Anyone used this stove pipe thermometer/alarm yet?

Guys, I thought about the Auber... But I decided on building my own. I can build nicer for less (or equivalent) since it's kinda what I do.

I bought the same buzzer as Auber, and the same probe. I'm using the popular Rex C-100 for the PID. Im going to have 2 PID in one enclosure, one for Stove pipe and one for stove top. Im likely going to use a Hammond aluminum 1455T1601BK as the enclosure.

I'll do a build thread once Ive gathered all the stuff, could be 3 weeks or maybe more. Slow boat from China.

Those Rex C-100 PIDS sure are dirt cheap on eBay.

Wow I will really look forward to this thread! That would be exactly what I want.

Sure are!! Compared to the PID's I'm familiar with... they are almost too cheap to be true!

Yeah.. I think a lot of people could use it.. There are a few of these Rex powered thermometers out there, but no real shots of the internals or how to build one.

Umm... You may want to rethink using the REX C-100, according to the posted specks it only reads up to 400
750. The price is cheap enough but the limited upper range is a problem.
It may be just adequate for stove top monitoring, but unacceptable IMO for flue temp.

I like your idea for using one enclosure, one of days I would like to put all of my controls in one box.
I currently have 2 enclosures on the wall, one for flue and one stove top, and a third on the floor for the timer for the auto air control

Consider the Model: SYL-1512A from http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=14.

Reasonable price, plenty of range and has alarm mute function that is very nice.

I think that the 400*c max temp is only listed because that is the max temp that the included thermocouple can go to .

I checked the instructions, and with the proper thermocouple, it should be able to read over the 1300*C that the probe Im using maxes out at. Looks like with the proper thermocouple, the unit itself maxes out at 2320*C... I hope

http://www.rkcinst.co.jp/english/pdf_manual/imnzc17e3.pdf

I disagree, I checked the manual, as I read it, the range is fixed by the part number the "02" after the "K"
seems to indicate fixed range of 400. You will fin out soon enough.

BTW consider this, it will allow you to mute the alarm, a worthwhile feature.

Looks like this lower cost one is no longer available but you can buy the original unit in thread without the remote sensor. It seems price is now about $15 cheaper than when I ordered mine as well when configured with probe and remote alarm.

Yeah I will...

There is quite a hacker community for these controllers. From what I understand, there is a hidden menu that allows you to change thermocouple info. You can also change it to read in *F. Worse case is I cant make it work for the stovepipe... If so, Ill order another one that will work and keep it for something else.. It was only $17.00

I may have made a mistake on something I said above ... the DP Series can be ordered in F or C and according to the info sheet the Celsius model reads up to 999 degrees C which would be plenty (hopefully) for both the stove top and the stove pipe. I think they're just saying that the display is only three digits to work within but 999 C would work fine for our application. Still using two of these will still be pretty pricey.

http://www.omega.com/pptst/DP7000.html

Well I got my new Auberins thermometer (new probe and digital box) to replace the one that was giving EEEE errors and wildly fluctuating temps only to find the new one is doing the same thing. I contacted auberins and they are not sure why it is doing this, suggested maybe electromagnetic interference but I can't seem to figure it out. Most times it works fine and then sometimes it just shows EEEE or wildly inaccurate and even negative readings. They haven't receive the old one back yet to test it but gave me a code to enter under settings that is supposed to filter interference. Haven't done it yet so not sure if it works.

Got my reply from Auberins, apparently the chimney probe is only good up to 1100F, if it goes much higher it ruins it. Here is there reply:

"We received the return. The problem is the probe. The wire inside was broken. Based on the oxidation of the probe surface, we think the probe has been exposed to 1300 F and may be 1500 F for some time. I talked to our engineer. Our conclusion is that current design is not good for continue use above 1100 F. We are going to make a new probe that can be operated at 1500F continuously. It will take 10 days before we can finish it. I will send it to you as soon as it is ready. We will increase the diameter of the probe, which also increase the durability of it.
I am interest to know that for your application, what will be the ideal operation temperature range and what is the maximum temperature the probe might expose to? For the K type thermocouple sensor (the most common and economical type), there are four grades, in terms of maximum operating temperature. The common grade is only good for 1100F continuous operation. The next level is good for 1500-1600F. The probe has mineral filler in the tube to reduce the oxidation. The next level is the probe with special nickle alloy for 2000F. The highest temperature probe is with ceramic probe that is much more bulky. The cost of the probe follow the temperature rating."

I will have to keep an eye on mine. Mine hasn't been exposed to anything over 900 degrees so far IIRC.

I have been using this one: http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_3&products_id=22

It is the sold on the Auberins website and it is rated for 2000. The highest temps I have seen is about 1100.
It is working just fine. I wonder why they don't use this one with their chimney monitor alarm.

Or maybe this one since there is a 4 inch version?

It is rated at around 1800 degrees.

My probe has been working fine but asked about this new probe in development just in case.

Their response:

"The statement for "1100F' was a mistake. After more research and talked to the thermocouple manufacturer, we found out there is no such thing as 1100F probe if the thermocouple is made with 304 stainless steel sheath. Unless the probe contains plastic components, a K type thermocouple with 304 stainless steel sheath will work up to 1650F. Please see this link. http://www.omega.com/techref/themointro.html

The reason for that customer to has two probes broke is still not clear. The damage looks very strange from the outside and inside. It can't be explained by the common causes of the sensor failure (we sell more than tens thousands of various thermocouple annually). The appearance looks like it has been exposed to much higher temperature than the 1300F. Normally, 304 stainless steel will have a yellow tan when exposed to temperature below 1600F. The oxidation normally happens at >1500F, unless it is exposed to some strong reducing agent. We are still waiting for the second probe to come back for examination.

The probe you purchased carries 1 year warranty. If it breaks anytime during the warranty, we will replace it for you."

Not all thermocouples are created equal. When searching, particularly eBay, you will see that paobably 90% of the "cheap" thermos in auction are only rated to 450*C, even though they are made of "stainless".

Its very possible that these Auber units are burning up. Just because Omega lists 1650*F as max temp, doesnt mean that ALL stainless thremos are suitable for 1650. It just means that the sheath is potentially good to 1650 and after that you need to go to the next material, like Inconel.

Then there is this quote from Omega, " Be aware, however, that sometimes the probe sheath cannot withstand the full temperature range of the thermocouple type."

Is Auber using Omegas? Or Chinese clones? If the latter, the quality can certainly be expected to be all over the place, which explains why it's only some that are having problems. If history is any indication, Chinese "stainless" could very well be lead

Yeah, they carbon copied your e-mail and their response to me. I am still waiting for the shipping label to send my second probe back in for autopsy.

An ordinary mirror?
I suppose next you'll be using those little cardboard things with the hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs to play Solitaire with.

My build is finished. There is indeed a hidden menu. These Rex C-100 PIDs will read over 400*C out of the box however the display blinks to warn you that you are over the Default "max" setting. I believe these units are factory set at 400 because that is what the TC's that come with them are rated at.

Ive changed the "hidden" SLH (high limit) parameter to 1250*C to match the high temp TC I have for my stack. This enables you to have a display that is not blinking (in alarm) and have a SV higher than 400*C.

More info in my build thread http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/my-digital-stovepipe-thermometer-build.105401/

That looks terrific, thanks for sharing this stuff with us

Mine is still working great. No problems here. I feel like I can push my stove a little harder using this flue thermometer. The ability to get real time readings to primary air changes is nice.

Your welcome!

What kind of temps are you guys shooting for on your pipe internal temps?

I shoot for around 400-500*C (752-932*F), with the alarm set for 530*C (986*F)

Right now the stove is cruising along at 396*C (745*F) on the stovepipe and 158*C (316*F) on the stove top.. STT seems low, but I wonder if that is due to the TC and how it reads (good thermal contact???) ? IR on the top in the same area is 200*C.. 6 inches in towards the pipe, and I'm up to 300*C (575*F) on the IR. Magnetic stovepipe thermometer on the top reads pretty much in between the TC and the IR. Hmm...kind of all over the place.

I think I'm going to order a stick on TC pad next year to see if I can get more accurate STT.

Whats up with the hot spots anyways? you'd think that the STT would be relatively consistent from side to side after the stove has been running for a while?

I try to run in 650-750F (343-398C) range in the flue. This keeps my stovetop in the 400-550F (204-287C) range.