18 FABRICARE FE ATURE solvent leaking past the gasket rolls down the surface of the door and drips off of the bottom center. When you see a leak like this you need to take action at the end of the load that’s currently being processed or, in the case of a still, the next time the still is cold. Not to worry: chances are good a simple fix will get you back on track. DOOR GASKET MAINTENANCE When the door can be safely opened, look at the surface of the gasket. Generally, there will be a slight groove in the gasket caused by the pressure against the raised rim portion on the drycleaning machine that the door seals against (see figure 1). Lint often accumulates in this groove and prevents the proper mating of the gasket against the machine front. It’s vital to routinely clean this groove, keeping it lint free. Also, the surface of the raised rim (see figure 2) against which the gasket sits must be kept lint free. On newer machines, the rubber of this gasket is a solid robust type and can be cleaned easily with a small wire brush. If the gasket is a type of foam, use something more delicate like a spotting bone. The photographs accompanying this article show how to clean the still door gasket. The same procedure holds true for all the doors on the machine. A spotting brush is shown cleaning the gasket as well. In many cases the bristles may be too soft to remove caked-on lint. Brushes with brass or stainless bristles can be used on solid rubber gaskets. Operate the machine and see if the leak has stopped. If the door still leaks after cleaning the gasket you have a choice to make. Do you want to order a new gasket for replacement or spend the time and effort to attempt an adjustment to the door and/or gasket in order to effect a repair? Hate to leave you hanging, but that’s it for this issue. Next issue I’ll be covering types of gaskets and how to adjust and/or replace them. Bruce Grossman is the Chief of R&D for EZtimers Manufacturing. EZtimers is the manufacturer of the new EZ Level return tank water level control. To prevent boiler scaling and other damage the EZ Level return tank water level control replaces that troublesome ball float valve in the condensate return tank. For saving money on handling waste the SAHARA and DROP IN THE BUCKET line of high purity separator water mister/evaporators provide a thrifty, legal method to get rid of the separator water generated by your dry-cleaning machine. See our Ad in this issue and for further information on EZtimers products visit www.eztimers.com Please address any questions or comments for Bruce to bruce@eztimers.com or call (702) 376-6693. continued from page 17