PE 27 baffle insulation

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snrek

Member
Jan 30, 2015
14
north FL
I have a PE 27 that is about 5 years old. Last week I had to take out the baffle to rescue a bird trapped in the flue. I don't remember seeing any insulation except the air tube insulator, but it was probably there. I'm having to use a walker so getting down there again is quite an ordeal, I can do it when I have to but it hurts. About 2 years ago I had a knee replacement and any activity involving that knee is slooooooow and painful.
Anyway, the air tube gasket had disintegrated and I didn't notice the others. I have read quite a few times how bad the quality of the OEM gaskets is and I must agree. There is a reference to making the gaskets yourself but no instructions on how to do it. This leaves me with 2 questions:
1. What do these gaskets do? Obviously they are a seal but do they seal the fire below the baffle and why?
2. How can I replace them? What do I use and what am I trying to accomplish?
Thanks
 
The air tube gasket is cheap and considered sacrificial. It reduces leakage around the secondary feed tube and is meant to be replaced each time the baffle is removed. . You can weave your own out of 1/4" or 3/8" door gasket material. That works well for a more permanent fix. Or just buy several factory gaskets. A six pack is about $20.

The baffle insulation is inside the baffle assembly.
 
Here are a few pics of what Hogwidz did:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-custom-baffle-gasket-shes-cooking-now.23717/
(See post 10 of this thread)

home-made-baffle-gasket-1-year-old-8-30-09-jpg.jpg

I made one of these after original was found disinterated my first cleanout. Take some 3/8 gasket rope, cut to proper length and stitch the ends. I used copper wire. It's still in good shape and will compress enough with the heavy baffle.

This is his latest incarnation. But he still needs to test the material I think.
img_2298web-jpg.jpg

Hope Hogz doesn't mind my sharing these.
 
I'm running on a homemade gasket now too. Works fine and looked just like that after a year of service.
 
Mine was gone too after the first year of burning but last time I removed the baffle the replacement was still fairly intact. I was pretty careful though with it.

I bought them from the dealer for some rip off price like $5 each.
 
Here are a few pics of what Hogwidz did:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-custom-baffle-gasket-shes-cooking-now.23717/
(See post 10 of this thread)

View attachment 223362

I made one of these after original was found disinterated my first cleanout. Take some 3/8 gasket rope, cut to proper length and stitch the ends. I used copper wire. It's still in good shape and will compress enough with the heavy baffle.

This is his latest incarnation. But he still needs to test the material I think.
View attachment 223363

Hope Hogz doesn't mind my sharing these.
Nope, not at all. That's what they are here for.
The new material is toast I think. Similar to the OEM, similar results.
I have not cleaned the liner this year, so I will know next fall when I clean. I suspect the new material is toast though.
I have a few other ideas in the frying pan though.
 
I have a few other ideas in the frying pan though.
So do I. Bacon and eggs and hashbrowns. Thanks for your work on this. That rope idea has saved me a lot of trouble. It was still in good shape at last years' cleaning.
 
.... in the frying pan though.

One idea i had and may attempt is making a gasket of RTV red, ie. let it solidify in some sort of mold, or just make a few successive layers of the RTV in the approximate shape of the gasket on a piece of wax paper - let it set for a while and try it in the fall.
 
One idea i had and may attempt is making a gasket of RTV red, ie. let it solidify in some sort of mold, or just make a few successive layers of the RTV in the approximate shape of the gasket on a piece of wax paper - let it set for a while and try it in the fall.
I'm not familiar with the characteristics of red RTV. Will it stay pliable enough to form and keep a seal?
 
One idea i had and may attempt is making a gasket of RTV red, ie. let it solidify in some sort of mold, or just make a few successive layers of the RTV in the approximate shape of the gasket on a piece of wax paper - let it set for a while and try it in the fall.
You can try it, I think it may burn off.
 
Put a dab on the secondary tube right under the baffle as a test and see how it stands up. I'd be curious if it burned to dust or baked hard as a rock.
 
Thanks so much for the help! I'm still trying to figure out what the gaskets on the sides of the baffle are supposed to accomplish. I may wind up getting a six-pack of the air tube gaskets and treat them as disposables. OTOH, if I'm using rope to make my own "neverfail" gaskets I might as well make a tube gasket too.