not an issue, but it's a 2 minute fix so might as well do it.
From now on, I'm going to push down in the center to close instead of at the corners, and pay attention to the pellet level before I do...
I took 2 pieces of 3/4" X 3/4" X 3" wood blocks from the grandchildrens toybox, put them at the corners resting across the gap between the gasket and the lip at the front, so the edge of the turn-down on the lid is on the blocks, and gently pushed down with both palms in the center. It took 2 tries and it's now flat and even across the front edge. I can see a mark from the gasket all the way across too, in the paint on the underside of the lid, so I'm sure this not an issue, but it's a 2 minute fix so might as well do it.
From now on, I'm going to push down in the center to close instead of at the corners, and pay attention to the pellet level before I do...
sydney1963
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