Pyrojoints.net
Why change the seals ?
Door Seals
The general recommendation is that all seals should be regularly inspected for wear and replaced as necessary, some manufacturers even recommend changing the seals every 12 months, which is good advice to stay safe.
However it really depends on the frequency of use and the performance of the stove. If the doors can be closed without applying a bit of force to compress the seals, they need closer inspection.
Glass Seals
Our recommended method is the simple paper strip test described here. If the seals to the doors require changing, or the stove glass needs to be replaced, it is also worth changing the seals to the glass. These are usually flat tape, wrap-around (ladder) tape or small diameter rope, we stock them all.
What difference will it make ?
There are two main reasons to change the seal in terms of the performance of your stove. First is to limit or stop combustion gases entering the room. This includes the deadly Carbon Monoxide gas (CO) which is odourless, invisible and too often, fatal. We cannot stress enough the importance of having a CO Detector & alarm fitted near your stove. If you haven't got one, they are available from our shop.
The second benefit is the control of the burn. Without unwanted leaks of air, the stove will burn to the control of the vents as it was designed and the ability to provide a very slow burn, overnight for example, will be returned.
Which seals to order.
What seal to order.
There are two densities of seal, soft and standard.
The easiest guide is whether they can be compressed to less than half their original diameter. If they can, they are 'soft density' and if they can't they are 'standard density'
To measure the seals, take a section of the existing seal that is not too deformed and squeeze it back into a round shape, measure this to give you the first indication of diameter. Next look at the channel it came out of, if necessary clear out any old glue and measure both depth and width, the larger of these is likely to be the diameter of the seal unless a soft density seal is used and then a larger diameter could have been squeezed into the channel.
Don't Panic.
If you have done this and are still unsure of any aspect of your seal size or density, don't panic. If you cut out a bit of the existing seal, pick a bit that is the least deformed, about 100mm in length and post it to us. We will examine it and send you a sample of new seal to match, from which you can try it for fit in your stove and then take the reference number and order your seal through our shop.
