Is it okay to put a size smaller gasket on your door than what is called for?

[PA. Woodsman]

This is a continuation of that long winded thread about my stove door not closing after putting a new gasket on, thought that this might spare some from reading 2,000 posts mostly mine lol...but I got a 3/4" soft section of gasket to try and the door STILL was very tough to close, I put the section of it in the hinge area like I did the medium and hard sections since that is where the problem spot is not closing and I thought this soft one would be better but not much, still too much tension on the latch. I know 3/4" is what is called for, BeGreen also verified that for me in that other thread, but I got to wondering and asked the guy at the stove shop if it would be okay to go down one size to 5/8" and he thought it was okay, so I got another section of that, put it in the door and it closed easier, still somewhat tight but nothing like the 3/4 ones were, would that be okay to use or would that be an issue? I don't want the door tensioned so tight and it'll get even tighter when the stove is hot, but I want to make sure the door is sealed too.

I looked at the stoves in his shop and they all except for 1 fit in the channel track and none of the doors were adjustable, he told me they stopped doing that because "it made people nuts" and I said "yeah, I know!". But this 3/4" gasket doesn't even fit in the channel, it just takes up the whole space over the metal that measures 3/4" so I wonder if going to 5"8 would be acceptable? Way too tight with the 3/4", I don't like it one bit.

Thank you!

 

[begreen]

It might work ok. What type of gasket seal is this, knife-edge or flat-faced?

 

[brenndatomu]

I say if you can get the door adjustment halfway right, and it seals, run it!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

It might work ok. What type of gasket seal is this, knife-edge or flat-faced?

It's round rope gasket that flattens out somewhat when put on.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I say if you can get the door adjustment halfway right, and it seals, run it!

Right lol! I was very surprised that even with the door as loose as it can be even the soft 3/4" was still so very tight.....makes me wonder how the heck did I do it last time which was years ago?!

 

[brenndatomu]

makes me wonder how the heck did I do it last time which was years ago?!

It has to be the gasket you used last time...must have not been a very dense gasket. (If you're sure it was 3/4")

 

[PA. Woodsman]

It has to be the gasket you used last time...must have not been a very dense gasket. (If you're sure it was 3/4")

Yeah I'm pretty sure that's what it was, but that also puzzles me WHY this section of 3/4" soft gasket is still so tight to close down on? Being soft and me already trying the medium and hard I would've bet that this soft one would've worked, maybe even had been too loose. Very strange....

 

[brenndatomu]

There are a ton of different gasket designs out there...it seems to me that soft, medium, and hard are not the same from brand to brand...

 

[begreen]

It's round rope gasket that flattens out somewhat when put on.

Does the door gasket mush up against the flat face of the stove body or is there a metal edge on the stove body that pushes against the stove gasket?

 

[PA. Woodsman]

There are a ton of different gasket designs out there...it seems to me that soft, medium, and hard are not the same from brand to brand...

Yeah that's why I am trying little 1' sections to try to close down on at that hinge section, that way I can see how they respond. I will soon have enough 1' sections to piece together the whole 6' gasket lol! But I'd rather do it that way and not make another mistake!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I just talked to this guy at the stove shop that supposedly "knows" about Dovre stoves, he didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know but he told me I should stick with 3/4" since that is what is called for and that the gasket will compress with time, so here I go round and round AGAIN....

 

[brenndatomu]

I say if you can get the door adjustment halfway right, and it seals, run it!

^ ^ ^ Like I said...find one that fits and run it...you don't really have a choice anyways. I would use one that is just a bit tight to begin with, because it will compress some right off the bat...

 

[PA. Woodsman]

^ ^ ^ Like I said...find one that fits and run it...you don't really have a choice anyways. I would use one that is just a bit tight to begin with, because it will compress some right off the bat...

You are correct, it will compress at all spots especially that tight hinge area. I think I am just getting "anal" about this because it was NOT a fun experience having that not close to being able to close plus the time and money wasted.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Well I THINK this "mystery" is FINALLY solved....I tried the sample sections of gasket that I bought again and it hit my dumb and empty head that the section of 3/4" was too long, when I tried to hold it in place to close the door on the hinge area the top part of the gasket was flopping around and moving out of the channel, that's why it was closing so tight! I snipped about 4" off of it so it was just a straight section, put that in the hinge area and closed it and it closed MUCH BETTER, had some resistance which I want but it closed much smoother, so I will go with that and I can always adjust the door tighter as needed. I tried the medium piece again and snipped it to make it shorter too and it was just too tight for my liking so I will go with the 3/4" soft.

My gosh.......

I also noticed that the lower hinge pin to hold the door down pops up, I have seen this over the years and just hit it back down with an upside down nail, but it is popping up right away now even with the door being as loose as it can be. I assume it is just like a house door hinge that pops up, trying to seek it's level to relieve pressure? Don't know what to do about that except probably just let it do it and keep an eye on it, I doubt that it'll pop out of place.