Harman ESP Question

[JPort]

Wondering if someone who is familiar with the operation of the ESP might be able to help with this. The steel exhaust access panel that opens to the ESP and exhaust fan always had a little piece of insulation that acted as a gasket when I'd open it to vacuum out the exhaust. That has since deteriorated and fallen apart on this 10 year old stove, so now it's just the bare steel plate covering the hole.

Could this affect the performance of the ESP in any way? Also, does anyone have suggestions on what could be used to replace the old insulation? I believe it's the same material that is wrapped around the insert, a thin white insulation that can be seen in the picture below:

 

[rickwai]

It would not affect the ESP

 

[JPort]

It would not affect the ESP

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure if it was worth replacing or not.

 

[acowherd]

It’s worth replacing. It needs to be sealed up, so you aren’t leaking carbon monoxide into your house. Just use some door gasket material for it.

 

[JPort]

It’s worth replacing. It needs to be sealed up, so you aren’t leaking carbon monoxide into your house. Just use some door gasket material for it.

Good call. I'll try to find some of the flat, thin gasket material. Any other suggestions for material are appreciated.

 

[Watcher1]

High temp RTV.

 

[rickwai]

It’s worth replacing. It needs to be sealed up, so you aren’t leaking carbon monoxide into your house. Just use some door gasket material for it.

you do want it sealed but it is not a CO2 leak danger. That is on the negative pressure side of the fan. The only thing on that stove that is positive press. is the docking gasket and venting pipe

 

[JPort]

The only gasket material I have on hand is the flat fiberglass cloth used for the insert rails to slide the insert in and out, but I'm not sure that it's rated for high temperatures.

I'd really like to find some of the thin white insulation covering the insert and that was used before, but I'm not really sure what it is. It may some kind of ceramic fiber insulation.

Someone suggested using the door gasket material, but it's rope and I don't think it would fit on the back of that panel. I'll keep looking around.

 

[acowherd]

you do want it sealed but it is not a CO2 leak danger. That is on the negative pressure side of the fan. The only thing on that stove that is positive press. is the docking gasket and venting pipe

How is it on the negative side of the fan? If that where the case it would be fresh air. It’s on the exhaust side, so co2 would definitely be present.

 

[Ssyko]

Negative side would be any space before the combustion fan.

 

[rickwai]

How is it on the negative side of the fan? If that where the case it would be fresh air. It’s on the exhaust side, so co2 would definitely be present.

The entire stove from the air inlet to the exhaust fan is negative pressure. The fan is pulling the air/ exhaust thru the stove. If is was positive pressure air would be blown in thru the air inlet. The if you opened door with stove running it would immediately start blowing exhaust into your room. I have worked on a stove that was positive pressure once. It was old. I think it was a Earth Stove maybe?

 

[acowherd]

The entire stove from the air inlet to the exhaust fan is negative pressure. The fan is pulling the air/ exhaust thru the stove. If is was positive pressure air would be blown in thru the air inlet. The if you opened door with stove running it would immediately start blowing exhaust into your room. I have worked on a stove that was positive pressure once. It was old. I think it was a Earth Stove maybe?

That can shuts off when you open door. If you kill the fire with the door open, smoke will roll out the stove. That exhaust fan in my current stove is sucking air through it, negative pressure, then pushes it out the Exhaust side of the stove to the pipe, positive pressure on that side.