Monitoring discharge air temperature...It's easy!

[ChandlerR]

This has been discussed in other threads but Jay and I thought it should have it's own home. A pellet stove generally has many adjustments. I compare it to a carburetor on an engine. (remember them?) With an engine, you can see the results to your adjustments in power output or, if you have an exhaust analizer, how clean the exhaust is. With a pellet stove, you have the visual check. How the flame looks, how the pellets burn, how much ash, and how hot the air feels coming out of the vents.

I love information, the more the better. I used the tried and true meat thermometer but I longed for something more accurate. It was so slow to react. My solution, thanks to the company I work for, was to get a LED temperature controller that no longer controlled. All I wanted was the temp readout anyways. I put the thermocouple in a discharge tube and now I have a precise handle on how hot the air is coming out into my room. I was absolutely amazed at the diffence in air temp with just the smallest of air adjustments. I found exactly what a change in feed rates did and what fan speed gave me the best heat output.

I thought about what could be used in place of a digital readout. My thoughts were that an automotive temperature gauge would work. Not the electric one but the old mechanical gauge. It would be easy to install in an enclosure by using a hole saw to cut a 2 inch hole. They usually go up to 280 degrees. If anyone is interested, they can be bought cheaply at stores like JC Whitney.


(broken link removed to http://www.jcwhitney.com/Water_Temperature_Gauges?ID=7;1101006168;0;0;100001;Category;0;0;0;0;0;0;0)

Anyone else have any alternative ideas?

Chandler

 

[jtakeman]

CWR,

Show them yours too, Give them something to shoot for. I really think its slick!

Actually wouldn't mind some of the details on how you pulled the wires and attached the probe to the stove. I need some pointers too!

jay

 

[ChandlerR]

Here you go Jay. The second picture shows the cover, which is bolted to the stove. There was enough of a gap that I just slid the thermocouple wire under it. I slid the end of the wire into a discharge tube and I was done. I used the flash so you can just see the wire. You can see the wire in one of the tubes in another picture.

Chandler

 

[jtakeman]

I attached one from the other thread too!

I will be looking in the used parts bin tomorrow. I an sure I will have to buy my own thermocoupler. But that will be much neater than a dang meter sitting on the stove. I think I have room to put it in the side panel next to the control board too.

But this will be a back burner project for me. Got some other projects to get done 1st.

The Auto guage would be neat too. I think there are some guage pods at Summit or Jegs racing. Been a while since I messed with the hotrods. Or just drill a round hole in a side panel and mount it.

All I can think of is the line that Will Smith said in Independace Day! "I got to get me one of these!"

Thanks for sharing Chandler. Very neat Idea.
jay

 

[CanadaClinker]

Hey guys.....now don't give me any 'BEEF' about this.... :lol: ....but anyways this is my $30 'remote' turkey probe installed in the cb1200. Got it from our Canadian Tire Big box store. It reads 214 F (reading on the left of the screen) with the stove running on lignetics hardwood on low. From the comfort of the lazyboy (or up to 100 feet away), I can watch the stove temp.

The probe and sending unit are tucked away in the stove as per the pics below. For $30 it does good enough and gives me a stable reference temp reading. I like keeping an eye on the stove temp from startup to shutdown as well it has a 'count up' timer so you can see how long it takes to get to a certain temp. Both the sending unit and the receiver run on two AAA batteries and i usually get about 60 days before I need to change them. I never shut the thing off.

Have to say though, my turkey has been a little chewy lately since I robbed this permanently from the kitchen...cc :lol: .

......click on pics to enlarge...

 

[imacman]

From the comfort of the lazyboy (or up to 100 feet away), I can watch the stove temp...........I like keeping an eye on the stove temp from startup to shutdown......

Boy CC, things must REALLY be slow there, and the TV programs must all be re-runs to be watching a meat thermometer from the lazy-boy the entire time the stove is burning...... :roll:

You need to get a better hobby....stamp or coin collecting, hunting, fishing, etc.... :lol:

I guess this is why Jay says you've become a "trouble maker" on the forum....LOL

But I STILL say you have the nicest pellet storage chest ever!! :cheese:

 

[CanadaClinker]

From the comfort of the lazyboy (or up to 100 feet away), I can watch the stove temp...........I like keeping an eye on the stove temp from startup to shutdown......

Boy CC, things must REALLY be slow there, and the TV programs must all be re-runs to be watching a meat thermometer from the lazy-boy the entire time the stove is burning...... :roll:

You need to get a better hobby....stamp or coin collecting, hunting, fishing, etc.... :lol:

I guess this is why Jay says you've become a "trouble maker" on the forum....LOL

But I STILL say you have the nicest pellet storage chest ever!! :cheese:

........mac.....yu gotta focus on the turky probe .... this thread is not about the chest.... try to block out that 'chest' ....get ur head outta the chest.......ok..... ha... :lol: :lol:

............I didn't know they were re-runs!?? :long:

 

[krooser]

You can find a cheap automotive infra-red temp gauge for around $30.00 to $40.00 online at Harbor Freight, Jeg's or Summit Racing... other may also have them. Techs use them to measure exhaust temps, water temps, etc. when doing diagnostics.

 

[ChandlerR]

That's a fantastic idea, CC. Hey Jay, this may work just as good...

Chandler

 

[hoverfly]

Link don't work.....

 

[CanadaClinker]

That's a fantastic idea, CC. Hey Jay, this may work just as good...

Chandler

........thanks CWR..... they have the same one 'without' the remote for $5 - 10 less but the aren't as much fun.... I'm always hangin around the kitchen wares and this caught my eye.......

..... see....MAC.... someone wants to talk about the 'turky probe' ..... cc :lol:

........sorry folks if I got too worked up about the chest....too much baileys in the coco......cc :cheese: (jk)

 

[jtakeman]

That's a fantastic idea, CC. Hey Jay, this may work just as good...

Chandler

........thanks CWR..... they have the same one 'without' the remote for $5 - 10 less but the aren't as much fun.... I'm always hangin around the kitchen wares and this caught my eye.......

..... see....MAC.... someone wants to talk about the 'turky probe' ..... cc :lol:

........sorry folks if I got too worked up about the chest....too much baileys in the coco......cc :cheese: (jk)

Hanging out in Kitchen wares, macman always looking at your chest and so far out in the booneys you ain't got no telly. Oh my cc you got some REAL issue's there. But that turkey probe is pretty slick. I know I know get off the forums and go start the LC project for the kid. But I had to check the turkey out. I mean your turkey probe. CWR PM'd me.

Not sure what I want. Both are cool. Hmmmm. Maybe I will be like macman and just get both! :cheese:

Sorry cc and macman. You guys left the door open. CC I'll be looking to the right and won't know what hit me! I think that's X'S 2 now. hehe :lol:

Have fun guys. He who has neatest toy wins! Or toys, Oh you know what I mean.

 

[jtakeman]

I scavanged and scrounged the relics and junk bins at work, We were cleaning for a 5S audit anyway. Boss was in the lets just chuck it mode and I scored some goodies for my project.

See attachment:

I found a J type probe and a Syscon temp controller. Both in working order. The controller is a tad bigger than I want, But you know what they say. "If its free - it for me!"

Now I just need to build a box and mount it to the stove. Snake the probe thru the sheet metal and I should be good to go.

Anyone else got something going?

jay

By the way Thanks again CWR. I wounder if one of these controllers and a PLC would make a new stove Control. Now thats a project!

 

[CanadaClinker]

.....good catch Jay.....

.....for those not as fortunate a Jay was :cheese: , here's a link to mine....

(broken link removed to http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/GadgetsAccessories/Gadgets/PRD~0429135P/Accu-Temp+Wireless+Cooking+Thermometer.jsp)

.....and to one I found on Ebay that should do the trick .........

(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.ca/ET-71C-Maverick-WIRELESS-REMOTE-Cooking-BBQ-Thermometer_W0QQitemZ300306076912QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45eba314f0)

..........have fun! ............... cc :cheese:

 

[jtakeman]

.....good catch Jay.....

..........and to one I found on Ebay that should do the trick .........

(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.ca/ET-71C-Maverick-WIRELESS-REMOTE-Cooking-BBQ-Thermometer_W0QQitemZ300306076912QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45eba314f0)

..........have fun! ............... cc :cheese:

Sure, Just when I gather most of this, Now you post a link to the good stuff. :lol: jk

That Maverick on eBay looks slick, CC. I can sit on my can and watch the stove temps(and the telly-No reruns for me!) with out even going into the basement. I like it.

Thanks for the link, Much appreciated!
jay

 

[imacman]

.....That Maverick on eBay looks slick, CC. I can sit on my can and watch the stove temps(and the telly-No reruns for me!) with out even going into the basement. I like it. .......

Yep, the remote for the people with stoves in the basement is the way to go.

CC, just don't get confused with which remote your looking at.....don't try changing the channel with the maverick one.....LOL

 

[CanadaClinker]

.....That Maverick on eBay looks slick, CC. I can sit on my can and watch the stove temps(and the telly-No reruns for me!) with out even going into the basement. I like it. .......

Yep, the remote for the people with stoves in the basement is the way to go.

CC, just don't get confused with which remote your looking at.....don't try changing the channel with the maverick one.....LOL

..... hey mac... been caught up in that one already....... picked up the wrong remote the other night and all i could get is 'Beef', 'Turkey' or 'Pork' over and over again ......... finally I got frustrated and hungry both at the same time and went to the kitchen to build a sandwich. ...... never did get to see my 're-runs' of the 'Forest Rangers' ....... cc :lol: :lol:

 

[imacman]

....... picked up the wrong remote the other night and all i could get is 'Beef', 'Turkey' or 'Pork' over and over again ......... finally I got frustrated and hungry both at the same time.........

:lol: :lol:

 

[investor7952]

This has been discussed in other threads but Jay and I thought it should have it's own home. A pellet stove generally has many adjustments. I compare it to a carburetor on an engine. (remember them?) With an engine, you can see the results to your adjustments in power output or, if you have an exhaust analizer, how clean the exhaust is. With a pellet stove, you have the visual check. How the flame looks, how the pellets burn, how much ash, and how hot the air feels coming out of the vents.

I love information, the more the better. I used the tried and true meat thermometer but I longed for something more accurate. It was so slow to react. My solution, thanks to the company I work for, was to get a LED temperature controller that no longer controlled. All I wanted was the temp readout anyways. I put the thermocouple in a discharge tube and now I have a precise handle on how hot the air is coming out into my room. I was absolutely amazed at the diffence in air temp with just the smallest of air adjustments. I found exactly what a change in feed rates did and what fan speed gave me the best heat output.

I thought about what could be used in place of a digital readout. My thoughts were that an automotive temperature gauge would work. Not the electric one but the old mechanical gauge. It would be easy to install in an enclosure by using a hole saw to cut a 2 inch hole. They usually go up to 280 degrees. If anyone is interested, they can be bought cheaply at stores like JC Whitney.


(broken link removed to http://www.jcwhitney.com/Water_Temperature_Gauges?ID=7;1101006168;0;0;100001;Category;0;0;0;0;0;0;0)

Anyone else have any alternative ideas?

Chandler

what kind of temps are you getting and with what brand pellet?

 

[jtakeman]

what kind of temps are you getting and with what brand pellet?

Check here:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/42511/

My stove was on medium heat for all the pellets. There is a chart at the botom of the first post. There is like 14 or so brands of pellets I tried. My stoves feed rates are 1=1.7 lbs/hr. 2= 3.1875 lbs./hr. 3= 3.81 lbs./hr. 4=5.44 lbs./hr. 5=7.61 lbs./hr. #3 was used for the testing.

Hope This was what you were looking for?
jay

 

[ChandlerR]

investor7952, I'm still burning on low. That said, I've burned Lignetics (145 degrees), Okies (143 degrees) and Bayou (125 degrees) Big difference with the less premium pellets.

I have my stove running on a thermostat. When it's satisfied, it goes to low. When calling for heat, it goes to 4. When the weather gets cold, I'll have numbers for the higher setting. I think I'll see temps around 200 to 240 degrees.

I think the remote display for those of you with stoves in the basement is brilliant!

Chandler

 

[CanadaClinker]

......oh.... almost forgot......... when I got my 'remote' turkey thermometer (at the links above), i had to make one modification to it........ I had to cut a wire inside the back cover that feeds the beeper (which is attached to the inside of the back cover). When the temp of the stove comes to within 10 degees from the 'set point' (turkey 180, Beef 170, etc), the thermometer beeps to let you know that your turkey is 'almost' cooked. ......well.....It can almost drive you buggy :grrr: ...... anyway it was easy cause there are only 2 wires feeding the beeper and cutting one (and wrapping it in tape) did the job. ..... just thought i would mention it before anyone became overly stressed with all the beeping and hit it with a hammer ...... cc :lol:

 

[Fish On]

Just got done testing my Dragons in my castile on med about 245 250, not to bad for me!

 

[smitty273]

just found this ebay store with digital thermometers. Also remote models.

http://shop.ebay.com/onecountryshop/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

 

[ChandlerR]

For those of you looking for how we monitor temperature, this thread has pictures of my temp display. There are a few others too..

Chan