PID thermometer

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

realstihl

Minister of Fire
Dec 4, 2007
525
eastern kansas
I bought a PID to monitor stove top temperature and was surprised at the temp differences between IR, k-probe, and magnetic thermometers. At first I thought the new PID was at fault but confirmed it was right with the Fluke meter. Example: At 300 deg on PID the magnetic stove top was around 400deg and one of my IR's read 300 and the other read about 400. So I went and got wifes digital probe and confirmed it was 300 deg. At a stove top temp of 400, same thing. Magnetic was 100 deg higher. At what I thought was 500 deg is really only 400 and that's where my stove seems to start working well. Hard to believe some people are running their stoves at 700+ deg. Now that's hot.
 
While the Fluke meter is likely to be the most accurate and rugged of those measurements, bear in mind that thermocouple accuracy can be significantly affected by thermal gradients at any junctions and especially within the handheld unit itself, so keep the handheld far away from the stove, and allow it to acclimate to the room. Bringing a fluke from a cold workshop to a hot stove room will give you bad readings even if the probe has stabilized. Not likely to be 100 degrees off unless there's a serious problem however. I'm surprised the two IRs gave such different readings, was one near the limit of its range?

TE
 
Thank's TE. The fluke was in a stable environment. The more expensive IR had the biggest difference. The cheapo was close within 20deg of the Fluke and PID.
 
So I went and got wifes digital probe and confirmed it was 300 deg.

HUH? :eek:

Relying on a "wifes" tool can be very hazardous to ones health! Carefull!

:)
 
Here's some pics, maybe.
100_05271_zps7be6b66a.jpg
100_05261_zpsc701aa16.jpg
100_05251_zpscff5508f.jpg
100_05241_zps08c00862.jpg
 
Darn new computer. Hope you all can at least open these. My next challenge maybe to control the draft with PID. I'd like to figure out how to modulate draft instead of just open and close it.
 
Darn new computer. Hope you all can at least open these. My next challenge maybe to control the draft with PID. I'd like to figure out how to modulate draft instead of just open and close it.

The blaze king already has that.
 
What stove is that? Looks like an enerzone....?
 
It's a Lexington Forge which is now Vermont Castings. It' on it's third year. Needs a good dusting.
 
My IR reads about 20*C higher than my PID Thermocouple. on the stove top.

My Food grade probe thermometer reads the same as the TC on stove top. It also reads the same in a pot of boiling water.

It was a bit of a surprise to say the least but I tend to think that the PID and the food probe are correct and the IR is reading wrong.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.