# Door Gasket  -  how often to replace?



## basswidow (Apr 6, 2009)

I have just completed my first season with a kozyheat z42 fireplace stove.   I have noticed that the door gasket is not as full as it was new and some of it seems to be flaking the outer strands.   Should it be replaced already?  How does one know when to replace it -  no smoke comes out around the door - it's a solid seal as far as I can tell.    Getting it cleaned up for the off season.   Perhaps it's fine?  I'll have the sweep check it when he does the chimney.


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## burntime (Apr 6, 2009)

3rd year and I have to replace mine on my hampton...


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## Backwoods Savage (Apr 6, 2009)

No leak, no change.  Do the dollar bill test. If loose then see if you can first tighten the door, which you should be able to do. A door gasket should last for many, many moons without replacing. On my last stove we went about 12 years before needing replacement.


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## DAKSY (Apr 6, 2009)

Check the gasket with your hands as well as performing the dollar bill test.
See if you can still compress it. If is still compresses &
the dollar bill is tough to remove when the handle is latched, it's fine...
If your gasket is inflexible, replace it. 
When it turns hard, which normally takes a couple of years, it's time...


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## jebatty (Apr 6, 2009)

Our stove is our heat source in cold, cold northern MN; oftern burning 24-7; replaced the door gasket once in 19 years, and the replacement is still going strong. Dollar bill test is OK, but the sure thing is when it continues to burn too hot when dampered down all the way on our stove. You don't want very much, if any, air leakage. Our gasket isn't the prettiest but still seals OK.


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## BrotherBart (Apr 7, 2009)

DAKSY said:
			
		

> Check the gasket with your hands as well as performing the dollar bill test.
> See if you can still compress it. If is still compresses &
> the dollar bill is tough to remove when the handle is latched, it's fine...
> If your gasket is inflexible, replace it.
> When it turns hard, which normally takes a couple of years, it's time...



Except on stoves with high density door gaskets. That stuff is hard like a rock the day you install it.


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## grommal (Apr 7, 2009)

I second the no-leak, no-replace advice.  On our old VC, I had to replace the top griddle gasket at about 5 years.  The stove was rebuilt after 10 years of burning, replacing all the gaskets at that time.  During 13 more years of burning, no gaskets needed any work.  How do I know they didn't leak?  Because the stove had occasional backpuffing problems, and you could easily see the smoke jet out of a small leak in the stove cement at one corner of the stove, but nowhere else.

I hope we get half that life from our Jotul gaskets.


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## burntime (Apr 7, 2009)

Did the 1 buck chuck test and it slides out.  I have a washer to remove to pull the handle in.  Hampton came with 3 and I am down to 1.  I will repmve that and try it...Think I will be replacing and adding 2 washers back :lol:


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## basswidow (Apr 7, 2009)

I will try the dollar bill test and also try to compress it.  Maybe it's fine.   It's a weaved metal like rope material and the part closest to the latch seems to be flaking.  

I think we may have aged it prematurely by cracking the door at times to get the fire going - not sure if that would harm it, but the stove instructions say not to.  You know when you are just getting the fire going from coals with the damper wide open,  you can slightly crack the door and let it suck air and it's like a blow torch getting things going - we did that almost every morning all winter long to start the day off and get a good fire going (only for a few minutes).  We burned 24/7 since it was installed in December.  Still burning during the nights lately dipping into the 20's.      

Thanks for the tips.


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## Backwoods Savage (Apr 7, 2009)

Cracking the door open like you do will not harm that gasket.

Worry not. You will be using that stove for a few more weeks. We are not forecast to even reach 50 for the next week and freezing temperatures at night. Looks like we may heat as long this year as we did last year.


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