external temperature of Secure Temp s2100+

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fp16bc

New Member
Aug 8, 2022
3
British Columbia
Apologies if this is a very rookie question. I have recently had a Pacific Energy FP16 factory built installed with Secure Temp S2100+ 6" Chimney. We used the fire last winter and I am procrastinating on doing the finishing work that would lock things in for good. My question is whether there is a resource for the external temperature that this Chimney should reach when the fire is lit. With a hot fire burning the pipe is hot (I have not taken a probe to it but you would definitely burn yourself if you held your hand on it in the first couple of feet above the fire). I had someone (my electrician) state that the you should be able to touch the chimney with no problem, which got be nervous.

The installation was done according to all the requisite clearances. The fireplace is in a chase which was previously uninsulated. I have insulated the chase up to 8 feet where the chimney passes through a ceiling, and an attic insulation shield and into the uninsulated portion of the chase.

Would appreciate some input before it diseappears forever behind durock and tile. Thanks!


 
Chimney pipe directly off the firebox will get hot. I have tested our chimney pipe, which I have access to in a knee wall space, at around 7' above the stove. The pipe is too hot there to hold my hand on it for more than a second or two. This is with a ~600ºF reading of flue gas temps with a probe after the stove has been running for a while. As long as proper clearances are honored, this is safe.

One thing that might be affecting your chimney temperature is a high flue gas temp. This can be wasteful. Some causes are not closing down the air soon enough, too small splits with a lot of air between them, or too dry wood. It's easy to get the flue gases up to >1000º with these stoves. This is wasteful. A digital probe thermometer can make a big difference in how one runs the stove.
 
Chimney pipe directly off the firebox will get hot. I have tested our chimney pipe, which I have access to in a knee wall space, at around 7' above the stove. The pipe is too hot there to hold my hand on it for more than a second or two. This is with a ~600ºF reading of flue gas temps with a probe after the stove has been running for a while. As long as proper clearances are honored, this is safe.

One thing that might be affecting your chimney temperature is a high flue gas temp. This can be wasteful. Some causes are not closing down the air soon enough, too small splits with a lot of air between them, or too dry wood. It's easy to get the flue gases up to >1000º with these stoves. This is wasteful. A digital probe thermometer can make a big difference in how one runs the stove.
Fantastic... good to know. Where is the best place to have the probe for the thermometer?
 
18" above the flue outlet.
Before closing things up, make an access port with a removable cover for servicing the probe. You'll want to pull it before cleaning the flue and they do fail sometimes.