Top off cast iron woodstove

[Chrism]

has anyone ever taken the top off of a cast iron wood stove I have a severe air leaks which explains the semi lack of control when I load the stove off at night. Its held on with 4 bolts doesnt look difficult . But nothing is as easy as it seems ! in the diagram marking yellow is where the leak is. Stove btw is an Isle Royale.

 

[begreen]

What is pointing suspicion to the top for the air leak? Does smoke or a flame get sucked in around the top? FWIW I seem to recall the easy start primer air being an area of leakage for a user several years back. The seals wore out. Will look it up and see if I can find the old thread.

 

[jharkin]

Agree with BeGreen, before you take off the top, be sure that is where the leak is. Easy to do a test waving an incense stick or match around that seam looking for signs smoke is being pulled in.

If you do need to take it off, how easy the task will be depends on how its attached. If its bolted and cemented in place (Vermont Castings style) breaking it loose will take a couple mallet blows but then reinstall will be a bear of a job involving grinding away old cement and re-cementing it and might be tricky getting a good seal. If OTOH it is gasketed (a la Jotul, Woodstock, etc) it might be a simple matter of lifting it off, gluing in a new gasket and placing it back on.

 

[Chrism]

Well I just decided to go for it and see what happened..... im glad I did held on by 4 bolts and 2 phillips head screws that all came out with no problems Thank GOD!! The close up of the gasket is like that all the way around. No cement just from the little research I did 1/4 gasket. Btw gasket was the stock one from 2003 lol

 

[Chrism]

And I did a different kind of test with it not being wood burning season yet , using my air compressor i blew 10 to 15 lbs of air from the outside of the stove to the inside along the seams with my hand on the inside of the stove running that along the seams as well feeling for air . Thats how I found out.

 

[jharkin]

i blew 10 to 15 lbs of air from the outside of the stove to the inside along the seams with my hand on the inside of the stove running that along the seams as well feeling for air

Keep in mind that probably ANY gasketed seam would fail that test. At full blast your chimney is only drawing like 2 inches of water column of draft... in other words something like 0.1 psi of vacuum.

 

[ridemgis]

Well I just decided to go for it and see what happened..... im glad I did held on by 4 bolts and 2 phillips head screws that all came out with no problems Thank GOD!! The close up of the gasket is like that all the way around. No cement just from the little research I did 1/4 gasket. Btw gasket was the stock one from 2003 lol

chit man, other than that gasket, the innards of your ten year old stove look almost new!

 

[Chrism]

Keep in mind that probably ANY gasketed seam would fail that test. At full blast your chimney is only drawing like 2 inches of water column of draft... in other words something like 0.1 psi of vacuum.

Understood but I didnt hold It pressed up against the seam I should have stated that sorry , it was a distance away, the gasket completely fell apart upon touching it . But I must say the gaskets I replaced last year NO air was felt coming through those seams. So with all due respect I think it was a pretty good test. It found a gasket that was in need of replacement.

 

[Chrism]

chit man, other than that gasket, the innards of your ten year old stove look almost new!

Thanks I take real good care of the stove every 2 yrs i fully restore it take it outside blow the whole thing out with leaf back blower lol wire wheel the whole thing and repaint it. and whatever parts look to be in need of replacement I change it out. I love the stove and got it for a great price and it seems like Alot more people are turning to wood and prices are going up!! I paid $1300 including all smoke pipe and chimney pipe the stove alone in town is $3000 now no way do I want to pay that now !!

 

[begreen]

Where did you note the worst leakage? The front left area looks darkest. Is that where?