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[Curado74]

I know this has been covered again and again but I would like someone to tell me this is ok.  I have a new 5000 been running a week.  Clear drip coming out front of ash tray to the tune of  about a gallon a day.  Burning junk rotten wood at this point just to get rid of it.  Good oak to follow in a few weeks.  Anything to worry about with this steady drip?

[slimjim]

A drip means an air leak! This can cause more creosote, condensation,  premature corrosion and overheating, I would suggest tightening up the door seals ASAP.

[Curado]

Can you give me a quick tutorial on how to tighten the door?  If that is the problem then is the drip condensation?  The boiler seems to be running fine.  not overheating and doing a great job of heating the house.

[AirForcePOL]

All you need to do is take a wrench that fits the nut on the roller where the door latches.  Loosen it up and then move the bolt towards the boiler.  Don't move the bolt very much, maybe an 1/8" max and then tighten the nut back down.  You will have to repeat this on both sides.

[CountryBoyJohn]

Some drippage is to be expected.  Not quite the amount you describe.  Mr. AirForcePOL is right, loosen the nuts and tighten to make the closure tighter. 

What's happening is condensation is forming on the doors to the stove and the ash pan.  These are the coldest parts of the stove.  Again, in these mild temps, some moisture in your ash pan right up against the door is normal.  Keep your operating temps up around 185 with a max of 15 swing and this will reduce the amount of moisture. 

[Curado]

thanks guys.  I have been running 175 with a 5 degree swing.  I will increase to 185 and open the swing to 10-15.  from what I understand that may help burn off the creosote.  I have noticed a lot at the door (black goo).  if I tighten that door would I expect the drip to stop within a 12 hour burn, or do you expect it will take another day or so to show improvement?

[slimjim]

If it has been leaking for a while you should at least clean the door gasket before adjusting it, country boy and Air Force is it a 1 inch gasket, perhaps try the silicone coated gaskets that we get, they do help a lot!

[CountryBoyJohn]

thanks guys.  I have been running 175 with a 5 degree swing.  I will increase to 185 and open the swing to 10-15.  from what I understand that may help burn off the creosote.  I have noticed a lot at the door (black goo).  if I tighten that door would I expect the drip to stop within a 12 hour burn, or do you expect it will take another day or so to show improvement?

Yeah, the 15 swing will really help with the condensation.  You may bump to 10 first and make sure your coal bed holds.  Then 12, then 15.  I'd say your drip will dry up when you get a good hot burn.  Slim, I don't know how big our gasket is.  I'm in season two and I've had plenty of drip off in my gasket.  It seems to be holding fine.  I might replace it next year. 

[AirForcePOL]

Just wondering if you have adjusted your door yet?  If so, did it solve the problem?

[Curado74]

Dealer said he adjusted it but I have not seen much change.  Temps are awfull cold and he said once that happens it will stop.  Still dripping just freezing puddle now.  I am burning some rotten wood though.  Just have to get rid of it.  Could that be the issue.  Going to change to some better wood this weekend to test that theory. 

[CountryBoyJohn]

Moisture content does matter. But, I don't think you'll completely get rid of it. I always had a small black sno-cone under my ash pan last year.

[Curado74]

Pulled ash pan tonight and there was a lot of moisture around it.  Literally ran out when I pulled it.  Got about a gallon of drip today.  Do I just leave a bucket under the door forever?   Going to call dealer next week as I want to give it 4/5 days to continue.  I feel I'm a pain in the dealers rear complaining but I sure hope I don't deal with this long.  Have a friend that bought same model at same time as me and has no issue.  He is burning better(yet greener) wood   

[CountryBoyJohn]

I always have some black crap under my stove. Every conventional stove I've seen has had some.

[AirForcePOL]

Is your water level holding up in your stove?  Mine drips some but man that sounds like a lot of moisture!

[yoderheating]

 I've seen furnaces drip so much I was convinced it was leaking but it wasn't. Seems two things have contributed to the bad cases I've seen, one is the furnaces were oversized and idled a lot. Colder weather helps a lot because it causes the heat demand to rise and the furnace to cycle more often. Secondly is the wood that is burned. I bet if you tried some seasoned hardwood that had been stored in a wood shed the problem would almost go away.
 The worst one I have ever seen was a guy burning green river birch, there was steady drip coming out of the ash pan. I actually switched out that furnace thinking there was an issue with the furnace but the second one did the same thing. Then we hooked up a second building to the furnace and the problem almost went away.