smoke leaking out firebox door when closed

[tjvt]

Newly installed Tarm SP 40. Smoke periodically leaking out firebox door when door closed and locked. Usually at the beginning of a burn. Insufficient draft? Anything I can do to remedy. I assume it's not a door seal issue since it's a brand new unit.

 

[velvetfoot]

I'm no expert but I wouldn't think it shouldn't actually be leaking out the firebox door. Maybe from somewhere else, like the baro damper or air intake or something like that. Can you do the dollar bill test on the door seal?

 

[stee6043]

There are countless threads on leaky door seals around these parts. Assuming you're boiler shouldn't leak because it's new would be an incorrect assumption! Do a quick thread search and you'll find tips and tricks to make this issue go away.

You're not the first and won't be the last to find this issue on a brand spankin new boiler.

 

[maple1]

Have you measured your flue draft?

 

[heaterman]

First check the door seal with a dollar bill. Open the door, lay a dollar bill across the door frame, close and latch the door, see if you can pull the bill out. If you can your door needs adjusting. If it's tight go to step B
Which is checking your draft. You should have -.02" to -.06" water column.
Adjust your barometric damper or chimney accordingly to arrive in that range.

If you have smoke coming from pipe joints and other places you definitely have draft issues with your chimney. Does this happen only when you first light a fire and the flue is cold or does it do it all the time?

 

[rkusek]

The upper door should be easy to adjust. Many of us with the EKOs switched out the rope gasket to the silicone type which seems the seal better. I still tighten mine a time or two over the last 3 yrs with the silicone one. Others have taken the rope and "rebuilt" it periodically by adding high temp silicone from a tube to it to improve the seal. Periodic adjustment is no big deal and certainly not uncommon.

 

[KenLockett]

tjvt, did you figure this out? Just notice that my Tarm SP 40 is leaking around the door as well. Not new though. About 3 years old on mine. Wondering if it is time to replace door gasket.

 

[tjvt]

Wouldn't say I figured it out, but it has pretty well resolved itself. I haven't witnessed any leakage for a few weeks, but I obviously don't stare at the boiler all day. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but not quite that much. I did nothing (always my preferred fix), so I think it was just a product of too much idling. Not surprising, as I'm a no-storage creosote production facility when running in a shoulder season like that Live and learn right! If I did have to "dig into it," I'd want to ensure adequate draft, good door seal, and door properly adjusted (though my door seems just right snug to me).