flue temps

[jminacci]

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading and learning here for the past two years but this is my first post. I have a NC-30 and have a thermometer on top of the stove that will read about 550 degrees when cruising. I have another thermometer on the collar of the stove that usually reads about 300-400. I have a stainless steel flex liner that is insulated down to the collar. My question is how to I get an accurate reading of my flue temps, or does it not matter all that much? Is there a probe that I can insert in the liner?

J

 

[DanCorcoran]

Yes, go to the Condar website (or Amazon) and look for a probe thermometer. You drill a small hole in the flue and insert the probe...voila.

P.S. Go to the "Gear" forum and search for thermometers. You can find a lot to read...

 

[pen]

Really, so long as you don't make a rapid burn as you'd find w/ burning paper or cardboard, your chimney temps will be fairly consistent with cruising stove top temps. If you keep a thermometer on the hottest part of the stove and aim to keep that bad boy from cruising less than 700. Then you should be fine overall. I've never heard about inserting a probe thermometer directly into flex piping. At first thought though, I'm not so sure i like the idea of opening up that thin wall inside the home.

here are a few links that you may find worth your while.

Links related to stove top & chimney temperatures as well as temperature measuring devices

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/63964/

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/63488/

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/62731/

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/62136/

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/51149/

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/61907/

good luck and glad to see you make your first post. I hope more follow.

pen

 

[woodmiser]

What's the advantage of monitoring actual flue temp as apposed to just stove top?

I picked up these guys from Tel Tru. The one is a probe.

 

[Highbeam]

I find it very very easy to overheat my flue with regular wood. As in over 1000 degrees when the stovetop is still cold. There is a max temp rating for pipe. You need to monitor both stove and pipe to be sure that you don't exceed the rating.

Since installing my condar probe meter we find it a much better indicator of the combustion process than the stove top meter. Plus it is much easier to view from across the room.

Every night this time of year I go to bed with a stuffed 400 degree firebox, intake control set to zero, and 800 degree flue gas temps. Clean window and a few coals in the morning.

 

[begreen]

It's another data point on how the stove is running. The flue temp will tell you how much hot gas is heading up the flue. When it doesn't drop as secondary combustion kicks in, it may be an indication of a problem, like poor draft. I also like to track the flue temp in order to keep the flue gases well above condensation temp.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Right, another data point so you know what is happening with the burn. For example, on our stove, we want to engage the cat when flue temperature reaches 400 degrees, measured on outside of single wall pipe.

 

[begreen]

Where are you going to find room for all of them on the Clydesdale or is this for another stove?

 

[woodmiser]

Where are you going to find room for all of them on the Clydesdale or is this for another stove?

I'm not using all of them right now. The magnetic ones are nice and smooth. Much better quality than the Condar stuff.

 

[SlyFerret]

What's the advantage of monitoring actual flue temp as apposed to just stove top?

I picked up these guys from Tel Tru. The one is a probe.

Wow, tel tru looks like they make nice stuff! I'm having trouble finding the stove/flue thermometers on their site. Can you link us to the ones that you bought?

-SF

 

[BrotherBart]

My 30-NC is burning into a liner and I don't think anything I can do in that firebox is gonna do as much damage as I would do by poking a hole in that liner to stick a probe into it. With the corrugations in the liner it ain't gonna ever seal the hole.

Rest. Go by stove top temps. The liner is good to 1,000 continuous. If it was that hot you would know it from the stove top temps and be worrying about more than the liner.

Anybody know of fireplace insert owners that poke holes in the liner. I didn't think so.

 

[Highbeam]

Rest. Go by stove top temps. The liner is good to 1,000 continuous. If it was that hot you would know it from the stove top temps and be worrying about more than the liner.

Anybody know of fireplace insert owners that poke holes in the liner. I didn't think so.

Maybe if you had a flue meter you would know how very easy it is to hit 1000 degrees and keep right on going past it.

Don't you poke holes in your liner where you fasten it to the top and to the stove? It's not that fragile and you certainly don't need a perfect seal on such a small hole as required for a probe.

I've never seen one on a flex liner though.

 

[BrotherBart]

I've never seen one on a flex liner though.

And hopefully you won't.

Yeah I had one in an elbow on the 30 that I replaced after the first year and it went a tad over a grand at start-up. Six inches above the flue collar that told me nothing about temps a foot above that. I have free standing stoves and know about the difference a foot makes in flue pipe surface temps.

Tell me what knowing that the liner is at 1,000 tells you?

 

[Todd]

We all like to tinker with these things and it doesn't hurt anything to know whats going on in your flue. If you want to maximize your efficiency monitoring flue temps will help. My stove can really run away in the bypass mode and suck a lot of heat up the flue, monitoring the temps helps me keep more of the heat in the stove for quicker cat light offs. It also helps me tweak my stove for the most efficient setting. I finally broke down and ordered a Teltru probe for my stack, I have been thinking about a thermocouple but I just don't like the looks of all that wire sticking out everywhere.

 

[oldspark]

I've never seen one on a flex liner though.

And hopefully you won't.

Yeah I had one in an elbow on the 30 that I replaced after the first year and it went a tad over a grand at start-up. Six inches above the flue collar that told me nothing about temps a foot above that. I have free standing stoves and know about the difference a foot makes in flue pipe surface temps.

Tell me what knowing that the liner is at 1,000 tells you?

Its all realative I guess, knowing what it is there gives you an idea what it is up the pipe once you are familar with the set up.

 

[begreen]

Where are you going to find room for all of them on the Clydesdale or is this for another stove?

I'm not using all of them right now. The magnetic ones are nice and smooth. Much better quality than the Condar stuff.

Agreed, you have lab instruments there. Hopefully they are a whole lot more accurate too.

 

[3fordasho]

What's the advantage of monitoring actual flue temp as apposed to just stove top?

I picked up these guys from Tel Tru. The one is a probe.

Wow, tel tru looks like they make nice stuff! I'm having trouble finding the stove/flue thermometers on their site. Can you link us to the ones that you bought?

-SF

I like using the tel-tru probe type for my flue readings. http://www.teltru.com/s-43-barbecue.aspx (I use the one for the big green egg, 5" stem and 200-1000F reading) A word of warning though, if you exceed 1000F you can damage the thermometer fairly quickly and it is easy to do if you don't watch it like a hawk on start up or reload. I seldom let my flue temps exceed 600-650F in any situation.

 

[woodmiser]

Here's the link to the magnetic one..
http://www.teltru.com/s-54-dual-magnet-thermometers.aspx