MES 30" Heatloss/door issues.

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

c2usaf2004

Newbie
Original poster
Feb 17, 2012
17
10
Okinawa Japan
So I recieved my new MES 30" for Christmas.  I love it but Im having some issues with smoke loss and heat loss on the door.  When cooking I see alot of smoke coming out around the top of the door.  Yesterday I noticed that the paint has started bubbling in the same area.  This tells me there is alot of heat getting out in this area.  It has been suggested I used a rope gasket around the door.  Im looking for any advice folks might offer.
 
If you weren't in Japan I would say contact Masterbuilt & they would send you another door. They may even just send you a whole new smoker. Normally the door seal on a MES is very tight. Not really sure what your options are over there.
 
Yes, it tends to be a pain to get parts or send stuff back for repair.  I was just curious if the rope gasket would work.  Not sure where on the door I would need to stick it.
 
Yes, it tends to be a pain to get parts or send stuff back for repair.  I was just curious if the rope gasket would work.  Not sure where on the door I would need to stick it.
There are threads in the electric forum from 4 or 5 years ago where some where having the same problem, successfully used oven gasketing or kits that have the rope type, or rubberized type.  I seem to remember some even used the same stuff used in fireplace inserts.  I think the big concert is getting it set right so you do NOT spring the door.
 
Last edited:
Thats my concern too.  I was looking for specifics on how they mounted the gasket, and suggestions on what they used.  I have looked around the forum but all I found was mods for the 40" propane model.
 
C2, morning.... How wide or big is the gap ??? And is there gap in other places on the door ??? You can check the tightness with a dollar bill pulled through the door gasket when it is closed....

I'm asking because there may be solutions other than the rope gasket..... Also, does the door leak smoke with the exhaust vent wide open ???

Dave
 
Last edited:
There are rubberized oven gaskets that would work, you have to go to an appliance parts store.

If the frame of the body is square, and the door is square, there should be no problem sealing, make sure the gasket is staying in place, I think there is heat resistant silicone that you can use to seal the gasket to the door frame, check for this also at an appliance parts store.
 
Last edited:
I don't have any experience with a MES but on my Master Forge Dbl door I used a felt gasket for the Big Green Egg. It is about 1/8 inch thick and has the adhesive already on it. Just pull the paper off the backside and stick it.

I put it on the door and on the smoker side, 1 Large egg kit was enough to do both doors. I cut it in half lengthwise.

I couldn't find a rope gasket local but the Ace Hardware here sells Green Eggs and replacement gaskets. So far I have had no problem with it not sticking.
 
C2, morning.... How wide or big is the gap ??? And is there gap in other places on the door ??? You can check the tightness with a dollar bill pulled through the door gasket when it is closed....

I'm asking because there may be solutions other than the rope gasket..... Also, does the door leak smoke with the exhaust vent wide open ???

Dave
Dave,  I can almost see into the box.  Ill have to measure it when I get home but I know a dollar bill will easily slide in an out of the gap.  Its only at the top of the door.  Also there is no gasket on this model.  Its metal on metal.  Im losing enough heat and smoke that the paint is bubbling on the op corners of the door.
 
There are rubberized oven gaskets that would work, you have to go to an appliance parts store.

If the frame of the body is square, and the door is square, there should be no problem sealing, make sure the gasket is staying in place, I think there is heat resistant silicone that you can use to seal the gasket to the door frame, check for this also at an appliance parts store.
Delta,

Everything over here in Japan is SMALL...lol.  Appliance stores dont even carry full size ovens.  Everything I get to fix this will have to be ordered online.  Just looking for some suggestions.
 
C2, morning.... How wide or big is the gap ??? And is there gap in other places on the door ??? You can check the tightness with a dollar bill pulled through the door gasket when it is closed....

I'm asking because there may be solutions other than the rope gasket..... Also, does the door leak smoke with the exhaust vent wide open ???

Dave
I missed your last question dave.  The unit doesnt have a vent.  There is a small hole in the top back panel and a small hole over the grease trap.
 
C2, Here is a heat resistant tape from 3M...... I think it can be purchased from grainger or on amazon....  It can be layered to develope the thickness you need or can be overlayed on cotton twine as an example to fill the gap...   I do not understand the paint bubbling... your smoker must be pretty hot.....  I also don't understand the "no vent" in the electric smoker...  I've seen this before but it is beyond me...  Does the smoker have a chip drawer to dump chips into the tray above the element ???  Pics would help...

As you can see, the tape is good to 600* F...  Depends on what you chose to do with this problem...

Dave

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediaw...mXz6EVuQEcuZgVs6EVs6E666666--&fn=363_363L.pdf
 
These units have one latch in the center on the door ..

Consider a latch for top and bottom

Consider removing the door and placing it on a pieces of two by four ( on the middle axis ) and putting a bit of pressure at the top and bottom .. Turn this ( to this I. .. But not to much pressure or you will get this ) ......


These units are not hand made, so also examine the top hinge attachment and consider it's placement .. Will it adjust backward with a bit of pressure ..

Some mods on the form with extra latches .. Search " latch " in the search page for ideas where to get online.

There is always a friend who is mechanically inclined if you feel some of this is outside your own comfort area .. Good luck ..

Ross
 
Last edited:
I was asked to provide pictures so here they are. 

f7cce9d5_NCM_0256.jpg
5b92452f_NCM_0257.jpg
e3c9e117_NCM_0258.jpg
52c44be2_NCM_0259.jpg
f248703d_NCM_0261.jpg
 
Dave,  I can almost see into the box.  Ill have to measure it when I get home but I know a dollar bill will easily slide in an out of the gap.  Its only at the top of the door.  Also there is no gasket on this model.  Its metal on metal.  Im losing enough heat and smoke that the paint is bubbling on the op corners of the door.


It's pretty common for people to assume you're referring to the digital model when referencing an MES 30.  I have the same model as you and have smoke coming from around the door and paint bubbling.  The manual says that smoke loss from around the door is normal and that paint may burn off during normal use and is thus not covered under warranty.  It does indicate that you can adjust the tightness of the latch.  Are you experiencing unsatisfactory results or difficulty sustaining temperature? 

With the notation regarding smoke loss in the manual and lack of a larger adjustable vent (that digi MES 30 owenrs seem to reference as generally fully open) it seems to me that if too tight of a seal was in place on this unit with only the small vent hole in the back, there might be difficulties keeping a good smoke flowing due to lack of air.  That being said, I'm going to adjust the latch to close a bit tighter on my unit because my AMNPS is burning through too fast.  Others have had the opposite problem on the same or similar units so who knows. 
 
Last edited:
c2, morning..... The smoker looks to have a couple problems.... poorly welded/aligned door hinge and possibly a sprung door...

If you have access to tools to remove and reweld or replace the hinges with screws or bolts to align the door, that is where I would start...

after checking the door for being sprung or not....

then I would address the inlet air and exhaust if necessary......

I'm not going away.... I'm here to help whenever......

Dave
 
So, I adjusted the latch on the door down to close as tightly as possible on the chicken smoke I have going right now.  It drastically reduced the amount of leakage from around the door.  However, it seemed to cut down on the air flow to the point that the AMNPS went out after a bit.  I'm fine tuning it now to try and regular the AMNPS appropriately.  I don't know how this would affect the stock chip tray.  At any rate, if you haven't tried adjusted the latch on the door, you might play with it a bit before more attempting more involved and difficult adjustments/mods.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky