This is the first time I've done it on my PH. I ordered the gasket kit last year and decided to do it today with the warmer weather. I took the old one out and cleaned the channel well with a wire brush and got it all nice and clean. Soaked my gasket cement in hot water as recommended. The stuff was hard as a rock, I guess sitting round a year ruined it. Tomorrow I'll by another tube to install the gasket. Any recommendations on what I should buy, rutland gasket cement, RTV silicone? Also do I need a big tube or just a smaller size that I can squeeze with my hand? When I talked to Mike at Woodstock he said to leave to door off for 24 hours, I've read where other guys have put the door back on and closed it with newspaper, any advice on that? thanks for any advice I get.
I decided to go with Rutland in the tube, partly because the guy at the stove shop recommended it and it was also the only one they carried. I kneaded the crap out of it but it still spurted out at one point. Job is done, looks OK but Until I put the door on I won't know how good a job I did. Next, the damper installation, fingers and toes crossed, this may be a bit harder.
I have used the newspaper approach to keeping the gasket in place once it is re-installed. Close the door down and then don't open it for a day to give the silicone time to set. It seems to have worked better this way; the first time I changed a gasket, I left the door flat on a workbench with a piece of plywood pressing against the gasket...then weighted down the plywood. Gasket came loose about 1 1/2 - 2 yrs later. Also, I used the whole tube the second time and all is well so far so good.
I used most of the tube but Mike at Woodstock told me to wait a day before putting it back on, not sure what to do.
I use the black liquid stuff WS supplies. I scrape out all the old, and used a wire brush in the groove. Dry fitted the gasket, removed it, squirted in the glue, and reset the gasket. Then it went back onto the stove, and I closed the door for half a day before firing it. No issues. Well, except for bunching the gasket too tight the first time and not being able to latch the door. Dry fit and test closing is a good safeguard.
I have some of that glue for the combustor gasket. Flamestead, I was hoping you were still around, I wanted to ask you where you have your damper, I seem to remember you have a set up similar to me and you use a damper. Is it on the top of the T?
I put the door back on tonight, tight fit but I remember when I first brought the stove home it was a good, tight fit. Looking forward to firing it up tomorrow, freezing my arse here today, funny how quick we get used to the nice warm radiant heat from our woodstoves. This new gasket looks different than the original, the original was white, this one's greyish, hopefully it lasts longer than the original, then again I should be doing this stuff in the summer instead of golfing so much.
The gray rope gasket is graphite impregnated and supposedly lasts longer than the plain jane white. Or so I've been told....
First burn with the new gasket, noticed a difference immediately, got up to temp quicker and got the secondaries rolling. Life is good when your stoves burning the way it should
We ran a brush up the liner this week, and removed the barometric damper. The damper had been fixed shut with a block off plate, and we weren’t using it.
After changing two door gaskets on Ideal Steel doors, I would not use any hardening 'stove cement' type of adhesive. RTV works fine as the door behind the gasket never gets to the 700F that high temp. RTV is rated for anyway. But an even easier way to do it is to find a rope that fits the channel a bit 'too tight' and use that; once is is mashed down by hand, and then of course through use by the door closing against the stove itself, my experience is that 1) it will never fall out. 2) it will maintain a seal for a LONG time and that seal will not diminish and 3) IF (and after a year, that is a valid question for me and my install) the gasket ever gets dirty, compressed or contaminated on the sealing surface, I would just rotate it either 90 or 180 degrees, reinstall it and use it again. Woodstock calls for a 5/8" rope gasket on the Ideal Steel but a 3/4" reinforced (a rope inside of the woven rope) rope makes a very snug fit in an I.S. door. As always, YMMV. Brian
Yes it is...... I know the rope gaskets are very important for a good burn and vacuum on pellet stoves. It'd be the same across the board for proper burns and air mixtures too.
How long did your original gasket last you? I'm still waiting on an Absolute steel, and I'm wondering if I shouldn't just order a couple gaskets now.
It's a;ways good to stock extra parts just in case. Seems stuff happens when you are not ready for it. I'd guesstimate replacing ropes / gaskets every few seasons would be good PM but mileage and use may vary. I'm still on my original door gasket on my Woodmaster 5500 but it has seen little use the last few years. That said, I could probably use new ropes on my P68 Harman but will make it thru this season.
