Possible crack T5 door

[StoveT5]

Good evening. Long time reader first time posting. Purchased a T5 last year. Was checking things out for this year and noticed possible crack. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[begreen]

That looks ok. The door gasket seals to the flat area outside of that inner framed area.

 

[Derf Summerfreeze]

I assume you see the interface between the piece of steel that forms the lip extending forwards and the flat part where the seal resides? The T series have a more conventional seal surface area (IE on the flat part) which I prefer to the knife edge type on other PE models. Anyway, if you have a look, that lip is welded on the inside of the stove so there was no reason to run another bead of weld on the outside. It looks like a crack but isn't. I have had cracks develop on an old Regency that I burned 18 cord a year with for 30 years. It will happen eventually if you burn enough wood. As soon as you see them, drill the end of the crack almost all the way through and then fill the hole with stove cement. That will stop the progression of the crack. Check the stove every year and be prepared to drill the end of a new crack and don't be too disappointed if a crack does develop. It just means your stove has been used as intended. Obviously overfiring will make it happen sooner, but I suspect all steel stoves are susceptible eventually. Derf Edit, in 30 years I only had 3 cracks on my Regency so not a big deal.