I find my Auber a very helpful tool for running my stove. Curious how everyone uses theirs. What max flue temp does everyone shoot for? Do you vary it depending on heat demand? What size stove do you have it installed on?
Auber and probe thermometer users
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Todd
Minister of Fire
I have a Condar Fluegard probe thermometer about 20” above my Jotul F45 flue collar. IMO it is an essential tool to fine tune your burn for max efficiency. I’ve used the Auber thermocouple meter in the past but got sick of looking at the wire.
During reloads I like to run wide open til the probe is in the 400 range then turn the air down to half. Once the probe reaches 600 I turn the stove down to desired air setting which is mostly fully closed. With these colder temps we’re having I’m running Med low or even medium half way through the burn. I try and keep the flue temps in the 400-600 range while stove top temps are cruising about 100 degrees higher.
During reloads I like to run wide open til the probe is in the 400 range then turn the air down to half. Once the probe reaches 600 I turn the stove down to desired air setting which is mostly fully closed. With these colder temps we’re having I’m running Med low or even medium half way through the burn. I try and keep the flue temps in the 400-600 range while stove top temps are cruising about 100 degrees higher.
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Auber digital 18" up on the NC30. Absolutely invaluable real time temperature compared to the stove top thermometer. I can have the alarm going off at 900 and the stt is still under 400.
Right now with the cold weather on a full hardwood overnight load I start shutting the air down at about 700, max out at about 850 and get it settled in somewhere between 750 & 850 with the air 1/4 open, damper 3/4 closed, stt 600-700. Regular overnight loads & shoulder season loads take 50-100 degrees off each.
Right now with the cold weather on a full hardwood overnight load I start shutting the air down at about 700, max out at about 850 and get it settled in somewhere between 750 & 850 with the air 1/4 open, damper 3/4 closed, stt 600-700. Regular overnight loads & shoulder season loads take 50-100 degrees off each.
Todd
Minister of Fire
That's a smaller stove so I guess that makes sense. That temp wouldn't be possible with my stove, unless I did small loads.
Todd
Minister of Fire
Ever try shutting down sooner at like 400-500? Those flue temps seem high to me but I think the NC 30 has that reputation?
sloeffle
Minister of Fire
Not wood stove related but I use two Auber PID controllers to monitor the water temperatures on my boiler. I'm using the relay on the one on the right to break Y1 on my geo when the incoming water temperature is above 150F. Bought pretty much everything for the "build" through Auber. They are a great company to work with.
We are going to get a stove probe for next season trying to decide if we want a probe that is electricity dependent or just a plain thermometer style. I can see pros and cons of each. I would get one now but I hate messing with the stove during the season. Get it put in in July or August which will give me plenty of time if I mess something up. Thats when I go through the stove and clean everything, check gaskets and such. We keep an extra baffle and blanket on hand just in case thinking about ordering some gasket and a glass replacement to have on hand.
Yes. I lose draft and end up with charcoal and smoked glass. Same thing with running air fully shut (and barely controlling it) before I put the damper in. I have a 42-48" horizontal run that I think hurts draft at a certain flue temperature, but over 20' total vertical that drafts strongly over a certain temperature...
I find it interesting that some of you guys run higher stt than flue temps. Maybe I should play with leaving the air a little more open (3/8) and damper a little more closed (maybe fully) encouraging combustion but not exhausting it so freely. Bet my cycles will be shorter though unless I am able to get it to cruise at a lower temperature without dropping too much and losing secondaries before all fibers are burnt. I figure flue at the probe should be 450 minimum to ensure 250 at the cap. Damper was installed last February, so this is our first full season with it and it wasn't very cold after it was installed until now.
During shutdown going from air full open to half open to 3/8 open slows it down but usually doesn't make it drop. Going air 3/8 open to 1/4 open will make it drop 50-150 degrees unless it's really snorting (800+/- flue), then it will recover and I start shutting the damper. Same thing happens with the damper, going from full open to 1/2 slows it, going from 1/2 to 1/4 open will drop it then come up and stabilize.
The hotter I get the flue the faster I get to cruising. When I top out at 700-750 on a full overnight load it takes an hour and a half to get to cruising at 715+/- flue 600+/- stt without either taking off again or dropping.
You've gotten the gears in my head grinding... I think I might play with it some today and tonight to see what happens on different kinds of loads... Sorry for rambling as I ponder this...
I have the Auber AT100 and their thermocouple for my cat temps. I had their thermocouple and was using a battery powered meter before I bought their meter to use 100v. Of course I've had the power go out so I just hooked my battery powered meter up to check temps. I did get the flue temp thermocouple but haven't installed it, I just have a magnetic thermometer on my flue adapter. I only watch that to prevent high flue temps without the cat engaged. Once the damper is closed and cat is engaged my flue temps never rise much.
Todd
Minister of Fire
Yeah that long horizontal run is probably messi
That long horizontal run could be messing with you. Anyway to shorten that up?
Nope... 1" over the rear clearance. When I installed the damper last year I adjusted it to get as much pitch as possible (3/4" in 1').
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
I have an nc30 with a pipe damper and an auber flue meter too.
I aim for flue temperatures of 750 and stove top temps are 600-700. Stove top temperature is hard to measure because I have a stout blower that blows on my magnetic stove top meter and my IR gun tops out at 600.
If you run an nc30 with flue temps lower than 600 you’re likely making smoke. Like most noncats, it doesn’t have much output range.
The Auber flue thermometers can also be run from a 12v battery.
Yeah I saw that. But man that sounds like zero fun but Im still leaning towards the Auber just because if I do lose power it will be no different than the last 5 years of burning with no thermocouple. Just will be nice to really start to dial in things on a more micro level. Right now I shoot for a stove top temp of 580-600 on the coldest days and basically call it good.
That's what I remember you and @MadMark telling me. I've been running a little hotter lately with the outside temps we've been having, but usually run about those same flue & stt temps.
I'm playing with things today and will start a new thread with results. It will probably be very boring to some people...
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
It is tough to run a damper. There are no rules. Like do I leave the air wide open and shut the damper until flue temps come down? Do I only shut the damper to lower flue temps after the primary air is fully closed? This year I've been shutting the damper more and cutting the primary air less. It keeps a lively clean fire while reducing flue temperatures and flow.
Todd
Minister of Fire
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Doesn't seem to make a difference on my nc30 stove. The primary air control quite easily snuffs the fire.
If you buy the Auber AT100 that comes with your choice of thermocouple it will plug into any temp meter battery powered or AC and most digital volt/ohm meters. This way you have the Auber when you have power and battery backup f you need it.
That's within the normal operating temperature range for the flue gas temp read with a probe wtih 650º being the higher end for our stove. We run mostly in that range unless pushing the stove harder for heat. Then it might go up to 700. We're at 644º now, 2hrs after reloading the fire.
Todd
Minister of Fire
Yeah, with these colder temps I’m burning hotter so I’m seeing 600-700 flue temps with my medium/medium low air settings. Once this arctic air goes away I’ll go back to 12 hour reloads and have flue temps in the 400-500 range.
Crab
Member
At 644 flue what was your STT?
Yesterday at a steady 650 on the auber my STT was 500 read middle/middle by an IR. My auber flue thermocouple is only a foot above the stove top and 8" below a 90 that goes into the thimble. I am sure my flue temps are higher then others like Todd that have a straight up chimney and who located the thermocouple higher. But it works for me there.
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