about that mag. thermometer..

[Garyvol]

I've had the magnetic thermometer ever since I've been using the Non-EPA smoke dragon for many years.
Having since replaced the smoke dragon with the PE Summit, I placed the same magnetic thermometer
on the flue pipe of this EPA stove.
My ?? is as follows. Does the thermometer display readings of cresote(black area / safe (white area) for the
Non EPA stove correspond to the actuall conditions of an EPA stove.
AN EPA stove is usually putting out less creosote at the same temp as compared with a smoke dragon stove.
Inother words a Non EPA stove typically has a higher flue temp than the stove.
The Summit EPA has a lower temp than the stove.
So maybe the black and white areas on the mag. thermo. display should be adjusted at a lower level to correspond
with the less creosote that the EPA stove gives off.
any thoughts about this.

not sure if I explained it correctly, but I was just thinking about this when watching and warming up
to the summit stove following another session of snow shoveling/blowing from this to long of a winter now.
-gary

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Gary, our flue normally runs from 250-350 but mostly around 300-325. I pay no attention to the rankings they give on the thermometers. We let it get to 500-550 when reloading but as we close it down the temperature drops. We haven't cleaned our chimney since putting it up in the summer of 2007. Also, beware because you might have 3 thermometers and also have three very different readings. One that we have usually reads a full 100 degrees lower than others. I have no idea why we keep it around other than we just haven't gotten around to throwing it out.

Winter is not done with us just yet for sure. Around here we never count on Spring until April and then it still gets pretty darned cold and snowy in April too. Most years we still need night heat well into May.

 

[lexybird]

every stove varies so i dont think theres a universal ansewer ,now granted you dont want to burn at low temperatures under 250 degrees regardless of if its epa approved or not .creosote collects at low temperature so its best to burn dry and hot .the newer stoves put the heat in the firebox not being lost and sent up the flue like the stoves of yesterday, so it would be not out of the ordinary to see a lower flue temperature in a lot of cases .biggets thing is be sure your wood is dry and seasoned also see that the stove is getting a good draft and some air to it .

 

[fossil]

Regardless of the source of the flue gases, the temperature at which creosote formation occurs is the same. The difference would be the potential quantity of creosote condensation in the flue. Rick

 

[BrotherBart]

The rules for chimney temp stay the same. What you are trying to do is keep the interior temp of the chimney all the way up above the boiling point of water so that the excess gases don't stick to the side of the pipe. The boiling point of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit so with most chimneys keeping the interior of the pipe at 250 to 300 hundred is a safe operating range. The interior temp is roughly double the surface temp indicated on a mag thermo.

 

[Garyvol]

Wow, the flue gas inside the pipe is actually twice the temp of the mag. therm. surface of the pipe.
That is good to know.
On a previous thread I mentioned the mag. therm. read 450 when inside the electric oven was at 350.
So when I'm looking at the mag. therm on the flue pipe when it is reading 400 on a typical medium fire
I subtract a 100 making it 300. But now since it is only surface temp it is measuring, the flue gas can
actually be 400+. Maybe the therm. is purposely offset a 100 degrees to actually indicate
the flue temp inside. just guessing here.
-gary

 

[Todd]

What brand of thermometer do you have? Over the years it seems that Rutland thermometers always read a little high for me and the Condar's have been more accurate.

 

[Garyvol]

Hey Todd
Yep, Rutland it is, but geez, it's at least 20 years old. Do they wear out over time.
It still functions okay, except for the higher reading.
-gary

 

[BrotherBart]

For what it is worth the new style Rutland "Burn Indicator" mag thermos appear to be more accurate. They also appear to be exactly the same as the Condar so I am betting they are made by the same company.

 

[Hogwildz]

For what it is worth the new style Rutland "Burn Indicator" mag thermos appear to be more accurate. They also appear to be exactly the same as the Condar so I am betting they are made by the same company.

The same company in China prolly

 

[Todd]

Hey Todd
Yep, Rutland it is, but geez, it's at least 20 years old. Do they wear out over time.
It still functions okay, except for the higher reading.
-gary

After 20 years, I think it's time for a new one.