Just ordered a Condar probe thermometer for my Excel double wall pipe. I have been running without one, but after recently purchasing a new IR gun im amazed on how hot my outside temps are on the pipe. On the straight section about 3 feet above the stove it hovers around 350* and the small piece that is 45 degrees into the ceiling support box is about 450*. This is with the draft just about closed. Seems a little to warm to me for double wall. So, in goes the probe. My stove drafts like crazy so maybe a pipe damper is needed... although i really dont want one. Thats another thing i have to teach the wife to use!
Installing a probe thermometer
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I will be extremely interested in seeing your results can't wait untill you get it put in. I put mine 18" above my stove top so it will be interesting to compare my temps with yours.
Just as a heads up I have never really checked my external pipe on my double wall for surface temps but with last nights fire we were running 525° on the stove top, 425° internal flue temp, and my external pipe on the double wall was 187° 18" up from the stove for whatever it's worth. So it seems if you had a pretty good blaze going on it wouldn't be to hard to have your double wall reading in the mid 200° range. It does seem like 400+ is pretty high though
Thats where I would like to see mine. Cant wait to see what the probe reads. I will post as soon as its in. Thanks for the info on your system too!
Agreed, that sounds like high surface temps for double-wall connector pipe. Keep us posted on the probe readings. BTW, what probe thermometer model did you end up ordering?
The thermometer I ordered is a condar flueguard. I did a google search for probe thermos and there doesn't appear to be a lot of companies that make them.
The newer 3-39 thermometers seem to be reading a bit high, especially at higher temps. So if you find it reading something like 1000º F, take a deep breath and read up a bit on tests done here with them.
Man..if my stove top is 450 my single wall 8 inches up is only maybe 250-300.(IR)
Your temps sound way high!
Your temps sound way high!
BeGreen said:
I have thought about that too. The IR gun is made by Amprobe. It shows the stove top reading as about 50-75 degrees lower than my rutland thermo. But then again, even if it was reading 100* too high its still too hot!
BG, how high should i put the probe? 18" or should i go higher? Also, the double wall is the adjustable type that slides up and down are there any other considerations that i should be thinking about?
Typically you want to install the probe thermometer between 18-24" above the flue collar. Our connector is telescoping also. No big deal, just drill for the probe through both layers.
Probe thermo is the one of the best things you can buy if you have double wall pipe. My probe is 18 onches above top of the stove, I run, on a full load, around 800 internal temps.... That is normal for me, not to highjack but does that seem high ??
Shawn
Shawn
It is high compared to some stoves. Usually I like to see the flue temps equal or below the stove top temps, except when the stove is warming up. Based on reports here, it seems to be more common to see higher flue temps for some Hearthstones and some afterburner stoves. How much higher will depend on the accuracy of the probe thermometer. With limited testing done by Pen, Wes999 and myself, the newer generation of Condar probes seem to be reading high in the upper temperature range.
My condar probe is only a few years old. I run my flue temps up past 1000 with each new fire and cruise temps are above 750 if I have a clean smokeless fire going. Really, when trying to heat the stone I keep the flue temps between 800 and 1000, just barely in the normal zone, nearing "too hot".
The condar has helpful color coded temp zones that seem to work perfectly well. Isn't 500 in the too cold zone? Meaning you are making creo?
Shawn, your temps are normal.
The condar has helpful color coded temp zones that seem to work perfectly well. Isn't 500 in the too cold zone? Meaning you are making creo?
Shawn, your temps are normal.
BeGreen said:
Because it is a stone stove... I doubt my stove top would get anywhere near as hot as my flue gas temps. I can see that happening with a metal stove, but I am thinking with stone that doesn't happen. I wonder.... any other stoners with some input here ???
Shawn
Anyone interested, this site still shows the old style Condar 3-19 probe for sale. http://www.woodmanspartsplus.com/28338/16651/Stove-Thermometers/Flue-Gas-Thermometer.html
I think that is where I got mine. So maybe this place will be a source for a while. I think Condar quit making them and places are just selling out their stock.certified106 said:
I've got an Imperial KK0166, which seems to be made by Kel Kem and I'm convinced it reads way too low. I think I'll go find a Condar 3-36 before next season to contrast the two.
I find I'm not relying on it too much anymore, now that I'm getting a better feel for fire behaviour. I typically don't run my stove nearly as hard as some of you (supplementary heat, mostly), so my temps don't get quite as high either.
I find I'm not relying on it too much anymore, now that I'm getting a better feel for fire behaviour. I typically don't run my stove nearly as hard as some of you (supplementary heat, mostly), so my temps don't get quite as high either.
BeGreen said:
Really? I think that woodstock stove would be an absolutely horrible comparison with regards to flue temps. A cat stove is supposed to have really cold flue temps vs. a non-cat like the hearthstones.
We've seen a range of temps on cat stoves and non-cats. IIRC, there were some early VC or DW cat stove owners that were reporting higher flue temps than we usually see. But that might have been strong draft with a tall flue. I can't remember Normally one would want the flue temps to read below the stove top temp with an efficient stove. Why some Hearthstones seem to buck this trend is confusing me. What would be a good comparison?
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