Now that is it the offseason for heating here in Michigan, what should I do with my door? Does the door gasket last longer and compress less if I am to leave the door ajar all summer, or is it better to be closed? I just had my gaskets replaced and want to keep it new as long as possible. It is an Ideal Steel.
Everyone I know with door gaskets close and latch their doors. Doesn’t seem to bother the gaskets, and helps keep down draft and the chimney smell away through the off season. Owl
If anything, maybe just don't latch it super hard? Just enough to seal, but not real compressed...dunno if it really makes a difference or not though..
the last thing you want to come home to is a bird (or other small animal) that has been trapped in your house all day because it fell down the chimney. If the door is closed it's trapped in there. I keep mine closed.
I always keep mine shut and have yet to replace any door gaskets on either stove. The NZ3000 is going on 11 years of service and the 1900P is going on around 7.
And yes I've had a starling get down the flue and into the stove in the kitchen before, so I'm glad the door was shut. That turned into a fiasco, lemme tell ya.....
I close the door, lay the latch on the catch, but do not tightly latch the door shut. It’s a pain to replace door gaskets and the seal is important so I’m trying to slow the inevitable compression. I also leave the cat bypass open so that birds can make it into the firebox.
We had a duck fly down the fireplace chimney in our cabin when I was a kid.... what a freaking mess!!!
