How to test for air tightness?

[dave_dj1]

OK guys, I would like to slow down the burn on my wood fired hot air wood furnace that I have outside. I
What are some ideas to test with. I'm pretty sure it's leaking around the door gasket.
I bought some new 3/4" gasket but I'm not convinced that's the size I need.
I have searched the web and come up empty for the manufacturer's recommendation. I even asked cantoo as I know he has the same thing but he has never replaced his.
I guess this week would be as good a time as any to scrape the old out and try the new. The old looks like a bunch of 1/4" ropes.
This is what the door looks like:

there isn't anyplace else it can be drawing in air. The damper is controlled via a motor that is open when power is applied and closes when power is taken away (in case of a power failure it will close too) It's supposed to be hooked to a thermostat but I have a timer on it instead, I load, set timer according to conditions (anywhere from 10 min to 30 min will usually do it) then the damper closes until I set the timer at refill.
It burns great and I get 8-10 hours of burn times when it's 18 or above that. The problem is on days like today , in the low 30's it will get so hot in the house I don't like it , it will be about 77-78 by the end of the day, it was 74 in here at 6 this morning, I put 3 pieces of wood in it at 9:30 last night, temp was around 25.
Maybe I just have too high of an expectation. I would like to slow it down on days like today and the rest of the week.
Thanks for any tips or advice.
Yes the house stays warm enough on the coldest of days with the damper shut, I just set the timer longer on re load when it's frigid out.

EDIT: I just want to say that those holes in the door are for cooling the door, there are 4 1/2" holes at the bottom inside that I have plugged with 1/2" bolts.

 

[Iaff113]

My hotblast would do the same thing. I replaced both door seals and checked them with a piece of paper. The only way I solved mine was to instal a key damper. We don’t have the same furnaces so I’m not sure if it will help.


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[dave_dj1]

Thank you for the reply.
As fate would have it, I was letting the stove almost go out today to give the ashes a good cleaning, something I have not been able to do with the extreme cold temps we've been having lately so I decided to go for it! I pulled all of the old gasket material off, took my cordless drill with a wire wheel and cleaned up the surface of the groove where the gasket goes. The 3/4" seemed to be fine, it came with some adhesive so I laid that in, laid in the gasket, cut to length and shut the door to hold it in place. After an hour or so I put some small pieces of wood in and let the fire get going again. We will see how it goes tonight and tomorrow, I may have to learn how to use it all over again

 

[cantoo]

I think I'm going to replace my rope this spring too. Lately I have thought that the fire seems to be burning really hot. I have the thermostat on mine and I've noticed that we have to turn it down really low or the wood seems to burn real fast and hot. I think the air inlet is fine it must be the door. Hopefully you have yours sorted out. I have everything to hook up my owb to the shop but it's so nice having the really quick heat of the Fawcett to melt snow off vehicles. Last week my son had it 100 in the 24x 56' shop. Did I mention he doesn't help cut wood?

 

[Johnny Yooper]

did the same with my OWB (CB5640) this fall; earlier this year I noticed it was going through a little more wood than it should and temps staying towards the high side of the setting; took the door mounted damper system apart, wire brushed all components, reinstalled and everything seals up like new, everything else checked out ok except the door gasket looked a little thin in one area so one day in October, let the fire go out, removed the old gasket and wire wheeled the groove, installed new gasket and wa-la, back to normal operation. I guess after 14 years of continuous burning, it was time.

 

[dave_dj1]

Well after burning it through the night and so far today I have to say , things are much better. The burn times are as long with half the wood and the house is still comfy. It was 6.9 out when I got up this morning and it was about 71 in the house, I only put 4 pieces of wood in the stove last night at 9:30, I checked it at 7 this morning. Now I'm going to have to learn how to run it all over again I may even hook a thermostat up to it, I have a new digital one I bought for it sitting in my desk drawer.
Cantoo, you need to coerce your son into helping with the firewood detail.

 

[cantoo]

He's too busy fixing stuff to help with the wood. He's a mechanic so it's his job to keep up on maintenance on all my stuff. I have no idea how many things with motors we have anymore but it seems like he's doing oil changes every weekend. My wife has a lawn business so 5 mowers to keep up with including blade changes. Plus all the 2 cycle stuff and leaf collection equipment. He also does work for other people so jet skis, sleds, atv's, trucks and cars are always in our shop.
He has a love/ hate relationship with the furnace, it's either cooking him or freezing him. We should have installed it at opposite end of the shop, it's too close to where he does the most work. I gotta get the OWB plumbed into the shop for even heat and leave the Fawcett for back up duty.

 

[diezelsmoke]

When you have a smoky fire going throw a steel pail over the chimney and check for leaks.

 

[dave_dj1]

Funny you should say that about the smoke, I was thinking of tossing in one of those smoke bombs one day when the stove is out but warm. I would reach up the tee and stuff something in the pipe rather than capping it at the top, it's about 12' in the air