# WSM door leaking



## bigboy (Nov 23, 2018)

Anyone have any issues with the door of their WSM leaking? I’ve only had this one for a few months and cooked on it maybe 5-6 times. I’ve had issues controlling the temps and from what I can see it has to be the door. Is there a quick fix for this?


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## 6GRILLZNTN (Nov 23, 2018)

Mine used to leak pretty bad.  I've got a good coating on it now and it's a lot better.  If you don't want to wait, you can buy gasket material to seal it up.  Some people bend them a little to better conform to the barrel.


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## gmc2003 (Nov 23, 2018)

A gentle bending of the door with your knee and hands may do the trick. If you can't massage it into shape then a gasket will help. Also remember the more you use it the more it will season and fill in the gaps. The WSM isn't air tight to begin with. 

Chris


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## bigboy (Nov 23, 2018)

Tried to bend it a few times and it didn’t work out so well. I’m thinking I may start with a gasket instead of upgrading the doors. I used a mackshift gasket for the time being lol


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## 6GRILLZNTN (Nov 23, 2018)

Cajun Bandit makes a stainless door, but I've read from some people that it can leak as well.


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## chopsaw (Nov 23, 2018)

Having trouble controlling temps , I would look at your charcoal set up first .


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## noboundaries (Nov 23, 2018)

My door leaked something terrible because it was flattened, probably in shipping. I bent mine and it helped but still leaked like crazy. The WSM smoked great for 6 months at 270-280F, but lower temps were pretty much impossible. Bought a gasket kit and problem solved.


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## SmokinAl (Nov 24, 2018)

Mine leaks everywhere, but it is so old that most of the leaks sealed themselves up. Even so the only mod I ever did was to add a BBQ Guru DigiQ DX2 pit controller. A very good investment if you want set & forget, with charcoal/wood flavor!!
Al


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## bigboy (Nov 24, 2018)

Believe it or not the tin foil gasket I made above fixed the issue completely. I went from not being able to control temps and leaking a ton of smoke to working great after adding this. It totally saved the day. I’m going to order a gasket today and add it this weekend if I have time.


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## fuzz415 (Nov 28, 2018)

bigboy said:


> Believe it or not the tin foil gasket I made above fixed the issue completely. I went from not being able to control temps and leaking a ton of smoke to working great after adding this. It totally saved the day. I’m going to order a gasket today and add it this weekend if I have time.



what size WSM do yopu have? i heard the 18 and 14s are stock door is generally pretty good and can be bent back into shape.

i have a 22, the door leaked major. i went the foil route for about 5 cooks, just to see how it went ( i went 5 cooks bone stock, just to baseline the rig). upgrades i have done since: 

*cajun bandit door* - i read that if you put the gasket on you will not be able to use the cajun door without removing the gasket as the tolerances are too tight. so it was one or the other, i went with the cajun. door has very very minor leaks at the top corners, nothing significant or honestly noticable.

*nomex gasket* - the lid and body, i noticed that ater the new door there was a lot of smoke leakage from the lid and body, this helped a lot

*wrap bottom vent dampers* - used out silcone heat glove and cut the finger tipsand slide them over the bottom dampers, i was tired of burning my fingers.


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## bigboy (Nov 29, 2018)

The one that’s giving me the problem is the 22.5. My 18 door was and is great and I never had an issue with it. 

I’ve read about the Cajun door and people still seem to have leaks with it. I’d rather not spend $40+ for a door that still leaks even if it’s minor. The more I look around it seems like getting a gasket for the current door is the way to go. I’m going to go that route and see how it works with the stick door.


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## mojavejoe (Dec 4, 2018)

I've got the 22.5 WSM. The stock door leaked pretty bad. I was still able to control temperatures pretty well, but I always felt I wasn't getting the most efficient burn. I got the cajun bandit door and it's a significant improvement. The latch tension can be adjusted for a rather close fit. Now my door doesn't leak and my charcoal is lasting longer. 

It was a few dollars, but I feel the CB door was well worth the investment - more so than the lid hinge, which after a year or so I am still on the fence about.


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## yankee2bbq (Dec 4, 2018)

mojavejoe said:


> I've got the 22.5 WSM. The stock door leaked pretty bad. I was still able to control temperatures pretty well, but I always felt I wasn't getting the most efficient burn. I got the cajun bandit door and it's a significant improvement. The latch tension can be adjusted for a rather close fit. Now my door doesn't leak and my charcoal is lasting longer.
> 
> It was a few dollars, but I feel the CB door was well worth the investment - more so than the lid hinge, which after a year or so I am still on the fence about.



I second this comment, as do I have the 22.5 WSM with the Cajun Bandit stainless steel door.  Slight adjustment of the door latch and that was it.....complete fix.  No leaks.  Well worth the price.


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