QuadraFire 7100 Burn rate

[PLandLL]

Hello,
I have been using a QuadraFire 7100 for about 6 years-- professionally installed, and love the unit, other than the well-known ash retention problem. The unit has had the door rope gaskets replaced 3 times-- most recently by me, using QuadraFire parts. (BTW-- Is there a place here where people talk about laying in the rope gaskets around the glass in this unit? The professional gasket replacement I had done actually was pretty bad.)
So my current question is that I've notice this year I can't throttle down the fire as I am used to in the past. Full-bore open burns super hot as I remember, but when I push the air lever all the way to the left ( and I fell resistance so it appears to be connected internally) , I still see substantially yellow flame. In the past I remember pulling down the internal air to the point that I would enjoy wild blue flames rolling past the door windows ). My wood seems to go faster when the fire is choked also.
Any ideas? I don't think it's my rope gasket job, but could be wrong.
PL

 

[begreen]

Could be air leakage. Did you do a dollar bill test at several locations around the door gasket?

 

[PLandLL]

Could be air leakage. Did you do a dollar bill test at several locations around the door gasket?

Thanks Begreen. No, And that's a good place to start.

 

[sj9]

Thanks Begreen. No, And that's a good place to start.

This might be a stupid question but I have read many places about the dollar bill test that if it can be pulled out easily it is too loose. What does "easily" mean. On my stove I can't pull it out on one end but near the handle I can pull it out but there certainly is some resistance. Not sure how to judge if this is a problem or not. I do feel like I burning too much wood though.

 

[PLandLL]

Yes sj9, that's a good question. Too ba they don't make a torque wrench that can calibrate the pulling force. Whoops-- there's a product idea in the making!
But since we are pointing at a potential gasket seal issue, is there anything on this site where gasket seal replacement on the 7100 can be seen? I know the professional job I had done was pretty poor ( maybe poor materials were used), and when I redid the job I used my best judgement on th sela placement.
Regarding my burn rate question, assuming for a second that it is not the gasket, does anyone know if the air choke to throttle down the combustion air on this unit ever gets wonky. What I mean is does the linkage ever get weird so the choke doesn't close down all the way?
Thanks!