If you own a wood, coal or pellet stove that you depend on for supplementary heat in the coming winter months, this is about the right time of the year, (for a rainy day project), to get that baby tuned up and ready to go to work for you. The best maintenance investment, for-do-it-yourselfers, is a door and damper gasket kit.

Since 1883, (originally out of Montpelier, Vermont) Rutland Fire Clay Company has been producing all kinds of high temperature gaskets, gasket adhesives, cements, firebricks and accessories for the wood and coal stove markets. They are the original suppliers to a number of major manufacturers. So while many manufacturer's may want you to come to them or their authorized dealers for "authentic factory supplied stove gasket kits," you will pay a heck of a lot less buying the same thing from an Ace Hardware store. Rutland's plant just happens to be located a few miles up the road, coincidentally, in Rutland Vermont, from Vermont Castings wood stove plant in Bethel.

Rutland Products, Grapho-Glas Stove Gasket is a black, braided, fiberglass gasket that has been saturated in graphite. Rated for up to 1000 degrees F, the graphite helps to keep creosote from sticking to it and increases it's resistance to abrasion. It's got better wear resistance than the plain old white rope gaskets, which turn black from the creosote it absorbs anyway over time.

Rutland offers a full range of five (5) sizes of rope gasket from 1/4" to 1" as well as 5/8" tape gasket, often used around glass. These little bags of gasket come in five to seven (5-7') foot lengths, so premeasure the perimeter of your door to make certain you will have enough. Measure the width and depth of gasket channel as best as you can or better still, call the manufacturer for specifications on gasket sizes for different doors. I highly recommend using the Rutland high temperature gasket cement for this job, it's what the pro's would use.

Why Change The Gaskets?

Let's face it, the loading and ash doors on your wood stove are going to see a lot of action over the course of a winter. The damper door will also see some activity. Eventually, the constant compression and wear from opening and closing the loading/ash doors or the damper door will reduce the seals. A good seal around these doors ensures you are in control of the air supply to the fire, through the stove and the flow of combustion products (including useable heat) up the flue. The damper gasket is especially important in the newer high efficiency EPA approved stoves.

Let's not overlook the ash door gasket if your stove is equipped with a separate ash pan. Any excess air that is allowed to leak into the firebox around a worn door gasket or the ash door gasket will steal control of the fire and can cause the stove to overheat. Cast stoves have been known to warp and crack because of a worn out door gasket. Contrary to some people's belief, it is not a good thing to see your stove glowing red.

Hopefully, you have a stove top thermometer (if not, invest in one) and the manufacturer has provided you with an approximate ideal surface temperature range for your stove. Most suggest a range of 400 to 600 F give or take a few degrees. That produces a much higher inner temperature, but not enough to damage the stove.

How Do I Know It's Time To Change The Gaskets?

* If you're beginning to see roaring flames and you can't seem to control the fire like you could when the stove was new, something is leaking air.

* Slip a dollar bill between the door gasket and the stove, close the loading door or the ash door and try gently pulling it out. If you can pull it out, replace the gasket.

* If you are burning a lot of wood but don't seem to be getting the same value out of it in the house, check for leakage.

* On the high efficiency stoves with by-pass dampers, you should be able to see a dramatic change in the fire when you close the damper, if not, check the damper gasket.

Of course, before rushing out to Ace Hardware to pick up a few packs of Grapho-Glas Gasket and high temperature gasket cement (also sold by Rutland) make sure the door hinges on the ash door or the loading door haven't bent and thrown the door out of alignment. That is a fairly common problem from people leaning on them, when they are open. The by-pass damper will also usually have an adjustment mechanism that may have loosened up over time.

If changing your gaskets and ensuring all of the doors are sealing a well as possible still does nothing to restore your control over the fire, you may have developed a crack in the firebox floor. A crack in a welded steel stove could be very bad news, (time for a new stove) in a cast stove that is gasketed together or cemented together, it could just mean buying a caulking tube of Rutland stove cement. Again, this brand and type of cement is what is used by the original stove manufacturers in many cases. Their cement is rated for up to 2000 degrees F and is designed for metal to metal repairs at joints. Cracks in joints can usually be found with a flashlight and two sets of eyes. There many even be signs of factory installed stove cement, laying under the stove on the hearth. Repair any signs of light leakage through joints with a bead of high temperature Rutland cement. A crack in the casting itself requires replacement of the part (if it's still available). No one would recommend trying to patch a crack in a casting with cement.

Poor Draft and Difficulty Establishing a Fire

Strangely enough, if air is allowed to leak into the flue around the flue collar on the top of the stove, it will dilute the natural draft action of the chimney and prevent air from being drawn through the primary air control on the bottom of the stove. Think of it like sucking on a straw that has holes in it half way down. You won't get much suction at the bottom of the straw. A good wood stove works much the same way, the joints in connector pipe to the chimney through the stove damper and all the way down to the air intake openings need a good seal for control of the fire. Leaks at the top end equal poor draft and a weak smokey fire, leaks at the bottom equal high fire and lack of control. No leaks allows you to control the intensity of the flame and increase or decrease it to better suit your needs.

So if you've had the stove for awhile and only started to have problems getting the fire going strong, check for leaks around the flue collar and the vent connector. A little bead of Rutland stove cement wouldn't go amiss there too.

Check for blockages in the primary air supply opening and if your stove has a catalytic combustor, it may be time to have it checked by a service tech, if you aren't comfortable taking the back apart.

Safety

It's recommended to use latex gloves and long sleeve shirts and wear an approved dust mask when handling this material, to avoid possible skin or respiratory irritations from the fiber glass dust. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product shows no carcinogenicity associated with it.

I've been using various Rutland products for years and have never had a reason to complain about any of them.
For a Rutland dealer near you or to look at the other products they offer their website is:
http://www.rutland.com/index.html

Keep an eye on the chimney for blockages and creosote build-up, the good old chimney sweep can be your best friend, when it comes to keeping your wood stove running safely and efficiently.

Be safe.

The Gasman


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