Condar = IR

[Troutchaser]

Checked temps. last night with an IR gun.

Condar magnetic stovetop= 620*
IR stovetop=*640

Condar flue probe= 800*-steady
IR attachment inserted into probe location=*760

I was pleased with these results. Especially after some of the conversations on this site.

 

[raiderfan]

Sweet. My Condar Inferno stove top therm just arrived yesterday, and I stuck it on the stove this morning before work. I moved my Rutland thermometer to the stove pipe, just for the heck of it. Have never had one on my flue, and don't know if I'll keep it there or not. But while its there, I'll see what the heck flue temps I'm getting with it, for a bit.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I think you'll be measuring the surface temperature of the flue, not the temperature of the flue gases, which needs a probe thermometer.

 

[raiderfan]

I think you'll be measuring the surface temperature of the flue, not the temperature of the flue gases, which needs a probe thermometer.

Well, I guess I'll monitor the surface then for a bit. See what zone the needle falls in. (Its the Rutland thermometer that has numbers for a stove top reading as well as numbers for a flue reading). I've only monitored my stove top for the 3 yrs I've burned, so I'm not too concerned. I just thought I'd try it before tossing it in the garbage.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Raiderfan, I measure only the outside of the flue too and am satisfied with knowing what that is. That in conjunction with the stove top thermometer gives me plenty of information. Holy cow, until we bought the Fireview we never used a stove thermometer and got along just fine. I will say that every Rutland thermometer we've had has been way off.



Troutchaser, we just received an IR thermometer but I've only checked a little bit. So far I've found the stove top thermometer varies only about 17 degrees from the IR. I'll be checking further.

 

[raiderfan]

Raiderfan, I measure only the outside of the flue too and am satisfied with knowing what that is. That in conjunction with the stove top thermometer gives me plenty of information. Holy cow, until we bought the Fireview we never used a stove thermometer and got along just fine. I will say that every Rutland thermometer we've had has been way off.

I never had anything to compare the Rutland to, so I just used it for a guide and hoped for the best. I almost put the Condar Inferno on the other side of the stove top to see what it read compared to the Rutland, but didn't. Instead the Rutland is on the flue, reading around 350-375* with the air shut down and the stove top around 500*.

As i said, after seeing the flue surface temps a few times, I'll probably just toss the Rutland away and stick with the Condar on the stove top. As far as getting along fine without one, I'm not sure I could. Have always used one since the Jotul 602, and feel much better knowing the "whereabouts" of the temperature.

 

[firefighterjake]

I never did see how accurate my Condar probe thermometer is . . . but I found the stove top thermometer from Condar seemed to be very close when measured with the IR thermometer . . . which made me quite happy . . . but I still take the thermometer's readings with a grain of salt so to speak.

 

[Troutchaser]

I never did see how accurate my Condar probe thermometer is . . . but I found the stove top thermometer from Condar seemed to be very close when measured with the IR thermometer . . . which made me quite happy . . . but I still take the thermometer's readings with a grain of salt so to speak.

Ya, it's ballpark stuff. I think the secret to learning a stove is like knowing a fish is on the line before you see it or feel it.
It's a zen thing.