Pellet burning stove door gasket.

[Whitenuckler]

Mod edit: Moved from wood stove forum

What is the expected lifespan of a wood-burning stove door gasket?

My pellet stove door gasket leaked right from the start. There is some sort of sleeve where the ends meet and it leaks right there.

 

[Newbie78]

My pellet stove door gasket leaked right from the start. There is some sort of sleeve where the ends meet and it leaks right there.

You can probably fix that with some minor ingenuity and some high heat silicone. Drolet splices their gasket at the bottom door centre, which becomes a tiny leak. This can easily be rectified with a wee bit of silicone covered by a wee piece of aluminum foil or aluminum duct tape over that joint. I actually prefer the foil, as it is more malleable and more leak proof. I have a tiny, tiny leak right now with the tape, which I didn't have with the foil. I replaced it last fall for no reason whatsoever, other than the tape is more robust. The key is to make the silicone and foil just a tiny bit proud of the door gasket, like about a mm or so. It will squish down when you close the door to cure the repair. The foil is only there to prevent the silicone from sticking to the door while curing. I just dreamt this up, but it works well in the case of my stoves.

 

[Whitenuckler]

You can probably fix that with some minor ingenuity and some high heat silicone. Drolet splices their gasket at the bottom door centre, which becomes a tiny leak. This can easily be rectified with a wee bit of silicone covered by a wee piece of aluminum foil or aluminum duct tape over that joint. I actually prefer the foil, as it is more malleable and more leak proof. I have a tiny, tiny leak right now with the tape, which I didn't have with the foil. I replaced it last fall for no reason whatsoever, other than the tape is more robust. The key is to make the silicone and foil just a tiny bit proud of the door gasket, like about a mm or so. It will squish down when you close the door to cure the repair. The foil is only there to prevent the silicone from sticking to the door while curing. I just dreamt this up, but it works well in the case of my stoves.

Thanks I will try that. My only idea (which was not of any help) was to try and "pluck" it to make it proud, but it's like they used some sort of heat shrink and it's hiding all the fibers. I can't expand it.
Have you tried not closing it to cure? That way you could use the silicon buildout, which will crush when you close the door for burning? I guess you can't take a chance on too much pressure on the glass?
I had the stove shutdown as we were sunny and 20C here today. I took a picture. That was probably a weeks worth or maybe two as I have been only burning about 16 hours a day now.

 

[Whitenuckler]

My pellet stove door gasket leaked right from the start. There is some sort of sleeve where the ends meet and it leaks right there.

OK - I picked up the red RTV and did the patch. I closed the door with almost no pressure to seat it. Some squeezed out but the surface of the tin foil is pretty clean. I am leaving the door open until tonight when I have a fire. Almost went down to zero C last night, and rainy weather on the way here. I cleaned the glass too.

 

[Whitenuckler]

OK - I picked up the red RTV and did the patch. I closed the door with almost no pressure to seat it. Some squeezed out but the surface of the tin foil is pretty clean. I am leaving the door open until tonight when I have a fire. Almost went down to zero C last night, and rainy weather on the way here. I cleaned the glass too.

Still leaks, but the pattern changed. I don't think the tin foil makes a good seal on the stove steel. I will try one more layer. I wonder if I should just use the RTV without tin foil? I would need to make sure I have a small even bead. Would there be an issue having RTV sitting on steel with heat?

 

[begreen]

The foil is not likely to make a good seal like a gasket. The two ends of the gasket just butt up against each other in the corner.

 

[Whitenuckler]

The foil is not likely to make a good seal like a gasket. The two ends of the gasket just butt up against each other in the corner.

It looks like I'd have to remove the factory gasket and replace it. I saw at Canadian Tire they have the rope gasket in different sizes and also tubes of gasket cement. I think it takes 3/8" from a post. Should I use RTV or the gasket cement? What did the factory use? I wish they didn't use that method it makes no sense. How can a smooth surface produce a seal?

 

[begreen]

What stove is this for? Looks like this thread segwayed to pellet stoves. Moving to there.

Use the oem gasket. It should be slightly longer than necessary. Cut it to length + a little extra (2cm?). Install the new gasket without stretching it with the ends meeting at a corner, one butting up against the edge of the other. Trim again if needed but still with a little extra so that it pushes up against the side of the other.

 

[Whitenuckler]

OK - I picked up the red RTV and did the patch. I closed the door with almost no pressure to seat it. Some squeezed out but the surface of the tin foil is pretty clean. I am leaving the door open until tonight when I have a fire. Almost went down to zero C last night, and rainy weather on the way here. I cleaned the glass too.

This repair leaked, so I am trying a bead on top. I didn't close the door before it cured (of course). I think if this works, you still need the first layer, so you can get a flat surface. Since the gasket rope is brand new, I hope this works. I will change it for next year if needed.

 

[bogieb]

I don't know who did that gasket end "seal", but neither of my stoves had that. You just butt up the ends (slightly overlay the frayed ends) together with your choice of hi-temp sealant below them. You don't have to do anything with the frayed ends. I personally use Rutlands, but I'm sure there are others that wil work as well.

If you decide to replace the rope itself, that is 3/8". Cut it a couple inches longer than the channel is, remove the rope and lay down a bead of sealant, lay the rope in WITHOUT stretching it, cut off the long end and nestle it in there butted up to the starting end. End of story - no coating of the ends. Yes, there will be a tinge of fray there, but that is okay,

Reinstall the door and close it for a second or so, then open, clean up any squeeze out (if there is any), and let dry. Cure if needed (whatever the sealant directions tell you to do), and go along your merry way.

 

[bogieb]

Here is a you tube video that shows replacing the gasket. It is kind of long since he shows almost every minute of removing the gasket, laying the cement and laying the rope. Start at about 5:00 then skip around as needed.

This is what it should look like:

 

[Whitenuckler]

This repair leaked, so I am trying a bead on top. I didn't close the door before it cured (of course). I think if this works, you still need the first layer, so you can get a flat surface. Since the gasket rope is brand new, I hope this works. I will change it for next year if needed.

Update: I had a fire last night although only maybe 4 hours. There was no sign of ash yet on the glass. I was wrong the other day when I said I needed tin foil. I forgot?? that it was already a smooth surface. Just put a bead down on that sleeve they use, and get it as flat as you can. Let it cure for 8 hours. It will make the seal as it can compress as well as the rope gasket under it.
I was wondering about the ash door, but they did an overlap joint.

 

[Ssyko]

It’s not that critical.