In this article we will see how to replace the gasket of the pellet stove with a few simple steps.
The gasket of the pellet stove: when to replace it ???
With the end of the winter season or at the beginning of it, it is important to dedicate oneself to the maintenance of the pellet stove and every 2/3 years also provide for the replacement of the door gasket to keep the stove’s efficiency high.
In fact, cleaning the smoke chamber and flue alone is not sufficient to consider the extraordinary maintenance complete. Therefore it is essential to know how to change the door seal of the pellet stove and to know the risks incurred by not changing it.
Content index
- Risks
- Replace the gasket
- What is needed
- Method
- Verify
- Safety
Risks and Worn pellet stove gasket
If the door does not adhere perfectly to the wall of the stove, the insulation of the combustion chamber is missing and therefore gas would escape into the home environment.
Even if minimal, the dangerousness of the leak should not be underestimated: the combustion gases are composed of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which are highly harmful to humans and animals.
A banknote is enough to test the passage of air between the body and the loading door.
Open the door when the stove is cold, put the banknote between the door seal, then close and lock.
Try to remove the banknote by pulling it.
The bill shouldn’t come out too easily. If there is an area where the bill slips out easily the door seal needs to be revised.
The first thing to try is to adjust the door lock. Some stoves have a mechanism for adjusting the door closer to the body, and others can be adjusted by folding the attachment hook welded to the body of the stove.
If it is not possible to adjust the door, or if after testing the banknote it pulls out easily in too many places, the door seal must be replaced, because it must have a good seal.
Replace the gasket
Changing the gasket of the pellet stove is an operation that requires little time and a lot of precision, especially if you want to avoid unpleasant accidents.
All fire appliances have a controlled air system to reduce random leaks in the firebox so that air only enters through the stove through air control.
The gasket material has evolved over the years from asbestos cord to fiberglass hordes in various sizes and densities. The usual gaskets are 0.2 to 2 cm thick.
The gasket is in a roll format and can be cut to the desired length or packaged by the manufacturer in a stove kit.
You can purchase gasket adhesive in a small tube from any hardware store.
If you can’t find it, don’t despair. You can use a common high temperature silicone sealant used for connecting the flues.
What is needed
- medium-slotted screwdriver;
- high temperature silicone;
- new fireproof rope for pellet stove;
- steel wool;
- wide flat brush;
- rag and vacuum cleaner.
Method
Open the door and take a screwdriver with which to pry the cut of the gasket to lift the end. Having grasped the rope, pull it gradually until it is completely removed from its seat.
After that it is a good idea to remove any residual silicone with the help of coarse steel wool and then brush or vacuum up any leftovers and clean with a rag so that the new silicone can adhere perfectly to the surface.
If the replacement gaskets are of the non-elastic type, before throwing away the used one, it is possible to obtain the size of the new one and cut the necessary length. While if the gasket is of the elastic type, the measurement must be taken during installation using the door itself as a measurement, as it must be slightly stretched. In this case it can be cut after installation.
Once everything has been cleaned and the gasket prepared, it is possible to position the silicone around the entire perimeter of the door, usually 1/4 “to 1/2” of the width, depending on the gasket size. The gasket can then be laid: it is advisable to start from the middle of the upper side of the door, in this way the joint, between the beginning and the end of the gasket, does not create encumbrance either on the hinges or on the closing side.
Cut the gasket slightly longer so that the ends can be pushed together forming a good seal. Press the gasket into the adhesive.
Fit the door and check the tightness. By slamming the door lightly, you should hear the muffled sound of the gasket, not metal, hitting the body of the stove. Close hermetically to keep the work under pressure.
Glass
The new wood-burning appliances including fireplaces, thermal inserts, pellets and combined use a clear ceramic material instead of the tempered glass that fireplaces used. It will not break in the heat generated by the flames, but it can break if the fasteners are screwed in too hard or if it is hit with a fireplace tool or piece of wood.
Clean the glass before installing the newly purchased flat gasket. Remove the paper backing from the gasket and lay it on a flat surface, with the adhesive side facing up. Center the edge of the glass along the gasket and press it into the adhesive. Now rotate the glass and press the next edge into the next length of the gasket.
Repeat until you return to the starting point and cut the gasket to the right length: in any case it is necessary to respect the initial characteristics of how our stove was designed and NOT ARBITRARLY INSERT gasket where it was not foreseen by the manufacturer!
The ceramic glass in our appliance is very expensive, but it should never need replacing. Some stove models appear to cause scratches in the glass with normal wear over time. You may wish to replace it to renew the clarity and brilliance.
The maintenance of the glass and the reinstallation of the gasket requires having to tighten the fixing of the same.
So make sure you tighten lightly, leaving room for the glass to expand when heated.
This ceramic glass is very stable and does not shatter like tempered glass, so if it does crack, you can continue to use the stove for a short time while you arrange to replace it.
The replacement glass can be cut to size in a special shop that deals with wood-burning appliances or even online at an average price ranging from 70 to 100 euros for an average size.
Alternatively, it is possible to purchase the replacement glass supplied directly from the manufacturer of the appliance.
Safety
To make sure that the spare part is correctly installed, you can contact an expert technician who can give you the certainty of complete and safe extraordinary maintenance.
