Probe Thermo on Double Wall.. BIG difference!

[ckdeuce]

So I have a Condor Probe Thermo... Have it installed on double wall stove pipe. It was pushed in all the way against the magnet that comes with it (about 1/2" away from the pipe). In order to get my Mansfield up to 500 I would have to run the probe temp up to 1000!! So tonight I thought I would pull the probe out a bit so that the gage is now about 1 and 1/2 inches away from the outer wall of the double wall pipe... Now It reads about 300 less..... There still has to be about 4" of probe inside the inner pipe, so I imagine that this is more of a real reading... I think I was getting false readings because it dial was reading heat off of the double wall pipe.. Thoughts? How do you have yours? Is it up against the pipe, or do you have it pulled out a bit? Thanks - Chris

 

[Todd]

Most here are in agreement that the Condars read a little high and even higher for single wall pipe. There are a couple threads on this and it was tested with thermocouple probes by Wess999. I think even if it's off some you can still use it as a rough guide. I think the instructions say to insert probe half way into pipe and since the probe is 4" it's more set up for 8" pipe than 6". I cut mine down about a half inch and the temps seemed to drop about 50-75 degrees but still read high. I went back to the mag thermometer since I have single wall.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/51880/

 

[pen]

From talking to the people at the company, the thermometers are supposed to be pushed in as far as possible.

As todd said, they generally read high from what we have found.

Mine reads "reasonably" when I have it about 28 inches above the stove.

pen

 

[Troutchaser]

I pulled mine out and then pushed it back in based on a tip here about the manufacturers recommendation.

I pulled the pipe apart yesterday and looking down, it is directly in the center of a double wall (6")pipe pushed all the way in. I didn't think it was looking at it from the outside in. So I'd say push it in. Yes, there is a temp. difference.

 

[Highbeam]

By pulling out on your probe you are not only drawing out the probe and exposing more of it to ambient air temps, you are also moving the bimetallic coil farther away from it's heat source.

Basically, you can make the meter read as low as you want by screwing with it. What have you accomplished? We still don't know what the actual flue temp is without a thermocouple.

I choose to follow the directions and get a temp that is perfect according to condar. Then, consider folks' actual measured temp difference between a properly installed condar and the true temp. That difference is only valid if you've installed your probe meter correctly. Once you know that the condar will read 200 high at 1000 and 100 high at 400 then you can use your condar.