Probe question

[WellSeasoned]

I ran my stove last year for a couple months with only a stove top thermometer, and was fine and dandy with just that. Not knowing the stovepipe temp eventually took over and I bought a stovepipe probe. I run double wall, and carefully drilled the hole as straight as possible. WHEN THE STOVE IS UP TO TEMP, THE OUTER PIPE IS OBVIOUSLY COOLER THAN THE INNER PIPE, CAUSING THE PROBE TO TILT UNDER PRESSURE DUE TO THE NOW UNEVEN PIPE EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING. I personally feel the probe is unnessesary, but what do you guys think? Also, if I remove it, does the hole need to be cemented at all? I obviously don't need cooler air being pulled into the pipe. Thx, Be well

 

[Stump_Branch]

I would think a bit of movement doesn't hurt a thing. If it doesn't fall out why bother with it? I put one in the back of mine to satisfy my inner nerd. If you want to plug it up though a bolt should work. Just need to make x sure the inner pipe its sealed.

 

[firefighterjake]

Never had any tilt with mine . . . it does move some though . . . not perfectly straight . . . I can live with that.

As SB suggested . . . if you really want to pull it just put a small screw or bolt into the hole.

 

[velvetfoot]

My oil guy put a push in (springy) metal button in a hole in the boiler's flue - easily removeable for testing combustion, and better than the piece of foil tape I had there.

I mounted the exhaust gas temperature probe on my old VW with a stainless steel hose clamp, but that's not appropriate here.

 

[Todd]

I watch my flue temps more than anything else. I think it gives you a quicker read on what's going on than stove top temps. I'd leave it as is.

 

[Highbeam]

Totally leave it in place. Probe meters are actually more important in a non-cat since it is so easy to overfire a flue with a cool stove. With my heritage I would see temps from 0 to 1250 and at 1250 you bet that the probe meter face would was tilted way back. It got to where if I could see the side of the meter I could tell if the temp was really high or just normal.

Drill the hole for the probe so that it is perfectly horizontal when cold so that it looks right for the majority of the year. I just redrilled my pipe to reinstall the probe above my new stove. I had to go through 4 layers of flue pipe since I was in the overlap area. Still worth it, I love flue temps.

 

[corey21]

Leave it as is imagine driving your car with no in dash gauges.To me that's what it would be like with no flue probe.