Hitler 503 Gasket Replacement
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Hello
I went to light my Hitler 503 this morning and noticed smoke coming through the front door and the hopper. After letting the fire go out I inspected the door and hopper. It appears that the gaskets could use replacement. I have never done this before and did not find an exact video on YouTube. What do I need to get this done? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks
I went to light my Hitler 503 this morning and noticed smoke coming through the front door and the hopper. After letting the fire go out I inspected the door and hopper. It appears that the gaskets could use replacement. I have never done this before and did not find an exact video on YouTube. What do I need to get this done? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks
- joeq
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- Location: Northern CT
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson
Easy job for you. Scrape/peel off the old gasket, and bring it to your local hardware store. They'll match you up with the correct length and diameter materials. You'll also want a tube of stove gasket cement, to glue it in place. When you get to it, try and scrape off as much old glue as you can, and maybe use some acetone, alcohol, or paint thinner to loosen up the hardened material. Once you glue the new gasket in place, (I like to end up with the ends on the bottom, but not a big deal), close the door, and let it harden over night. Have fun.
- davidmcbeth3
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- Coal Size/Type: nut/pea/anthra
Would it be better to put a 3/4" plywood piece on the door on the ground with a 20 lbs weight on it or something v. risking gluing the door to the body of the Hitler?joeq wrote:Easy job for you. Scrape/peel off the old gasket, and bring it to your local hardware store. They'll match you up with the correct length and diameter materials. You'll also want a tube of stove gasket cement, to glue it in place. When you get to it, try and scrape off as much old glue as you can, and maybe use some acetone, alcohol, or paint thinner to loosen up the hardened material. Once you glue the new gasket in place, (I like to end up with the ends on the bottom, but not a big deal), close the door, and let it harden over night. Have fun.
- joeq
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I would hope the application of glue wouldn't be so excessive, to glue a door shut. But to prevent a circumstance such as the one Dave brings up, I guess you could apply some petrolatum or white grease temporarily, to the stove frame, as the glue sets.
- coaledsweat
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- Location: Guilford, Connecticut
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
- Coal Size/Type: Pea
Don't get any glue on his mustache, doesn't sound like a very forgiving stove.
- freetown fred
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- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
I just use black silicone with great results. installing & replacing. No chisels or hammers!!
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Thanks for the replies and asisstance. If you have a Google Pixel phone, it will auto correct Hitzer to Hitler, so I will be sticking to the computer from now on. I replaced the gaskets without any issues. I'm still getting smoke coming out of the hopper and the bottom of the door. There also appears to be no draft in the chimney because when I light a fire in the stove the match light charcoal I put in aren't staying lit and extinguish in under 1 minute. Normally when I light the charcoal it lights very quickly and I can even hear the air being pulled up the chimney, which leads me to believe that something may be blocking the chimney. I'm going to have to call for service on this as its well beyond my capabilities.
- joeq
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- Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson
Is your Matchlite new? I had the same problem last year with an old bag. If you pour on a tad of Kerosene, it will help. Another thing to help your draft is to open a door or window. My house is about as tight as a submarine with screen doors, but it made an amazing and immediate difference starting my old stove, when I opened the frt door. (Of the house. Now I just crack a window.). That was with a wood fire. How good was your chimney B4?
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I brought the bag of matchlite over the summer. My house isn't very tight. Its old and drafty, with no insulation inside the walls, which is why I got the coal stove. I've never had this problem before and I can always hear the draft from the chimney. This time I can't hear the draft and the matchlite and newspaper does not stay lit very long, which leads me to believe there is some sort of blockage somewhere. Normally it lights up in seconds. I'll be honest, I haven't had the chimney cleaned in about 5 years, so I'm probably well overdue. I have a company coming on Monday to check it out.
- freetown fred
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Don't forget any horizontal black pipe. Are you using a baro or MOD-- if so, open MPD--put foil over the baro.
X2 on FF's suggestion about cleaning the horizontal flue pipe. If you only burn anthracite coal and no wood, check that pipe before calling and spending money on the chimney sweep. Most here that do burn anthracite do not get any ash build up in the vertical part of the chimney, only in the horizontal flue pipe as it heads to the thimble.
Not to say you couldn't have some critter influence that is blocking the chimney but I'd check the horizontals first.
Not to say you couldn't have some critter influence that is blocking the chimney but I'd check the horizontals first.
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Happy to report that the chimney was cleaned today and it was definitely the cause of my problems. There was a good amount of fly ash and the remnants of 2 bats (nasty). The chimney sweep company was familiar with the stove and he was able to get the blockage out and gave the stove a good vacuum with his industrial ash vacuum. I will be having the chimney cleaned more frequently than once every 5 years. The "Hitler" is now functioning and my living room temperature is now 76 and rising.