Smoke leaks?

[Chasdev]

I’m about to give up on trying to seal the door leaks on my cheap smoker.
The firebox lid self adhesive tape from the manufacturer lasted almost one cook before emitting a noxious stench and falling apart and the cook chamber tape had smeared in places after 6 long cooks.
I can buy the fancy felt stuff and or the sort of high temp silicone goop but since I can’t detect a difference between cooking with and without smoke leaking why should I spend money and time on the”problem”?

 

[Displaced Texan]

You said it in your last sentence. It isn't a problem. It's a smoker, not a pressure cooker. Negligible heat loss through door leaks. I cooked on a Char Broil offset for 15 years. Never sealed the door. If anything, since it was so small, the small leaks probably helped temperature control.

 

[slavikborisov]

I’m about to give up on trying to seal the door leaks on my cheap smoker.
The firebox lid self adhesive tape from the manufacturer lasted almost one cook before emitting a noxious stench and falling apart and the cook chamber tape had smeared in places after 6 long cooks.
I can buy the fancy felt stuff and or the sort of high temp silicone goop but since I can’t detect a difference between cooking with and without smoke leaking why should I spend money and time on the”problem”?

A smoker doesn’t need to be leak proof , only
Benefits to leak proof is less heat loss…. That’s it.

 

[crankybuzzard]

All good answers. Even the high dollar commercial offsets will have smoke leaks.

Displaced Texan used the same phrase I usually do, it's a smoker, not a pressure cooker.

Smoke on and have fun.

 

[Displaced Texan]

All good answers. Even the high dollar commercial offsets will have smoke leaks.

Displaced Texan used the same phrase I usually do, it's a smoker, not a pressure cooker.

Smoke on and have fun.

I could have very well seen you post that sometime, and it stuck with me.

 

[crankybuzzard]

I could have very well seen you post that sometime, and it stuck with me.

I started saying that after a gent on a board, may have been here, decided to seal up his Masterbuilt TIGHTLY and used wood chunks instead of chips.

He then learned a chemistry lesson involving wood gas and its explosive properties when the door of his smoker blew open violently. Not just glass breakage, but rivet shearing blowout.

It pressured up.

 

[02ebz06]

Yup, my CampChef leaks all over the place.
My LSG only leaks out the hole for probes.

Better unit, less leaks...

 

[DougE]

The only time leaks are an issue is when they are so large that you can't maintain temperature. Small leaks are normal and of no real concern.

 

[thirdeye]

As long as you have good draft to keep the fire in check, and produce good quality smoke, don't worry about leaks. Stains and residue can be unsightly, and they get harder to clean over time... so keep that in mind. There is gasket material out there if it's really out of hand.

 

[DonP]

,, I can’t detect a difference between cooking with and without smoke leaking why should I spend money and time on the”problem”?

A smoker doesn’t need to be leak proof , only
Benefits to leak proof is less heat loss…. That’s it.

I have the XD also. I don't see minor leaks in the cook chamber as a problem. The leaks are tiny fraction relative to what's going out the exhaust stack. The only air entering the cook chamber is hot air coming from the fire box. I don't think any cold air is coming.

As far as heat loss goes, sealing the fire box might make it more efficient. You might consider installing a pull type toggle latch if it bothers you.

 

[civilsmoker]

If its a pellet smoker then its really not an issue and have some leak around the lid is a good thing as it can prevent a blow back fire at the start or end of a cook. I've seen several blow back explosions and I go out of my way to NOT have on!

If its a wood or coal burner then what all the others said!

 

[DougE]

If its a pellet smoker then its really not an issue and have some leak around the lid is a good thing as it can prevent a blow back fire at the start or end of a cook. I've seen several blow back explosions and I go out of my way to NOT have on!

If its a wood or coal burner then what all the others said!

Usually those blowback events are caused by a flame out and then trying to restart with an already partly full firepot, and yeah, the explosions are pretty epic!

 

[civilsmoker]

Usually those blowback events are caused by a flame out and then trying to restart with an already partly full firepot, and yeah, the explosions are pretty epic!

True, however, I have seen (wink wink....) it happen at start up with a dirty pot.....Boom!