Do I need to monitor my stove temps with a thermometer?

[basswidow]

I see many posts were people speak of stove temps and have thermometers on their stoves.

I have a zero clearance Fireplace/stove and I do not monitor it's temps. We shove the firebox full at night with no regard to monitoring temps.

Should I be concerned with getting a thermometer and watching my temps? I assume this done to prevent over firing the stove? Where would I install a thermometer? I will have to read my owners manual again and see if it says anything. I know the dealer who installed it - said nothing to me about getting a thermometer. If this is a step I should be doing - I don't want to neglect it.

My stove is a kozyheat z42. Thanks

 

[basswidow]

read thru my manual again and there is no mention of a thermometer. All it says is be careful not to over fire the stove as this will void your warranty. Nice.

I think I found what I needed to know. On woodheat.org, it says thermometers are not really needed on appliances that have full glass viewing.

Thermometers are usually placed on the stove top or flue on stoves that do not have a large enough viewing area - so that the operator can gauge how the stove is doing.

So I guess I don't really need one.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I don't think you need one, especially on the smaller stoves, but they are nice to have. On the larger stoves, I've found they can jump temperature from 600-800 pretty fast.

Matt

 

[shawneyboy]

read thru my manual again and there is no mention of a thermometer. All it says is be careful not to over fire the stove as this will void your warranty. Nice.

I think I found what I needed to know. On woodheat.org, it says thermometers are not really needed on appliances that have full glass viewing.

Thermometers are usually placed on the stove top or flue on stoves that do not have a large enough viewing area - so that the operator can gauge how the stove is doing.

So I guess I don't really need one.

I have a large window but still have and use the stovetop temp. You may not need one, but it is never a bad idea to have one.

 

[Swedishchef]

I have a large window on my stove but still like to have a thermometer just for the sake of having it.

Sometimes you could say "is it too hot?" and a thermometer could answer the question quite easily.

For $20, why not?

Andrew

 

[basswidow]

I am just not sure where I would place mine - as I can't get to the actual top of the stove and the flue I would get to is the double wall. Is there a magnetic one that could go on the steel door?

 

[Lighting Up]

I see many posts were people speak of stove temps and have thermometers on their stoves.

I have a zero clearance Fireplace/stove and I do not monitor it's temps. We shove the firebox full at night with no regard to monitoring temps.

Should I be concerned with getting a thermometer and watching my temps? I assume this done to prevent over firing the stove? Where would I install a thermometer? I will have to read my owners manual again and see if it says anything. I know the dealer who installed it - said nothing to me about getting a thermometer. If this is a step I should be doing - I don't want to neglect it.

My stove is a kozyheat z42. Thanks

You don't really need one, I'm not even sure where you would put it to get a true reading since the box is inside the wall. I had one for 10 years then bought a insert for it, money well spent. Now I can almost heat my house with it in the dead of winter.
md

 

[Jags]

You don't NEED one, but then again you don't NEED airbags in your car....

Would I suggest one - yep, if ya got a place to put it (on the stove :-/ ).

 

[sixman]

The last thing my dealer handed me when I bought my stove was a thermometer. He knew I was new to wood burning and that it would be the most valuable tool (besides hearth.com) I could use to learn how to properly burn my new stove. I can't imagine not having one now. No guessing as to when to adjust the air or close the bypass. If you have access to the double wall flue, they make a thermometer with a probe for that. I know the old timers may think it is not needed but I do. Even my kids get in on the wood burning and know when it needs adjusting by watching the temps.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I agree with Jags and Six, the use of a thermometer is essential for people who like to regulate their heat and fuel useage. I use both a stove top and flu thermometer. I regulate airflow with the stove temperatures and the time of year in which I am burning. Paying more attention to the coldest months. I also set aside different mixtures of wood for the colder times of the year too, something I have come to find in 'trial and error' over the years.
Good luck!

 

[adrpga498]

I agree with Jags and Six, the use of a thermometer is essential for people who like to regulate their heat and fuel useage. I use both a stove top and flu thermometer. I regulate airflow with the stove temperatures and the time of year in which I am burning. Paying more attention to the coldest months. I also set aside different mixtures of wood for the colder times of the year too, something I have come to find in 'trial and error' over the years.
Good luck!

Ditto . Well said

 

[BrotherBart]

There isn't anyplace on that ZC fireplace to put it that would give you any useful information.

 

[nate379]

No real need, just one of those "nice have" things.

Been using wood stoves all my life and the Blaze King is the first one that has a T Stat on it.

 

[clr8ter]

My wife & I bought a used Oslo, and it came with a thermometer. Now there's 2 on it, one in each front corner. We obsess about it constantly. There have been 2 nights now when someone was sitting up with it till midnight because "it's 550 Deg" I Know. But we're both 1st borns, and new to burning wood. Still, I think it's a good idea. Like someone else said, you can tell what it's doing at a glance......

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I burned wood for 50 years or more before I used a thermometer and got along just fine. So, do you need one? I doubt it with your setup. And as BrotherBart stated, you have no place to put it anyway.

 

[sixman]

Not sure about the Oslo but on my Lopi the front corners are are alot colder than the middle center. You might want to use an IR Temp gun to find your hot spot to monitor temps. 2 cents

 

[Redburn]

I agree with Jags and Six, the use of a thermometer is essential for people who like to regulate their heat and fuel useage. I use both a stove top and flu thermometer. I regulate airflow with the stove temperatures and the time of year in which I am burning. Paying more attention to the coldest months. I also set aside different mixtures of wood for the colder times of the year too, something I have come to find in 'trial and error' over the years.
Good luck!

Makes things allot easier. I have 3 stove top, base of pipe n as it turns into wall.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

My wife & I bought a used Oslo, and it came with a thermometer. Now there's 2 on it, one in each front corner. We obsess about it constantly. There have been 2 nights now when someone was sitting up with it till midnight because "it's 550 Deg" I Know. But we're both 1st borns, and new to burning wood. Still, I think it's a good idea. Like someone else said, you can tell what it's doing at a glance......

Good luck with that used Oslo, they are a great stove! You will comfortable with it soon, then you can go to bed at a reasonable hour while your stove keeps you warm at '550 deg'...

 

[AceRyder]

Not sure about the Oslo but on my Lopi the front corners are are alot colder than the middle center. You might want to use an IR Temp gun to find your hot spot to monitor temps. 2 cents

+1 on the IR temp gun. I use a stovetop thermometer on my Hearthstone, but hear that the IR temp guns are fairly accurate.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I think the main point here is that this stove is inserted in the fireplace opening and there is no access to the top of the stove or the flue. What good would temperature readings on the glass do?

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Not sure how you would get readings on the glass unless you used thermal, even then I'm not sure the glass temps would be as hot as the top surface.

 

[firefighterjake]

My wife & I bought a used Oslo, and it came with a thermometer. Now there's 2 on it, one in each front corner. We obsess about it constantly. There have been 2 nights now when someone was sitting up with it till midnight because "it's 550 Deg" I Know. But we're both 1st borns, and new to burning wood. Still, I think it's a good idea. Like someone else said, you can tell what it's doing at a glance......

Believe it or not . . . there will come a time when burning wood will become second nature to you and you will not be up late at night worrying about the stove . . . you will still have concerns and be careful . . . but you will not be obsessive and fret so bad that you cannot sleep at night.

 

[firefighterjake]

Folks that have read my past threads know I am a big fan of thermometers on both the flue and stove top . . . while not absolutely crucial to running a stove they're a lot like a gas gauge and speedometer on a car . . . not absolutely necessary to drive a car . . . but they're wicked handy to have as they provide you with some very valuable information . . . I mean to say . . . if I'm driving down I-95 and hope to avoid getting a ticket or want to keep my gas stops to a minimum it's pretty useful to have a speedometer to let me know how fast I am going and a gas gauge to let me know how much fuel I have . . . in the same way thermometers can give you feedback as to what temps you are at the moment (too hot, too cold, just right) and allow you to run your stove safer and more efficiently.

That said . . . as others have mentioned . . . there may be no way for you to mount a thermometer on the flue/stove that you own.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

My wife & I bought a used Oslo, and it came with a thermometer. Now there's 2 on it, one in each front corner. We obsess about it constantly. There have been 2 nights now when someone was sitting up with it till midnight because "it's 550 Deg" I Know. But we're both 1st borns, and new to burning wood. Still, I think it's a good idea. Like someone else said, you can tell what it's doing at a glance......

Believe it or not . . . there will come a time when burning wood will become second nature to you and you will not be up late at night worrying about the stove . . . you will still have concerns and be careful . . . but you will not be obsessive and fret so bad that you cannot sleep at night.

Very well said Jake.

While we do not worry about our stove, we do still check things on a regular basis, which becomes second nature. For instance, when leaving the house or just before going to bed, we make one last check on the stove, making sure all is well and the draft is set correctly. For us this is no different than checking the gas cooking stove to make sure all burners are set to off. Or checking to make sure all lights are off or anything that shouldn't be drawing electricity before leaving the house. These are just natural things to do and you will become accustomed to them quickly...or should.

 

[guest5234]

I have always had one and would feel lost without it, nice to see how differnt woods burn at different tempratures, plus I like to keep mine stove pumping out a constant heat.