IR Thermometer

[brakatak]

Just want to know if i am doing this right and measuring insert temp accurately.
When pointing laser to middle of glass i am getting 500 degrees from 4-5 feet away. Is this right method of temps? Thx

 

[HotCoals]

You can hold it close to the glass if you want and will still just get the glass temp..not the temp inside.
For a rough estimate on inside temps just double the reading .

 

[brakatak]

My manual says "maximum heat for minimum fuel occurs when stove top temps are between 250-550".

To get this, should i measure the glass? If i am seeing 500 now at center of glass, does that mean i am burning at the recommended temp? Or is inside stove more important?

 

[HotCoals]

That insert makes it so you cant get stove top temps really or stack temps which i find more important.
You should be able to cut the fire back to where you have just secondary's and be fine.
The first half of the load is more important. After peak it's just a slow downward spiral of temps that you need not worry about.
If it was me when I light up a fire i would brig it up to what you have (if that) then start cutting the air back to where you are feeling good about the heat output.
if you heated it up enough you should see secondary action.

 

[begreen]

My manual says "maximum heat for minimum fuel occurs when stove top temps are between 250-550".

To get this, should i measure the glass? If i am seeing 500 now at center of glass, does that mean i am burning at the recommended temp? Or is inside stove more important?

Measure to the left of right of the thermometer on the stove door or body not off the glass.

 

[brakatak]

That insert makes it so you cant get stove top temps really or stack temps which i find more important.
You should be able to cut the fire back to where you have just secondary's and be fine.
The first half of the load is more important. After peak it's just a slow downward spiral of temps that you need not worry about.
If it was me when I light up a fire i would brig it up to what you have (if that) then start cutting the air back to where you are feeling good about the heat output.
if you heated it up enough you should see secondary action.

Good advice. Thanks. Ill start doing that.

 

[xman23]

Interesting, Today for the first time in 13 years of burning, I used a IR gun to check the stove temp from the couch, The Oslo manual says check the temp in the top back corner's. I always have the spring type gauge there. The top cornor is the same temperature as the single wall is at the top of the stove. After the stove was hot, burning for hours, with the air choked down, the stove box front, sides and glass was 100 degrees hotter than the top. The IR does not go thru the glass. Open the door and shoot the flame.

 

[brakatak]

Measure to the left of right of the thermometer on the stove door or body not off the glass.

The non-glass area of the door is measuring 225-250. Seems low. Does cast iron get as hot? The glass is at 525 now.

 

[begreen]

The firebox temp on the other side of the glass is not what you want to measure. You want to know the stove temp. The blower will cool things down. Turn down the air control until the flames get very lazy and see how the stove temps react.

 

[Grisu]

An IR thermometer measures the infrared energy emitted by an object. That reading is dependent on the size of the spot measured, the distance from the spot, and the reflectivity of the object. Shiny surfaces for example will throw off your readings. If you are too far away you will measure a whole object instead of a defined area. (http://www.allqa.com/IR.htm)

I measure central over the door at a distance from about 6 to 8 inches. From previous measurements I know that this spot is about 100 F less than the stove top. Hence, I try to stay between 400 and 600 F in that spot.

I would suggest to laser into the top opening to hit the flue collar. That will probably be close to the stove top temp. Then get close to the insert and go slowly over the exposed metal parts until you find the hottest spot. Record the difference between that spot and the flue collar. Measure both for a few days. Then you know when you have x F at that outside spot you will have 400 to 500 F stove top which is the temp you want to hit. If you want to be more accurate pull off the surround for a few days and do the same procedure but measure the stove top instead of the flue collar.

 

[Dave A.]

To get stove top temps for my Summit, I point the IR into the air opening on top of the stove and point it at various points on the stove top. Would think your Boston with the air opening in the same place should be similar giving access for IR reading to the stove top through that opening.

I also keep a magnetic Inferno on the top right corner above the door. When my stove is coming up to temp, the center of the stove top and flue collar (also available to the IR through that opening) will read the highest 550-600F while the Inferno is still several hundred degrees lower. The sides of the stove top might only be 350 or so at that point. Later after I've gotten the stove up to temp and shut back the air the Inferno might go up even higher to 650-700 while the top center is cooling off a bit to 550F.

The door frame around the glass will be in 450F range or so at the hottest point on there when stove is cruising. 250F kind of levels is when the stove is cooling off. Of course my Summit is a bigger stove than the Enviro 1700. But it still seems your temps are on the low side unless you're not searching for maximum temps.

These are temps am getting now for this time of year. Last season with colder weather I had higher temps.

 

[brakatak]

So if i laser the top of the stove where the air opening is, That would be more accurate? Pic attached you can see the red dot in air opening. Here i am getting 350. I also tried to shoot the flue collar thru the opening and got 260. stove room 72 after 4hrs since cold start and 35 outside. Thx all for help and info.

 

[Dave A.]

Can't you get it further in there towards the center. You're looking for the maximum temp on the stove, generally that's going to be in the center of the top. But as I pointed out (for me) it can vary -- it's hotter on the top center as it's heating up, later on in the burn cycle, the front on top of the door is hotter. It's just helpful to have a better idea what's going on with your stove temp wise.
Edit: Okay I see, that's where you're getting the highest temp, fine.
btw, I didn't see Grisu's last message until after I posted my previous message, even though we were making similar points.

 

[Grisu]

The point you are measuring is not really the stove top; try to get it more to the center of the stove top or take the flue collar. The temps you are getting sound a bit low. Do you have good secondaries? Is there smoke coming out of the chimney? I would try to get it up higher before closing off the air.

 

[brakatak]

Ya temps seems low to me too. I thought i was doing okay with 500 on front glass but glad i know now thats incorrect. Had good secondaries going but also didnt do a full packed load. Had 3-4 medium sized splits then Added 2 more splits at 10pm, shut air down, and woke up at 6 to coals but no heat.

Ill try to full tilt the stove tonight and see how high i can get her. So far, just a learning curve. But haven't done a full packed load yet.

Thx again

 

[akbear]

an IR unit can get rather flaky around reflective surfaces. If I want to get a reading on the glass tile wall behind my stove I have to try several approaches to get a good estimate on it as it will so often bounce a reading off the stove top or something else and mix it into the reading

 

[brakatak]

Okay new fire today on cold start at 6pm. 1hr later i have flue collar at 300, stove top at 350, and front glass at 600. Do these still sound low? Fire pumping so turned air down. Have 4 nice medium splits in.

 

[brakatak]

I put the magnetic thermometr in the air opening. Top center of stove top. Getting readings of 450 now. Is this a good spot?