The guy in the store said ... Is it true?

[CTwith3]

We went to the local stove and fireplace dealer this afternoon to get an indoor wood rack, and while there my wife asked about using our VC Encore 2n1 FlexBurn 2040 in Cat mode. They said that the using the thermometer on the griddle plate is not the best location to get an accurate temperature of the stove. They suggested instead of using 500 on the stove top we should go to 700 before trying to get the Cat to light. Homer's has a Ryobi infrared temperature reader, anyone know how accurate it is? If it is, where should I be shooting at to get the correct temperature? My stove pipe is Ventis double wall pipe, so putting a Magnetic thermometer on it will not give me an accurate reading, you can't stick a Cat temperature probe in this model, and he said drilling into the pipe to slip in a thermometer is not the greatest idea. Additionally, he said it's okay to let the stove burn out/down to 250-300 with in Cat mode is okay. Is this accurate information?

 

[webby3650]

700 stovetop before engaging the cat is crazy! That's maxed out for a cast iron stove, way too hot for starting out.

There's no need to open the bypass once the stove is burning down. There's no more smoke since the fire is in the coaling stage. Just open the bypass once it's time to reload.

 

[Diabel]

The sales person has no clue when it comes to operating this stove.....truly sad.

You can drill into the double pipe for sure! It will give you the accurate flue gas reading. What do you mean in terms of "can't put the cat probe on this model"? Is there a rear heat shield installed?

I just can't imagine running/operating this finicky stove without the cat probe (Digital Auber AT100) and the flue probe. With these two the stove is very controllable

 

[CTwith3]

Yes, it does have a rear heat shield.

So, going by the griddle temperature (without a flue probe) is unreliable?

Any thoughts on the Ryobi infrared thermometer and where I should be measuring the temperature?

My wife is fearful of drilling into the pipe, and the guy in the store told her not to do it when I texted her to ask. This place is a VC dealer, which of course doesn't mean that they know what they are talking about.

 

[Diabel]

The magnetic stove top thermos are somewhat reliable. Mine is bang on with the IR unit until about 450* then the magnetic goes crazy, it can read 650* when the IR reads 500* and I know the IR is correct.

I barely pay attention to the stovetop one. The cat probe and the flue probe really give you a good picture of what is going on in the whole system.

Again, you will do no harm if you drill in the pipe.

 

[CTwith3]

Unfortunately, I can't do a cat probe on this stove

 

[redyute]

Unfortunately, I can't do a cat probe on this stove

Didn't it come with pre drilled holes for a cat probe?. My high valley has 2 holes on front covered with a plug where the cat probe supposed to go, basically I can use any of the 2. I have no flue gauge cause I have an insert and cant see the pipe lol, but I'm comfortable with just the cat probe

 

[CTwith3]

Nope, I wish it did.

 

[Diabel]

The 2040 has a hole for the cat at the back.

The heatshield does not.

 

[john84]

I had a model 2040, if you look down low on the back in the center of the stove you should see a small round cover you can pop out to install a cat probe.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Drill a hole. It's the best way to monitor your flue temps. My local VC dealer has a couple of .... less than smart people working there and I have since stopped going there due to the lack of brains.

 

[xman23]

I don't know your stove nor run a cat in my stove. But stove temperatures are different in all locations. For example the top center will be hotter by 10 % than the back right, etc. The flue is just another location. But it will be consistent. Many stove manuals suggest a location for a stove top gauge. Mine is the back top corners. The gauges work fine, I have many of them. There within a few degrees of each other and my IR. So if it was me I wouldn't drill a hole in your double wall, just use the stove top temp. You'll get a feel for it and just looking at the fire will tell you when to take it out of bypass.