OK, so I know all you woodstove owners can measure your stove top temp to get an idea of how well she's burning.. What about for us insert types?
The Clydesdale insert has a small air gap between the cast iron insert and the enameled trim cover "warming shelf" that surrounds the door. That gap has to provide some insulative value right? so does a stove top thermo have any value?
I use one of those infrared thermometers, and I've learned that the secondary burn tube temp doesn't really tell me all that much - particularly at startup. The burn tubes can be 600 degrees or so and have a nice secondary burn going, but if the rest of the stove is still cold... the secondary burn might go away if I damper down too soon. I think all that soapstone and cast iron sucks up the heat. I find I don't get a real stable secondary burn if the "warming shelf" is much under 300 degrees. And the burn gets better and better, the hotter the top gets.
This morning the top hit a new high... I was getting ready for work and caught the scent of outgassing enamel (like I have each time the insert has reached a new high temp since the breakin) I ran over to the insert and nothing looked amiss.. in fact, it looked like a perfect fire. Nice bed of coals, several large splits charred over, and the Aurora Borealis dancing above them. (Door closed and damper was about 1/3rd open I think)
I grabbed my trusty ray gun and measured the "warming shelf" - 520 in the center
So I dampered down some more and turned on the blowers to suck off some of the heat.
So how high can I go? and would a stove top thermometer be worthwhile? I was thinking that they wouldn't be much use on an insert...
-TNB
The Clydesdale insert has a small air gap between the cast iron insert and the enameled trim cover "warming shelf" that surrounds the door. That gap has to provide some insulative value right? so does a stove top thermo have any value?
I use one of those infrared thermometers, and I've learned that the secondary burn tube temp doesn't really tell me all that much - particularly at startup. The burn tubes can be 600 degrees or so and have a nice secondary burn going, but if the rest of the stove is still cold... the secondary burn might go away if I damper down too soon. I think all that soapstone and cast iron sucks up the heat. I find I don't get a real stable secondary burn if the "warming shelf" is much under 300 degrees. And the burn gets better and better, the hotter the top gets.
This morning the top hit a new high... I was getting ready for work and caught the scent of outgassing enamel (like I have each time the insert has reached a new high temp since the breakin) I ran over to the insert and nothing looked amiss.. in fact, it looked like a perfect fire. Nice bed of coals, several large splits charred over, and the Aurora Borealis dancing above them. (Door closed and damper was about 1/3rd open I think)
I grabbed my trusty ray gun and measured the "warming shelf" - 520 in the center
So I dampered down some more and turned on the blowers to suck off some of the heat.
So how high can I go? and would a stove top thermometer be worthwhile? I was thinking that they wouldn't be much use on an insert...
-TNB
