Jotul F3CB door glass question

[wahoowad]

I've always thought I had some cool air leakage through my door handle - the glass is perpetually dark on that side and it is always sooty inside the door on that area. Today I took a closer look before I fired up my stove again. The glass clip area is also dark (they are adjacent) so perhaps my leakage is coming past the glass door gasket on that side?

I pressed the glass in and could easily see compression of the gasket...not a huge surprise made me wonder just how tight the glass should be to the gasket? These Jotul clips look really thin and flimsy and don't seem to apply much pressure to seal the glass to the gasket. I did check the screw - it is tight, but even when tight the clip doesn't exert much pressure.

Any F3CB owners had any issues or improvements they've made either in the handle (air passing through the inside) or felt the glass gasket system leaked in air? I tried a dollar-bill test although had to use a 1" sheet of regular paper due to the ornate coverings of the glass. The paper slid through easier than a dollar bill does on my door gasket.

 

[pen]

With the stove in normal operation, have you tried running a flame from a lighter / match or the smoke from a cigarette/etc around the area you think you have a leak?

If air is getting drawn in here, the flame or smoke might as well.

pen

 

[BrotherBart]

You have burned in an F3 longer than anybody else here. Let us know how you fix it.

 

[wahoowad]

I am considering ending that streak but that's another thread.

 

[bostock]

Regarding the glass & clips - I recently replaced the glass in my Oslo and noticed the clips do not sit directly on the glass - there is some sort of compound that "buffers" the glass/clip interface - this keeps it snug. Could there be some of that missing from your F3? I also have an F3 but it's only 3 yrs old, I haven't encountered any issues yet : )

 

[begreen]

I found the top glass on our Castine was not sealing perfectly and had to snug up the clips a tad. I would tighten up the clips on the handle side - just a little, maybe just a half screw turn will do. Be careful not to over-tension or one risks cracking the glass.

 

[wahoowad]

I took my 3CB door off and outside where I could get a good look. My clips look fine and still have the thin layer of door gasket material between the clip and glass. They came off and snugged back up fine when I reassembled.

I clearly have more creosote built up on the lower half of the door, and it is thickest near and on the handle catch and associated support members. The door has 'channels' and hopefully the pictures show the creosote/soot appears on the lower half and not in the upper channels which are partially blocked from any air flowing from the lower levels.

I see no hot spots where air is getting past either the door or glass gaskets - instead it appears to be as I suspected coming in at the latch. I suspect it is air coming through the inner workings of the catch itself since the handle has to pass through the door. It looks like a solid rod passing through a close tolerance hole in the door and I don't see excess play when I wiggle it, yet there is a little wiggle. I don't know how much is considered normal. My dealer said if air was coming in it would cause it to burn hotter there, not cooler.

Here's my theory - many of us with this stove have seen how it burns predominantly on the right and I think this is due to the air control level allowing more air in that side. It creates a right to left flow of air that goes in to the back right corner and travels right-to-left across the back of the firebox and then forward on the left side. This air with unburnt gases hits the cooler door and the creosote collects? I'm sticking with some air is getting in but also the door handle itself could be a cold sink since much of the handle mass is outside. I can't think of anything else.