Got IR here is what I learned

[prezes13]

Just got my IR. I was burning for almost two years in a lopi cape cod without measuring any temperatures and I was quite happy. This year I discover hearth.com and learned a lot from it THANK YOU ALL. So today I started my fire and of course started playing with the IR. Here is what I found out at the temperature by feel where I usually would start shutting down the spot right above the door (not the door frame) was reading 350 I took a reading of a air tube that was only 680 the door frame it's self is 480. So all that time I was running it way too cold but still getting my house nice and warm.

 

[NVHunter]

How do you like your Cape Cod? Looks like you have the insert correct. I'm looking at installing a free standing one this coming summer.

Good luck with the IR gun and have fun

 

[BrotherBart]

If the house was warm and you weren't crapping up the chimney you were burning just fine. I have tested and tested and the stove top temps on inserts is usually a hundred to a hundred and fifty degrees higher than the front of the things.

The glass air wash comes right behind where you were measuring over the door. Keeping it cooler. At the moment the top of my stove is at 565 and over the door the front is 371.

 

[prezes13]

Yes it's an insert, I like it a lot I would like to see its full potential. According to Travis ind this stove's normal operating temp should be 600 and I am still 200 shy and it wants to blow me out of the house. I can't imagine what a free standing would do.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

And you can use that IR gun to more advantage still. How about checking to see where you may be losing heat from the house? That thing can tell a story. Then to have some fun, next July, check the sidewalk or your paved driveway. That will wake you up! Could check out the ladies too...

 

[prezes13]

Brother Bart thank you for your input, let me make sure I understand it correctly. That spot on a stove body between frame of the door and the grill shouldn't be more than 350-400? It would be that black part on the pic.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just saying what I have observed on both inserts and free standers. Both where I had measurement access to the top plate and the front of the stove. And if the blower is running it is another whole different deal.

Where does Lopi say to burn the stove at that temp and where do they say to measure it. Not in the insert manual I don't believe.

 

[prezes13]

I emailed them and answer was
Hello,

The operating procedures and statements referenced in the manual are correct. If you are going to use a temperature gauge of some kind we recommend one that can be magnetically attached to the unit and placed on the top near the rear corner of the top. Temperatures can be as high as 800-900 degrees but normal operating temperatures will run around 600 degrees. I hope this is helpful. Please contact your local dealer for additional information.

 

[prezes13]

My measurement was with the blower on

 

[BrotherBart]

They were talking about the Cape Cod free standing stove. Good luck putting a thermometer on "the top rear corner" of that insert firebox. Even without the surround you would only have access to the top of the shroud, not the firebox like you would with the free stander.

You are burning that stove just fine.

 

[lopiliberty]

I emailed them and answer was
Hello,

The operating procedures and statements referenced in the manual are correct. If you are going to use a temperature gauge of some kind we recommend one that can be magnetically attached to the unit and placed on the top near the rear corner of the top. Temperatures can be as high as 800-900 degrees but normal operating temperatures will run around 600 degrees. I hope this is helpful. Please contact your local dealer for additional information.

Wait a minute!! The cap code is a cast iron stove and can see temps of 800 to 900 but if my liberty which is steel sees 800 degrees it considered overfiring and will void warranty. That doesn't make no sense at all

 

[billb3]

Just got my IR. I was burning for almost two years in a lopi cape cod without measuring any temperatures and I was quite happy. This year I discover hearth.com and learned a lot from it THANK YOU ALL. So today I started my fire and of course started playing with the IR. Here is what I found out at the temperature by feel where I usually would start shutting down the spot right above the door (not the door frame) was reading 350 I took a reading of a air tube that was only 680 the door frame it's self is 480. So all that time I was running it way too cold but still getting my house nice and warm.

or you are measuring less than optimal spots to gauge what you're doing and the problem isn't your burning but your measuring
you've had the stove longer than the gun

you're really going to throw several years of judgement, instinct, experience and observation away because a couple of digits on a tool you may or may not be using optimally ?

I think you're jumping to conclusions that may or may not be right too soon.

 

[Christopix]

Wait a minute!! The cap code is a cast iron stove and can see temps of 800 to 900 but if my liberty which is steel sees 800 degrees it considered overfiring and will void warranty. That doesn't make no sense at all

Yeah, what he said!

 

[Christopix]

I emailed them and answer was
Hello,

The operating procedures and statements referenced in the manual are correct. If you are going to use a temperature gauge of some kind we recommend one that can be magnetically attached to the unit and placed on the top near the rear corner of the top. Temperatures can be as high as 800-900 degrees but normal operating temperatures will run around 600 degrees. I hope this is helpful. Please contact your local dealer for additional information.

I truly dislike when customer service simply "deals with you" vs actually reading and understanding your issue and then provide useful help. From reading that email reply, it seems clear that you received a caned response. Hopefully I'm wrong. I typically like to give people the benefit of the doubt but here that is a struggle for me...

 

[ArsenalDon]

And you can use that IR gun to more advantage still.

Makes a great cat toy too

 

[Christopix]

Makes a great cat toy too

So true! First time the cat saw it he went crazy! Seeing him eye it when I'm measuring the stove - all I see are vet bills!

 

[prezes13]

I believe cape cod is a steel stove with a cast surround. The answer from Travis ind. customer service wasn't the best. Just like BrotherBart said they gave me an answer that would be good for a free standing unit not for an insert. As far as my experience there is really not too much of it. I just noticed yesterday that if I waited longer before I started shutting down my air stove threw much more heat and I got a way longer burn. So correct me if I am wrong but should I wait for about 350-400 degrees on the spot between door frame and the grill before I am going to start shutting down? Or that's too hot?