XXV - Bad door gasket or ? (pics)

[marylu]

I want to preface this first by saying that I love my XXV stove, but....I am getting somewhat frustrated! Ok, having said that, here's my current problem.

Have been burning the stove 24/7 for past week. Went to load the hopper yesterday and do a quick scrape of the burn pot. When I closed the door, I noticed a film on the outside of the lower left corner of the door. Used my finger to swipe it and it came away dirty/black. I'm thinking this is residue and that the door must be leaking. However when I latch the door it seems quite tight. Will have to try the $1 test today.

I have also noticed somewhat recently that the flanges behind the burnpot have an almost black accumulation vs. the gray/white build up that I seem to remember having before. I had thought that perhaps it was because I am using a different pellet than last year. (Uncle Jed's this year - some of you may remember that I had a moisture problem early in the season with wet pellets but they were replaced.) What do you think? Should the residue on the flanges not be so black? Or is it my imagination and the buildup on the flanges is a "normal" color?

One other thing. I have also noticed that it does not seem to be producing as much heat output as it had in the past. But again, thought it might just be my imagination?

Do you think a bad gasket is causing the residue outside and possibly the blackish buildup on the flanges?

So....here are pictures. Should say that I know the stove is dirty. But wanted to leave it dirty so the tech could see how it is burning, therefore did not clean it after turning off. We have had the stove since 2006, so it has seen several seasons of burning.

Residue on door.
taken with out flash

taken with flash

burnpot and flanges

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

When did you last replace the door gasket? From the date you provided it is likely due for a new one. Your dollar bill test should tell you. Make sure you do it in several spots around the door.

Bad gaskets can cause bad burns and that black mess behind the fire pot looks like you are forming a bit of creosote as well as soot.

 

[marylu]

Thanks for the reply Smokey. I appreciate it.

The door gasket is the original, has not been replaced. I did try the dollar bill test but not sure exactly how that is supposed to work. I was able to remove it without ripping it by tugging. It didn't come out real easy but did come out. Are you not supposed to be able to remove it at all? The gasket does seem somewhat compressed in that corner of the door.

I just went and took a couple pics. Looking at them and then again at the inside of the door, it does look like there might be a problem with the gasket at the corners. (the burn pattern inside the door?) Also can see a film in that lower corner outside the gasket on the inside of the door. It is somewhat visible in the closeup picture.

I have a call in to the dealership. Problem is that with the holiday weekend coming up I doubt I can get service any more this week.

 

[littlesmokey]

Am I suffering a Senior Moment, but doesn't the air leak problem mean extra air "Into" the stove, or put another way, the combustion air is drawn over the stove and sucked out of the stove. I can see where there seems to be an ash buildup, but is it from an exhaust stream leak not covered by the door. I'd clean all the deposit off and daily check it to see if it builds again. I know on my door, if I scoop out some ash, and not vacuum, there is a little fall out.

I agree, though, gaskets are cheap to replace and may solve the problem, especially if you are having a lazy flame. Adjusting your air control may also help by adding combustion air.

 

[marylu]

littlesmokey, not sure if I am understanding you? I think you mean the air would be drawn into the stove if there is a leak in the gasket? What appears to be happening on my stove is air is being pulled out, causing an ash residue/film to form on the corner of the door both on the inside and the outside.

So....what would cause this then? I will be the first to say that I do not fully understand how these stoves work! Only that I am trying to trouble shoot the problem so that I can speak to my dealer/tech somewhat knowledgeably (in other words, not sound like a total dummy!)

 

[littlesmokey]

You seem to be seeing my senior moment. A leaky gasket introduces excess uncontrolled air into the stove. It circulates but does not feed the fire, I think???? If you had a leak, and an ash build up, you should also experience some smoky smell. I'd clean the stove real good, inside and out, particularly the covered areas behind the door, but not inside the gasket. Your picture looks like the deposit on the flat panels of my door, inside the gasket.

Hate to say this, but I think it's from something outside the stove, or in the exhaust stream. Maybe a leak from the back of the stove that moves the light ash forward.

But then again, maybe it's a senior moment.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

An air leak via the door gasket will allow room air to enter, it will also cause crud to deposit around the door, this crud can be just about anything that is in the room air, if you do frequent pot scrapes the crud will contain ash etc ... which will get deposited around the door where the leak is.

In addition to depositing crud the air interferes with the burn causing even more crud to be deposited on the stove walls above and behind the burn pot.

The dollar bills should require effort to extract from the door when closed. You need to do the test in at least two places on each side of the door.

 

[littlesmokey]

Thank God, I still have partial grip on reality. I have recently added software to my computer, so I don't really trust images yet. I use Firefox and have been having Scripting issues, so my question is: Is the outside crud the same color and texture as the light areas inside the stove? My pics seems to be the same. If that is the case, this is more than a little deposited crud, it looks like a lot more than would happen with a slight wear in the gasket. If you can not remove the side panel, monitor the build up and let us know with a photo diary or something. I think the leak, if with the stove is in the exhaust stream.

 

[marylu]

Thanks for the replies. I have emailed the pictures to the tech at my dealership. We spoke on the phone tonight. He will call me back tomorrow after he looks at the pictures.

I sure wish I knew what exactly was going on with the stove. Supposed to get quite cold here again this weekend. I will post back when I know more.

Again, thanks for taking the time to give input on this.

 

[rickwa]

I am wondering if the ash is "dustor ash" is coming from when the door opens and a little falls out. With the air being dry and static being high if it is sticking back to the stove due to static?? Just a thought. Ash would not leak out of the stove due to a bad door gasket.

 

[gfreek]

Does the gasket look discolored at the corner or is it just me??

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I am wondering if the ash is "dustor ash" is coming from when the door opens and a little falls out. With the air being dry and static being high if it is sticking back to the stove due to static?? Just a thought. Ash would not leak out of the stove due to a bad door gasket.

Nobody is saying the dust is leaking out of the stove due to a bad gasket.

 

[captkirk5858]

How about the Ash Pan Door Gasket?