# Wood stove door gasket **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 9, 2019, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560 "2019-10-09T23:29:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/41 "2019-11-26T21:56:27Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > OP is running a 25 year old box stove, which may or may not have been either properly designed or properly maintained. I’ve certainly gotten one of those glowing hot without particularly trying, years ago when I didn’t really know what I was doing. I didn’t burn the house down, but it still wasn’t a great idea. > > Even a stove which is properly designed and maintained has to be designed for an average sort of load of wood – a stove that will burn moderately dry maple well enough to not clog the stovepipe may well overheat if fed with a load of extremely dry old locust posts and left to run wide open for extended periods of time. > > It also may be designed for an average sort of chimney draw. Some chimneys draw better than others, and will pull more air through the stove at a given setting than others. As with many things of this nature, **YMMV…** and that is exactly why I stipulated “any properly designed _and_ maintained woodburner” is safe to run flat out for extended periods. Perhaps I was ambiguous, so to spell it out: maintenance includes tending the fire **YMMV** when in use, not just the periodic sweeping and replacement of damaged parts. Extended periods **YMMV** doesn’t mean eternally. Sure, any stove, operating under a large combination of variables, could overheat to the point of glowing, but then, it wouldn’t be well tended (maintained) at that point. **YMMV** :smack: Of course, a better designed and maintained stove/stack can safely handle these variables more effectively than others, but **YMMV**. The key words here: **YMMV.** Therefore, if someone experiences a stove that easily glows red simply based upon the type of wood that is being fired, I would posit that you have a poorly designed system (probably the stove), and should seriously rethink your strategy. However, using your “average” (whatever that might be) stove/stack/wood concept, it’s probably safe to say that pushing said system wide open is OK for say, an average of 1.5 hrs. from time of ignition. **YMMV** :rolleyes: Beyond that, you’re either not maintaining your fire, or choose to live in a 140 degree atmosphere, or… you live in a barn. **YMMV.** ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/42 "2019-11-26T22:05:27Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > A followup related question if you don’t mind. > > I just replaced the seal on my oven. The door does not seem to be closing tightly. The seal is quite round now. > > Does these things “flatten out” in a reasonable period of time? Like before Friday when we will be doing our Thanksgiving thing. Yes, the gaskets flatten over time (that’s why you eventually have to replace them ) but you’ll have to define “reasonable”. If you did a proper job replacing it, it’ll seal effectively within a few cycles of opening-closing the door. If not, better try again. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/43 "2019-11-27T00:11:40Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > If it was over in about a minute, it probably wasn’t a proper chimney fire. Having e.g. flue gas ignite for a few moments is a very different scenario from a sustained tar/creosote fire. > > The typical damage scenarios for a chimney fire are for it to burn through metal liners and/or masonry chimney stacks, or heat the stack to such a degree that it autoignites surrounding timber/insulation. That’s generally not going to happen in ‘about a minute’. At this stage of my game and experience, I am confident that I recognize a stack fire when I have one. FYI: they were characterized by a sudden loud roar in the stove, and especially out the top of the stack… fire shooting out the top of the stack… fire balls of globby-looking material emanating out of the stack, with some embers landing upon the roof… and a considerable amount of carbonized creosote (appx. 1 lb.) residue falling down the stack onto the fire shelf of the stove afterwards. Perhaps this doesn’t meet your criteria for a “proper” chimney fire, but this was certainly not “flue gas igniting for a few moments” _if you choose that to be possible._😕 I’m not so confident however, that you are correct in what you propose as an essential fact that: (in a well designed/maintained) stack, a chimney fire will " burn through metal liners and/or masonry chimney stacks". To this I must claim bullshit because of the chemistry, physics, and thermodynamics involved. Simply put: there isn’t enough fuel/oxygen/time involved to melt multi-walled insulated stainless steel (or mild steel) nor ceramic that is in good design condition, in any chimney fire… enough to ignite surrounding timber afire. The decomposition temperatures of such materials (2500-2800 degrees F.) do not match the temperatures capable of any woodburning stack fire potential , especially a long term (smoldering) low (relative) temperature stack fire. Sure, if one has an old, poorly maintained stack… or simply an inferior new installation, a chimney fire could burn your house down… but if you have a good installation, a chimney fire isn’t instant destruction, it’s just something you live with. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/44 "2019-11-27T01:22:57Z")
> [@ZurBob](#): > > As with many things of this nature, **YMMV…** and that is exactly why I stipulated “any properly designed _and_ maintained woodburner” is safe to run flat out for extended periods. > > Perhaps I was ambiguous, so to spell it out: maintenance includes tending the fire **YMMV** when in use, not just the periodic sweeping and replacement of damaged parts. Extended periods **YMMV** doesn’t mean eternally. > > Sure, any stove, operating under a large combination of variables, could overheat to the point of glowing, but then, it wouldn’t be well tended (maintained) at that point. **YMMV** :smack: I took “maintained” to refer to the condition of the stove, not to monitoring the fire. If somebody says their car is well maintained, they mean they change the oil on time and so on, not that they drive it carefully. I appreciate your clarification, and agree with your statement now that it’s been clarified; but I think the headsmack is uncalled for. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/45 "2019-11-27T13:10:11Z")
> [@ZurBob](#): > > Yes, the gaskets flatten over time (that’s why you eventually have to replace them ) but you’ll have to define “reasonable”. If you did a proper job replacing it, it’ll seal effectively within a few cycles of opening-closing the door. If not, better try again. Yeah, I was afraid of that. I suspect I might have made the corners too tight. And this is a tough one to get to. I have to take off a bunch of hardware: door from the oven, door cover, self-cleaning protector plate, inner cover, etc. I saw on YouTube how-tos for ones with pins so that the spacing is automatically done right. (And no other hardware to be removed.) But no pins for me. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Gbro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/46 "2019-11-28T17:58:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Posted by gogogophers FYI: they were characterized by a sudden loud roar in the stove, and especially out the top of the stack… fire shooting out the top of the stack… fire balls of globby-looking material emanating out of the stack, with some embers landing upon the roof… and a considerable amount of carbonized creosote (appx. 1 lb.) gogo, you were responding to Slapshead with your above reply. I am struggling with your initial post in this thread where you posted; > [@](#): > > In the 80’s, wood was our sole source of heat for about a decade. The stove design was a top discharge w no converter, and the flue (triple wall stainless) was a straight shot up thru the roof. If it burned, in the stove it went, but mostly green hardwood. During this period we had three or four (to my knowledge) chimney fires. While they were definitely attention getters, in the end there was no harm done. Each episode lasted about 45-60 seconds and was over… calling the fire department would have been pointless in our case. Back in the 80’s i never came across a triple wall stainless flue. What we did come across was Metalbestos flu’s. And i am not referring to the Generic trade name that is becoming extinct. A Class A MetalBestose flue had asbestos insulation beteen the double walls and one didn’t have to look for a tag to know it! Those flue sections weighted in the neighborhood of 25lbs each! What we did find was the inner liner distorted, Warped, and totally obstructed from the heat of the fire! We had one on display in the fire hall for years! Another thing we would see is Class B flue;s miss used on wood stoves! And a very very common practice was to tee a wood stove into the existing chimney that may very well had been used for a wood stove initially then a fuel oil furnace installed but with the recession we went through. That is probably why we saw so many barometric draft controls. But back to your post about your description of your chimney fire experence, you describe the sound of the fire and the[fire balls of globby-looking material emanating out of the stack] And then the [a considerable amount of carbonized creosote (appx. 1 lb.] Well i have carried 5 or more 3 gal galvanized pails of red hot embers removed from the chimney cleanout at the base of the chimney. AND Your Mileage Does Vary Very Much. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/47 "2019-11-28T21:37:25Z")
Update on my oven door seal problem. I took it apart again yesterday. (Much faster the 2nd time plus I wasn’t cleaning as I went.) Was very careful to make sure the new seal was aligned properly and not pinched or anything. No change. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2019, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/48 "2019-11-29T03:59:19Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Update on my oven door seal problem. > > I took it apart again yesterday. (Much faster the 2nd time plus I wasn’t cleaning as I went.) Was very careful to make sure the new seal was aligned properly and not pinched or anything. > > No change. ☹ It’s possible your stove is simply worn out. Bent hinges, warped door, etc., because it’s all constructed of cheap sheet metal subject to all kinds of stresses and deformations that may prevent a proper door gasket seal. Honestly, I thought you were referring to a woodstove that typically doesn’t suffer such maladies because they usually are constructed to a higher standard with thicker metal. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/49 "2019-11-29T13:53:20Z")
> [@ZurBob](#): > > It’s possible your stove is simply worn out. Bent hinges, warped door, etc., because it’s all constructed of cheap sheet metal subject to all kinds of stresses and deformations that may prevent a proper door gasket seal. > Honestly, I thought you were referring to a woodstove that typically doesn’t suffer such maladies because they usually are constructed to a higher standard with thicker metal. Among the things I will be checking are the return springs on the hinges. I’ve seen those things when I pulled the oven out a bit years ago. They are tight. Not sure how to adjust them without doing damage to myself or the hardware. ---
**Author:** ![Caldris\_bal\_Comar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Caldris\_bal\_Comar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldris_bal_Comar)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560/50 "2019-11-30T02:18:20Z")
I have one of [these chimney fire suppressants](https://www.chimfex.us/) in the basement in case of chimney fire. This house has never had one, so I have no firsthand experience, but I certainly hope it works if it’s ever needed. I wonder if they expire… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-stove-door-gasket/841560.md?page=2)