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Hiya Smokers!! (Door seal question)

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  • Hiya Smokers!! (Door seal question)

    Just joined today after spending a day of reading posts, getting hungry, and realizing most people here know more then me.....for now.

    I do have one question that I have not been able to find in the forums. For Dad's Day the fam got me a smoker, generic, store bought, etc. My other one was pretty old, and had rusted. The new one leaks smoke out the door pretty bad - A) should this annoy me? B) Is this bad? C) Is there anything I can use to seal it?

    Edit - Since I do not read instructions:
    I am currently using a Smoke Hollow 34" 3 shelf smoker, model 34168G. Has a decent amount of space, but the thermostat is off by about 40*.

    TIA for all the help I am sure you will provide.

    JT
    Last edited by JT; 06-21-2011, 12:15 PM. Reason: Adding info...
    JT
    Born in VA - Living in WI
    On the deck:
    34" Smoke Hollow
    30" Great Outdoors
    Brinkman 4 burner grill
    In the house:
    Wife and 3 kids
    In the doghouse:
    Today, the dog.

  • #2
    Originally posted by JT View Post
    Just joined today after spending a day of reading posts, getting hungry, and realizing most people here know more then me.....for now.

    I do have one question that I have not been able to find in the forums. For Dad's Day the fam got me a smoker, generic, store bought, etc. My other one was pretty old, and had rusted. The new one leaks smoke out the door pretty bad - A) should this annoy me? B) Is this bad? C) Is there anything I can use to seal it?

    Edit - Since I do not read instructions:
    I am currently using a Smoke Hollow 34" 3 shelf smoker, model 34168G. Has a decent amount of space, but the thermostat is off by about 40*.

    TIA for all the help I am sure you will provide.

    JT
    Glad you found us JT...... This is a great place full of lots of knowledge.... In my opinion, leaking smoke out the door is not too bad, unless it is a problem area trying to hold temps when it gets cold..... This should not annoy you..... You can get a high temp seal, made for a smoker or oven if it bugs you too much & use the appropriate adhesive for heat... Did you test the thermostat?... Is your thermometer accurate?.... If you need to test your thermo, just ask & someone will help you out.
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    • #3
      Agree the leaking out of the door isn't too bad but if it does become a problem there are some solutions.
      Long as you're temps are steady and you can hold at least 220 to however high you want it to go range you are good.

      And welcome to the site
      There is a cure...http://phoenixtears.ca/

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      • #4
        I have a Smoke Hollow #6.You can go to a Woodstove place and buy the thin 1" tape door seal with the adhesive and get rid of your leaking Probs.Run it all around the door and check the the Thermo. In Ice water and Boiling water to get an Idea it will be Bad.You just need to adjust or use a Maverick on the Grate.Run the probe thru the vent.Leave the vent wide open.Hope this helps.Put the probe in a piece of wood or a Potato.
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        Certified Sausage Head

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        • #5
          Hey JT,

          Leaking out the door shouldn't be a problem, but if you want to seal it, you can get the seals made for wood stoves...I have used this Fiberglass door seal from Rutland. They make a tape style that is thin and would work in your situation. I have struggled a bit with the adhesives that don't adhere properly, so I may go with this tadpole gasket that I can attach with a screw or rivet.

          Allied Kenco also has a compressable gasket that you may want to consider. it is a high temp silicone and is specifically for smokehouse doors.
          BBQ Eng.

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          • #6
            it depends on how serious you are about it and how "anal" you can be... to me, any leaking smoke is uncontrolled smoke, which i hate. do I have some? yes. does it bug me? yes. however, i have learned to live with it.

            It also means that there is a hole somewhere that can potentially leak air into the firebox, causing more uncontrolled events such as flair ups and what-not. Again, this is something that most people can learn to live with and work around. chances are, with any smoker from a big box store without any home-brewed mods, you are going to have air infiltration no matter what you do.

            you are on the right path though. gaskets will cut down on your leakage and give you more control over your smoker. the next question is how to fix it.

            how bad is the leak exactly and/or how large are your gaps. if they are larger than about 1/4" or so, i would go with a "solid gasket"... something like the heat-resistant weather stripping or a fiberglass/ceramic/inconel rope/tadpole gasket. They are great at stopping heat and smoke, and last forever if installed properly. you can either glue/cement them into place, or use screws/clamps.

            The other option is a little trick that wutang taught me (and that i still need to do to my smokers)... take a tube of high-temp RTV (orange, or i prefer the copper stuff), and put a bead around the area to be sealed. then, take a sheet of shrink wrap and carefully apply it over the top of the RTV. the fewer the wrinkles and smearing, the better. Try not to "smoosh" it too much when applying it... just enough to make it stick. Then, just shut the door like you usually would, and keep it shut over night at least. when you take off the plastic (it should peel right off), check the gasket to see how well it seals. if need be, add a second coat (it can go right on top of the first one) and go through the process again until you are satisfied.

            Later,
            Andy
            Current babies:
            -Daughter's 10"x24" RF smoker
            -RichTee's Lang :)
            Former Lineup:
            -Charbroil Santa Fe grill
            -1954'ish Philco fridge smoker
            -1950's GE electric fridge smoker in progress (Went to WuTang and will probably never be completed. lol)
            -enough beer to drown any problem/ailment you may encounter

            "if you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough"
            BTW, U of M sucks, Go Big Red! I have bragging rights to 2018!

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