Leader Half Pint Door Problem?

[DonMcJr]

I noticed on my new Leader Half Pint the door has a gap at the top that smoke comes out of...dirty's the pan more and makes it smell like smoke instead of Maple Syrup!

Is this normal?

Here's some pics...

http://www.michiganoutdoorsman.com/MOPhoto/albums/userpics/10005/normal_doorsmoke.jpg

http://www.michiganoutdoorsman.com/MOPhoto/albums/userpics/10005/normal_LeaderHalfPintDoorLeak.jpg

[On the ledge]

Mine does the same thing, ithought it was because it's 5 years old. I found if i don't let the wood to close to the door it does'nt happen.

[Troutman10]

On the ledge had a good suggestion. I'm not familiar with the half pint or many evaporators for that matter, but can you get some type of insulation to put along the door edge so it doesn't happen as much? I'm looking to maybe get a half pint or something similar sometime down the road.

[wnybassman]

Do you think the door warped due to heat, or did it just come that way? Don't know if there is a way to bend it slightly to get a better seal, or experiment with thicker gasket material.

[johnallin]

You may need a gasket on the door, and certainly under the pan. Keeping the fire back from the door is also key, no closer than 4-5" is good. It gets hot in there and you can warp a door pretty quickly. You're also blocking the air from going up the front of the fire and working to the back if the wood is too close to the door. Hang in there, it will come.

[Sundown]

My Half Pint door still fits tight ,considering no gasket is used, after 3 years of use. I still get the black on the front of the pan from checking fire and loading wood. If you wipe the front of the pan with liquid dish soap before you start the fire the soot will wash right off. Be carefull not to get the soap too near the top edge of the pan. Keep it down a half inch so you don't get soap in the syrup!! Enjoy your new toy!!

[sapbrush]

you need to put a door gasket on it i have a half pint have boiled for years on it great lil unit door gasket and a gasket on the rail where the pan sits, then you will have no more leaks

[DonMcJr]

Mines brand new...came that way. There's no firm latch on the door it just closes so a gasket won't help...

[GratiotCoMiMaple]

I had a half pint and didn't have any issues with smoke coming out the door even though it didn't really seal all that well. I used furnace door woven gasket along the rail but nothing on the door. I was using a lot of stack and had great draft. Can't remember how much but probably about 18-20 feet. Add some more stack and you should get better draft therefore very little smoke coming out the door. That unit would sound like a freight train when it was going good. With dry barnwood I got the stack red hot a few times. There were times when I could get the fire going best with the door open or at least cracked. I was also running a little blower into the front on the unit. Good luck with the new unit. They are a lot of fun.

Kurt

[johnallin]

"There's no firm latch on the door it just closes so a gasket won't help..."

Don, as I remember; the door kind of rides up on the catch and then stays/sticks in place due to its weight...well what ever it did, it stayed pretty much in place even with the gasket material. You might file a bit of a hollow in the catch.
I just used some ½" stove "rope" gasket from ace hardware and it worked fine.

[MapleME]

I think your draft may be effected by that 90 degree turn in your stack too.... you won't get smoke going that way if the draft is right.

[DonMcJr]

Thanks for all the tips everyone!

[CBOYER]

i dont understand why you are not calling the supplier whit a material defect like this: some warranty apply to that, or Leader sold Chinese parts?

[DonMcJr]

Leader actually saw this post and contacted me through here... I had sent them an email before this post I just posted it here cause I thought maybe it was a design that served a purpose and I didn't know about it...

I work nights and keep trying to wake up to call Leader but so far they have been closed by the time I wake up...

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

just a guess but if Sugar Bush Supplies was the dealer im thinking they should be involved as well. just sayin

[DonMcJr]

Well I'm happy with the Leader Half Pint.. like I said I didn't know if that was a normal feature or a flaw. Sugarbush Supplies has been great I left without my gasket and they had it there by Saturday...one day!

I am not out to bash anyone here...I am really happy with Leader and Sugarbush Supplies. I was trying to find out if this was normal or not. Looks to be not normal and I am certain it will be handled great as soon as I call about it. No more SAP so I'm in no hurry!

[DonMcJr]

WellI talked with the GREAT folks from Leader today! Very helpful and friendly! Seems there might be something wrong with my door and they are sending me a new door!

Can't ask for any better customer service!:)

[Mid-TN Sugar]

We just upgraded to the half pint this year. We are in the process of getting it all set up, but there aren't instructions on how to install the rail gasket. Does anyone have pics or instructions for placement of the rail gasket? Thanks in advance!

[maple flats]

No picture, but just lay the rail gasket on the inner edge of the opening, then carefully set the pan on it so the gasket stays in place. It's really quite simple. You can either use the less costly ceramic strip (looks like fiberglass) or use a woven gasket. Woven is much easier to work with but costs several times more. It also lasts a very long time, while the cheaper one is quite fragile.

[Quagmire33]

thats great leader is sending a new door. I got a used half pint last year and love it. I'll get a little smoke coming out the door when I open, if it gets too bothersome I just shut the bottom air damper and open the door. Now all the draft is going in through the door and not coming out the door.

[Letcher Family Farms]

On my Half-Pint we had the same issue, so we added the rope gasket to the door, and because we then went to adding a small blower through the draft door, the door wouldn't stay shut because there is no catch, we ground a good groove in the catch so that you actually have to lift the door to open it. Works awesome now.