Should I be using a magnetic thermometer?

Stump_Branch said:

maverick06 said:

Stump_Branch said:

they should be built into some stoves. An insert is a prime example of this. The built in looks like it belongs, not just thrown up on there. And would eliminate the where do i put it....

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GREAT IDEA

no idea why they didnt do it

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My guess is cost. That and they make stoves not thermos. Maybe absolves them over overfire liability...well your thermo never said_____.

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I would guess that the life of the stove would greatly outlast the life of the thermometer. Then you would have a broken built-in one, AND a magnetic one. Unless of course they made it easily replaceable.

The stove I was using last year had no window on it so the thermometer really helped me know what was going on inside. It helped me learn how to run the stove, when to start closing down air and how hot I could get it.

tfdchief said:

I would not drill and place a probe in the side of the Class A pipe!.....unless the tech dept where you bought the Class A pipe specifically says that is OK, and I doubt they will. A surface mount on the Class A is not going to do any good either. You will just have to use the magnetic on the front........one of the problems with an insert. As others have said many times on this site "you can see the fire and that tells you most of what you need to know" Your good judgement based on the looks of the fire are probably as good as a thermometer.

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I was thinking the same thing that drilling into the chimney would not be a good idea but thought I'd ask the question. I understand now what you have and are doing. Thanks. I did call Napoleon Tech and asked about temps and where or how to read it. They said that complete combustion takes place at 450 degrees or above. That is the optimum temp for combustion and to keep the glass clean with the airwash. He said that there is no good way or spot to read it on an insert like this. He said if your glass is clean then your burning it right. If its not you need to burn it hotter. I think I will try the IR gun thru the top grill and pick a spot to try to read it from all the time and just play with it until I get it figured out what works. Thanks again.

Nater said:

Stump_Branch said:

maverick06 said:

Stump_Branch said:

they should be built into some stoves. An insert is a prime example of this. The built in looks like it belongs, not just thrown up on there. And would eliminate the where do i put it....

Click to expand...

GREAT IDEA

no idea why they didnt do it

Click to expand...

My guess is cost. That and they make stoves not thermos. Maybe absolves them over overfire liability...well your thermo never said_____.

Click to expand...

I would guess that the life of the stove would greatly outlast the life of the thermometer. Then you would have a broken built-in one, AND a magnetic one. Unless of course they made it easily replaceable.

The stove I was using last year had no window on it so the thermometer really helped me know what was going on inside. It helped me learn how to run the stove, when to start closing down air and how hot I could get it.

Click to expand...

My thought is yes clearly replaceable, could even still be magnetic, just a recessed spot or the like for one. My only thought has been a small dutchwest i saw, or i think blazekings come with cat probes, a thermo still. Im sure condar wouldnt mind selling oem and aftermarket. Im sure selling crazy marked up parts wouldnt scare a stove co. either.

Again just a thought. Todd has a thread on him adding a cat probe that looks like woodstock ought to take notice of. Looks like it belongs there, thats my idea.

I would use both. I have an IR and just got the magnetic rutland at TSC.
The magnetic thermo indicated temp seems to lag behind the actual temp measured by the IR by about 50 dgrees until the fire has been burning for a while
The magnetic thermo nevr really reads as high as the IR does at the exact same spot. I think it's be cause the bi metalic sensor doesn't directly touch the stove surface.
I like having an IR for other uses, and I like the magnetic so I can quickly see the approxiamte temp from across the room. An IR loses accuracy the further away you are from the point you are measuring, IE you can't sit on the couch across the room and get a good read.

tfdchief said:

I have both an insert and a free standing stove. I have burned wood for 40 years, most of which was without a thermometer. However, now I have them stuck everywhere! As one said, you can see the fire, what do you need a thermometer for? For years I would have agreed. Now, I would tell you that I love my thermometers. They just make it easier to "read the fire" . I don't know how accurate they are and really only care about consistency. Then, it is all relative to what is gong on with the stove. It is just another tool to make more sense of what is gong on and make it a little easier.

Oh, and I have a probe, digital remote readout thermometer, to put in my stack on my insert, if I ever pull it out again.

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Kinda along the same lines as you can feel the heat . . . why bother getting a thermal imaging camera to find the source of the heat in a wall when you can just cheaply poke a few holes in the drywall . . .

Guessing you don't subscribe to the philosophy of some fire departments . . . 200 years of service unimpeded by progress.