Warped VC Encore ash door?

[Budman93]

First post...
I've been working on the VC encore 2550 that came with our recent house purchase. I believe it is from about 1996. It looked to be in good shape but needed the refractory replaced as there was a hole in it straight to the stove pipe. So I replaced the refractory and regasketed and installed the upper fireback and sideplates and windows and doors and everything. I thought I was good to go but I noticed that the ash door has a gap in the right edge even when its cranked as tight as possible.

The gasket seems even and I can tell that the new gasket is contacting the surfaces on the rest of the edges. Looking at it with a straight edge seems to indicate it is warped on the last few inches of the bottom edge which would account for the gap. Is there anything else I should try or should I just buy a new ash door?

I've already sunk enough money into this that I can't give up now. Hopefully this will be the last thing in the way of getting a stove that will work well for at least 5 years or so. If it will do that I would be happy and at a later date can replace it with something that is less complicated to maintain.

 

[xman23]

Not your stove, but on mine the ash door was not as tight as I would like. I went up one size with the gasket and was perfect. I might have loosened the latch side with a washer on the latch.

 

[Budman93]

Not your stove, but on mine the ash door was not as tight as I would like. I went up one size with the gasket and was perfect. I might have loosened the latch side with a washer on the latch.

that is probably worth a try. Much more economical than just buyin a new door first thing. Its tight on the hinge side and probably 80- 90% from the hinge towards the latch so maybe If I leave most of the 3/8 gasket in place and transition to 1/2 inch for the last bit towards the latch side that might help.

 

[kborndale]

Just let it fill up with ashes and it will no longer be an issue.

 

[Budman93]

So I got some larger half inch gasket and removed the 3/8 gasket from that end and about 4 inches down each side and put the bigger gasket in that spot, trying to stretch it a bit at the ends so it would transition smoothly and not bump up at the join. It seems to have worked. I fired it up for the first time last night and it did well. It seems that I have been pretty successful at getting it relatively air tight because when I close the primary air the flames die way back.

I'm pretty happy that i didn't have to buy a new door. The rebuild already cost over $900 with the new refractory, catalyst, cat temp sensor from Auber instruments, replacing a missing andiron , and all the necessary gaskets and cement so not spending another 100 bucks on it was nice. I think we will be able to get some good use out of it for a while which was the goal.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

So I got some larger half inch gasket and removed the 3/8 gasket from that end and about 4 inches down each side and put the bigger gasket in that spot, trying to stretch it a bit at the ends so it would transition smoothly and not bump up at the join. It seems to have worked. I fired it up for the first time last night and it did well. It seems that I have been pretty successful at getting it relatively air tight because when I close the primary air the flames die way back.

I'm pretty happy that i didn't have to buy a new door. The rebuild already cost over $900 with the new refractory, catalyst, cat temp sensor from Auber instruments, replacing a missing andiron , and all the necessary gaskets and cement so not spending another 100 bucks on it was nice. I think we will be able to get some good use out of it for a while which was the goal.

Nicely done, VC stoves are great heaters and put out a ton of heat.. good looking stoves also.. You may change your mined down the road about switching out

 

[Budman93]

Nicely done, VC stoves are great heaters and put out a ton of heat.. good looking stoves also.. You may change your mined down the road about switching out

yeah, It looks great, I'm happy to keep it as long as it doesn't keep needing expensive rebuilds like this one. I dont know how long the refractory boxes and things usually last but it is a huge pain to remove and reinstall the damper and refractory and get it to seal so I dont want to do that often.