Door opening when hot, hard to open when cold..

[MagdalenaP]

I'm still having this issue with my regency f2400 (below). Note:

1. The gasket passes the dollar bill test (cold stove), to the 9's, it's perfect!
2. The nuts and bolts are adjusted.
3. Waking up in the morning (cold stove), the door is VERY hard to open.

The door handle is hard to close (it doesn't tun more than a quarter turn) when the fire is just starting to go (so, no...I can't add another washer to the handle)


When the door "opens" after an hour, I can see orange between the stove and door, and of course it will start to over fire. I can't close it at this point, cause the handle will just spin around the other way (won't close tighter).

What am I missing here? Door is expanding while hot and contracting while cold? Why?

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/so-fed-up-regency-f2400-door-keeps-opening.175291/#post-2358071

 

[kennyp2339]

Something isn't right here, the there prob is a missing tolerance of the latch mount on the door, so when the stove is cold the metal is shrunken (micro inches) then when its hot the metal has expanded and now the system is compromised, maybe a miss matched handle latch and a bowed piece of metal.

 

[MagdalenaP]

Something isn't right here, the there prob is a missing tolerance of the latch mount on the door, so when the stove is cold the metal is shrunken (micro inches) then when its hot the metal has expanded and now the system is compromised, maybe a miss matched handle latch and a bowed piece of metal.

What do you mean a "missing tolerance"? Sorry, English is not my first language.

 

[kennyp2339]

What do you mean a "missing tolerance"? Sorry, English is not my first language.

a measurement off by a hair

 

[MagdalenaP]

Do you understand how that sounds? Off by a hair? Word by word? Just an fyi.

So you are technically saying that there's a warped piece of metal on the actual stove, right? Sorry, your explanation makes no sense.

 

[SpaceBus]

The short version: something is wrong with your stove.

Long version: the stove is constructed in a very precise way. Overfiring can cause the metals in the stoves to warp and buckle. As a result things won't line up precisely the way the manufacturer intended.

 

[MagdalenaP]

The short version: something is wrong with your stove.

Long version: the stove is constructed in a very precise way. Overfiring can cause the metals in the stoves to warp and buckle. As a result things won't line up precisely the way the manufacturer intended.

I get that something could be warped, but that doesn't explain the door being super tight closed when cold in the morning...

 

[kennyp2339]

I get that something could be warped, but that doesn't explain the door being super tight closed when cold in the morning...

I could be from an overfire condition or it could be something warped from the factory when building it, or it could be a hinge or mounting bracket was set ever so slightly wrong. I'd contact your dealer and let them look at it, if it has been determined that all of this has not been from an overfire then I would assume firebox warranty would come into play.

 

[bholler]

Try lubricating the latch with high temp anti seize. Also lay a straight edge on the face of the stove and the door to check for anything that isnt flat

 

[electrathon]

There could be many things that cause this, but your stove is changing shape (warping) as it heats and cools.

 

[Bushels20]

I get that something could be warped, but that doesn't explain the door being super tight closed when cold in the morning...

It does if the stove is expanding and contracting upon heating and cooling in an unfavorable manner as it relates to opening your door.

There could be many things that cause this, but your stove is changing shape (warping) as it heats and cools.

Exactly

 

[MagdalenaP]

I'm still having this issue.

I'm assuming my door is cast iron, and the face of the stove steel. Does one expand more than the other when heating up?

Does anyone else have issues trying to open a cold door? I literally moved my whole stove trying to open the door this morning.

 

[Bushels20]

I'm still having this issue.

I'm assuming my door is cast iron, and the face of the stove steel. Does one expand more than the other when heating up?

Does anyone else have issues trying to open a cold door? I literally moved my whole stove trying to open the door this morning.

your door is likely cast iron. Steel will flex more than cast iron assuming each is heated equally.

Have you checked the stove with a straight edge to see if in fact there is any warping (anywhere)? It’s difficult for any of us to offer suggestions without knowing the source of your problem.

 

[SpaceBus]

You could get a framing square very inexpensively to check for straightness. If the stove is messed up then there is nothing you can really do.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I suspect a warped piece too. I'd check it across the spot you can see orange when the door is hot.

 

[MagdalenaP]

So a warped door (I'll check if it's square tomorrow), would cause overfiring when hot, but not when cold...AND the door to be hard to open when cold?

 

[weatherguy]

Hard to over fire a cold stove but could be changing/warping when hot.

 

[Hogwildz]

You have to take into account heating & cooling, with metal expanding & contracting accordingly. My inset door feels tighter when cold then when hot, but has never been an issue. As a matter of fact, both inserts I have burned have had the same thing happen. Metal moves as it heats & cools. If yours is definitely showing a visible gap you can see through, that there is a problem. I can guarantee you this... if you adjust the door too tight, it can prematurely wear parts of the door that pivot(latching area) and will also prematurely wear or compress the door gasket.