Quick question for my Lopi Yankee Bay pellet stove

[ugotit22]

Hey guys just had a quick question. I was giving it a full cleaning and undid the clamp where the pipe meets the stove to clean out the trap. When I took off the pipe the gasket where they meet basically fell apart.
Is this something I need to replace before running the stove or is it just there as an extra sealer?
Thanks
Keith

 

[zrock]

definitely should be replaced or you run the risk of getting smoke into your home

 

[ugotit22]

I tightened the clamp so it's very snug. Ran it for a bit before I put it back together to see if there was any smoke leaking out.
Noda