Laser 30 smells

[hawkins111]

If you have a Laser 30 heater and it is giving off fumes, it is more than likely the heat chamber gaskets. They have been cut by the cylinder allowing gas to escape through the gap. In order to fix this you have to remove the chamber off the top of the burner and take it apart. The screws may strip out on removal so be ready to cut them off. Inspect the heat element for warping or cracking. Any warping will mean you will need to replace the part with a new one. The gaskets needed are an Upper Chamber Gasket (20479581), Lower Chamber Gasket (20479582), and the joint packing gasket (20479592). In order to keep the gaskets tight and limit the chamber movement you will need a tube of burner mat cement (20478526). Glue the Bottom Gasket to the heat element. Glue the Top gasket to the Top plate. Spread glue on the top and bottom flange of the chamber and position it on the heat element. The Japanese marking on the element should face forward. This will index the holes in the top flange so the heat exchanger hole will line up. Use Toyotomi Screw 1T (20478090) to secure the Top plate to the heat element. Once tight use the remainder of the glue to fill in the top and bottom seam between the chamber and the heat element. You will need to let the glue dry for 8 hours, as it is very thick and will take a while to cure. The Joint Gasket goes on top of the completed chamber. This repair will last much longer than just replacing the gaskets. It is my opinion that Toyotomi should replace the two piece chamber with a single welded piece and eliminate the gaskets all together. Toyotomi did this same change with their Laser 56 some 12 years ago and it worked just fine. Sorry I ran out of room for the pictures, so I'll post them on the next post. Tom

[ctbale]

Thanks hawkin111 !! You gave me the motivation to take my laser 30 apart AGAIN! I rebuilt it with all new gaskets, had to grind off 3 of the 6 screws on the top of the heat chamber, replaced them with #6 aircraft grade stainless screws. After re assembly it smelled like exhaust, took it apart again down to the pot, but didnt take apart the heat chamber cyl, due to the 6 new screws appeared to had not been tightened all the way, the was a tiny gap between the heads and the top plate. So I snugged them up figuring that was it. Also inspected every thing else VERY well. Still smells. I have a new bent pipe and flue so thats not it. So I will try your trick. I was considering red rtv but I hit the cylinder with an IR gun after it had been on high, it was cherry red, and the temp in areas was just under 600F so the rtv might not survive those temps. any other areas I should look for? Actually this will be the 4th disassembly!!!!

[hawkins111]

Did you glue the gaskets on the chamber? Did you inspect the heat element to be sure it was not warped? Did you inspect the heat exchanger back and front for cracks. The relief plate on top on the heat exchanger may also need a new gasket? Last but not least, what about the draft tube? Should use a new one each time and be sure it is on the top of the sump correctly. Keep us posted on what you find.

Tom

[ctbale]

I glued the upper and lower gasket with the burn mat cement to the heat chamber cylinder. They should have put more of a radius on the upper and lower edges of that "can", because like you said it cuts into those two gaskets. Or again like you said, should be one piece. Going to try it tonight and if it still stinks, might just have it welded, that is if I can find someone in town that can weld stainless. The conical heat element has a very very small warp. I dry fitted it together several times with and with out gaskets and the small warp is not making the contact areas irregular. But thats getting replaced next disassembly. I went over the heat exchanger with a bright light and a set of readers on, no evidence of cracks or signs of over heating. I replaced the relief plate gasket. Never thought about the relief tube, just inspected it, looks perfect at the top of the sump but looks kind of, well for a lack of a better term, "inflated" or "swollen" down by the burn pot. Whats that do? I am guessing its applying a vacuum to the fuel sump to remove raw fuel vapor? I am about to just sell this thing on craigslist and get a L530! But thats a lot of money. This thing runs great, just smells. I will run it and report back, thanks for your help!!

[hawkins111]

What about the mica window and gasket?

[ctbale]

The mica window and gasket look perfect, but guess what? I might be changing that also. After doing the burn mat cement mod, ran it this afternoon it still stinks. This is getting frustrating. Not sure my next step, might just dump this thing on craigslist, 4 times, cripes sakes. heck the mica window might have a crack. I dont know. The gasket is perfectly white, no gray. Maybe the pipe after the heat ex-changer has a hairline crack from people shoving it on the bent pipe? not likely, that thing is corrugated, and would bend before it cracks. I pulled it out, and the o-ring is perfect, used a tiny bit of silicon grease to re-insert, so that connection is perfect. All the stoves o-rings are perfect. maybe the stamped seams on the heat ex-changer? The seams have a small amount of white (burn mat cement?) that has discharged, looks like sealant from the manufacturing process? but the seam integrity looks fine. I am an aircraft mechanic, normally good at fixing thing, but this thing is kicking my butt!! Any trick to uploading pics? I select the .jpg and clock upload, it uploads, looks like it finishes, then there is a red ! Indicating a failed upload. I belong to other forums that use this exact format, no problems.

[hawkins111]

If you have sealed all the gaskets and it still smells I would look at the igniter guide gasket. Thats the fiber gasket around the outside of the igniter.

[ctbale]

pulled the mica window and gasket, small cracks in the outer pane, but inner pane intact, gasket was old but solid. the plate was deformed from over tightening the screws. My guess is its original, this heater had never been apart till me. So I re profiled the plate, basically peening the screw hole areas back to match the "can" so it will have a better "squish" on the new gasket and window. The mica lays right on the can? That would be an area gas could slip by? I checked the round igniter gasket twice, but might just replace it. I have another Flue, plan to try that, but this one is BRAND NEW! Also my buddy has a couple 30s he is going to rebuild, might just try another heat exchanger, but I went over every sq centimeter of mine, looks good.

I purchased my Monitor 2400 new in 2003, never had it apart yet, I have a burner ring, but looks like no one is selling gasket kits on ebay any more. The heater has only 5 or 6 years on it MAX, but after getting my "A$$" handed to me on this one, having second thoughts about rebuilding the 2400. But its been such a great heater! I will report back, and thanks for the ideas and help!!!!

[hawkins111]

I think we need to go back to your statement that the cylinder was "cherry red" on high. That is not right. The outside part of the cylinder should not get red hot. If it does you have a burner, burner mat, burner ring or fuel pump issue. Also talk to us about your exhaust system, i.e. how many bends do you have?

[ctbale]

I think we need to go back to your statement that the cylinder was "cherry red" on high. That is not right. The outside part of the cylinder should not get red hot. If it does you have a burner, burner mat, burner ring or fuel pump issue. Also talk to us about your exhaust system, i.e. how many bends do you have?

It smells when on low, even when the can is not that hot. If its 55, I set it at 56 to keep it on low it stinks. It stinks when I set it to way higher then room temp also. It glows when the lights are off, but not noticeable normally. I used an IR gun to detect the can just below 600F on high. on low its about 275F. Today I replaced the mica window and gasket, the igniter gasket, and I discovered that I had the blow off gasket installed with the ruff side up. Installed a new blow off gasket with smooth side up. Still stinks. I have the standard flue, brand new. thru a 2x4 wall. I was also considering restriction to flow, but I dont think thats it, at this point. I think am down to a hair line crack in the heat exchanger I cant see. I have a near new flue I need to try, and see if I can "borrow" a heat exchanger for troubleshooting. I wish I could find an obvious cause, but getting to the end of the trail, dang it!!!

[ctbale]

ok, I might have been premature on declaring the heat element good. on my OP I think I said that the 6 screws were loose on my 2nd disassembly. and they were loose on the 3rd, and on the 4th the burn matt glue mod was cracked. here is my latest theory. the heat element was/is deformed, more then it should be. When it got/gets hot it would change shape, changing in height, cutting the upper and lower gaskets and breaking the burn matt glue. might put a heat element 20479508, and of course new upper and lower gaskets and new screws 20478090 in. if that dont fix it, its going on craigslist!

[ctbale]

Its official!! The heat element was bent enuf that when it was heating and cooling there must have been movement in the heat chamber causing exhaust smell. Installed new gaskets and new heat element 20479508 and no more smell for two days now!!!! So if anyone is rebuilding theirs, I would stress to just replace it, because if you dont and it leaks, its a lot of time and money wasted re-buying the gaskets to build it up again.