Burn Indicators

[Henz]

Is it really beneficial to have a burn indicator on your chimney to view temps etc?? does anyone really use theirs?

 

[BrotherBart]

Most important piece of my gear. I want to see at least 400 degrees inside that pipe at all times.

 

[Henz]

really..huh, do you just have one of the magnetic ones?? Iwounder how long they actually last..

 

[BrotherBart]

I used to use the mag ones but use a probe now. More accurate and responds faster. Those magnetic thermos are junk and I have gone through a bunch of them over the years.

People laugh but I use the eight dollar Charm-Glo barbeque lid probe from Home Depot. High quality stainless steel with a clean dial and a heck of a lot cheaper than the ones advertised for stove pipe. It goes up to 700 degrees and the ones for stove pipe go up to like 1,800 degees. By the time the pipe gets up to 1,800 I plan on being down the driveway looking back over my shoulder.

 

[Henz]

so you basically just touch the pipe with it and it reads? you find this tedious or no.

 

[BrotherBart]

It is the type that had a probe on it. Like the ones on the lids of barbeque grills. It bolts onto the pipe and the probe sticks through a hole in the pipe and measures the temp of the flue gases.

 

[Henz]

huh, dont like the idea of putting a hole in my pipe..You gota pic of this setup?

 

[PaulyV]

BB..do you have a picture of it mounted?

 

[Gunner]

I have the probe type in my double wall pipe and a magnetic type on the stove top. I would not be without them.

 

[BrotherBart]

You already should have three holes in each joint of your pipe. Where you put the sheet metal screws in right? Enlarge one of them and put the probe through it. Now you get temp AND hold the pipe together.

 

[Henz]

well damn, thats ingenious! I will look into them..right at lowes/Homedepot right

 

[PaulyV]

I have an insert...so a mag mount is all I can use..is one magnetic thermometer better than the other..or it just dont matter..there all inaccurate..

 

[BrotherBart]

well damn, thats ingenious! I will look into them..right at lowes/Homedepot right

Nah, just a cheap old fart. Yeah, in the BBQ section at Lowes I saw them again yesterday when I picked up some other stuff.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I dont use anything at home, but use both a probe and a stove top at work.

 

[wg_bent]

I have an insert...so a mag mount is all I can use..is one magnetic thermometer better than the other..or it just dont matter..there all inaccurate..

How's the mag mount help with an insert? Do you mean on the insert itself or the pipe?

 

[BrotherBart]

I dont use anything at home, but use both a probe and a stove top at work.

BTW MSG: You were right. Those surface BBQ thermos my wife ordered for me got here. They ain't even close.

 

[Henz]

I like the idea of goingthrough an existing hole in my pipe and sticking one of the BBQ thermos in it. I also will probably get one of the magnetic ones..they are cheap enough

 

[BrotherBart]

I like the idea of goingthrough an existing hole in my pipe and sticking one of the BBQ thermos in it. I also will probably get one of the magnetic ones..they are cheap enough

Remember, you have to put the retaining nut on the probe from inside the pipe.

 

[Hogwildz]

I have an insert...so a mag mount is all I can use..is one magnetic thermometer better than the other..or it just dont matter..there all inaccurate..

I just bought another one. have one mounted on each front upper corner of insert. One is an Imperial the other a Rutland. They are both pretty much the same, read the same usually. Having two does show how temp differences can exist from one side of the insert to another. usually after reload one side will be warmer than the other. They always end up evening out after all the new wood load is good & charred.

 

[PaulyV]

Warren I have it mounted on the left upper corner of the stove above the door. Its behind the decorative piece so you cant see it (aesthetics) unless you are loading the wood. I dont think its working all that well as I have great secondary burns going on/ damped all the way down..tremendous heat output/ thermo shows 500 on front of stove. The Thermo is an older one (6 years) may invest in a new one. (76- 78 all downstairs 1400 sg ft upstairs 72 another 1000sqft)

 

[MrGriz]

I have an insert...so a mag mount is all I can use..is one magnetic thermometer better than the other..or it just dont matter..there all inaccurate..

How's the mag mount help with an insert? Do you mean on the insert itself or the pipe?

I'm using one on the 'cook top' of my insert. I have it right in the center, all the way back to the face plate. After reading all the posts on thermometers lately, I'm not sure what good it does but I like having it so it will stay.