Has anyone compared Condar probe thermometers to a calibrated instrument like an Auber? How accurate was the Condar probe?
Auber v Condar question
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I did back in the day when I first got my auber: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/digital-cat-probe.105221/post-1404737
Thanks for the reminder Mellow. Just got an Auber probe and I am testing it out. I am seeing the opposite situation. I have 2 Condar flue probes and they both read within 10º of each other at 500º, but about 150º below the Auber. The Auber is reading 660º and the Condar is just above 500º. At 400º Condar flue temp the Auber probe was seeing 520º. I tested the Auber for calibration with our oven at 400º and it was very close. I could even see the element cycling. Couldn't test the Condar for the same reason you noted, it read too hot. I also tested the Auber at room temp and in boiling water and it was right on at 72 & 212º. The Condar doesn't read at room temp and in boiling water I got ~300º reading.
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I’m in the middle of this headscratcher as well..
About a week or so ago I was seeing abnormally low readings from my Auber, so I ordered a new Condar probe to compare..
I also put in a new K thermocouple in the Auber..
Last night while using the Auber things did’nt seem right, was reading just over 825, so I took it out and installed the Condar, it was reading over 1200 after 10 minutes of so.. ??
However, I did notice my probe in the auber was out farther than it should be by about 3/4 of an inch..
This morning I moved the thermocouple to where it should be, re siliconed, and it’s curing now..
About a week or so ago I was seeing abnormally low readings from my Auber, so I ordered a new Condar probe to compare..
I also put in a new K thermocouple in the Auber..
Last night while using the Auber things did’nt seem right, was reading just over 825, so I took it out and installed the Condar, it was reading over 1200 after 10 minutes of so.. ??
However, I did notice my probe in the auber was out farther than it should be by about 3/4 of an inch..
This morning I moved the thermocouple to where it should be, re siliconed, and it’s curing now..
My auber will read 70f when the stove is cold, which is good. No idea if there are exponential discrepancies. I am on my second k type thermocouple however. They are China made and I noticed new funny scenarios in terms on temps lately.
Not totally on auber vs condar topic, but would it be reasonable to cook, say a squash or big yam, to 425 or 450F then measure with condar probe and a "trusted" meat/cooking thermometer as one more temperature comparison. Definitely not as gold standard as boiling water, but 212F isn't a very useful flue temperature.
I'm not quite ready to try this in the kitchen, as it may result in myself ending up in hot water.
I'm not quite ready to try this in the kitchen, as it may result in myself ending up in hot water.
The condar reads temperature conducted from the probe to a calibrated bimetallic spring that is outside of the flue in ambient air. It is purpose built for measuring flue gas temperatures from outside a double wall flue of a particular thickness. It is a waste of time to try and use it fir anything else.
A thermocouple is a universal thermometer that can be used for all sorts of stuff. It directly reads temperature in the probe by varying resistance. Much more sophisticated and scientific. Use it to cook tri tip or measure flue gas temps or even to mash grains for beer!
A thermocouple is a universal thermometer that can be used for all sorts of stuff. It directly reads temperature in the probe by varying resistance. Much more sophisticated and scientific. Use it to cook tri tip or measure flue gas temps or even to mash grains for beer!
I think my auber control might be wonky,
It seems to be close to the BK probe and the condar at low temps, but when things heat up it’s off by 3 - 5 hundred degrees, reading low..
Tried it in both of my BK’s today, 1 year old cat in the princess, 2 year old cat in the king, results were pretty much the same with both..
I installed a new K thermo about a week or so ago, cause I thought the 3 year old one was headed south..
Searched the interwebs and can’t find where anyone had one go bad ??
It seems to be close to the BK probe and the condar at low temps, but when things heat up it’s off by 3 - 5 hundred degrees, reading low..
Tried it in both of my BK’s today, 1 year old cat in the princess, 2 year old cat in the king, results were pretty much the same with both..
I installed a new K thermo about a week or so ago, cause I thought the 3 year old one was headed south..
Searched the interwebs and can’t find where anyone had one go bad ??
The Auber probe is super sensitive. You see an immediate reaction to changes in the air supply or adjustments to the fire. The Condar is really sluggish in comparison. I now have the thermocouple mounted and in place just a couple inches above the Condar probe. It disturbs me that the Condar reads so low and slow, especially when one is starting up a fire. Eventually once the stove is cruising they will get closer to each other (~100º) but on startup the Auber is reading around 150º higher.
If I understand correctly, Begreen, you now have two holes drilled into stove pipe for your thermometers. How do you plug a hole if you ever decide to no longer have one of the thermometers?
For my T5 alderlea, double wall pipe, would you recommend the mechanical Condar or the digital Auber? Seems like the Condar is simpler but less precise, whereas the Auber is more expensive, but comes with a high-temp alarm and is more responsive?
Yes, that's right. Since adding the Auber, that is what I have come to rely on.
No. Each hole has a probe filling it. But even if there wasn't, draft keeps the interior of the pipe under negative pressure so it would be pulling air into the pipe.
Copy, thanks! When you ran your wires behind your pipe... did you ever have problems with them getting too hot? I assume not since you know... they attach to the probe. Does standard electrical tape hold up against the heat? Thanks!
The thermocouple wires are in a braided jacket. I assume they have high temp insulation. Heat has not been an issue there.
Thanks! Is the response time on the Condar that bad? The auber responds pretty much instantly?
The Condar is slow in comparison. That said, I ran the stove for 8 yrs by that thermometer. The Auber is instant and has helped me stay more on top of high temps in the flue. Have you read the Starting a Fire thread in the stickies at the top of the forum? That thread shows a comparison of readings between the two.
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