Rutland Stove top thermometer

[Caruso293]

Hello all. After several people from a prior post advising me to get a stove thermometer, I did. I purchased a Rutland thermometer below is the one I purchased from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Rutland-701-S...458&sr=8-1&keywords=rutland+stove+thermometer

I have a Lopi Freedom Bay insert and as most of you know the cook top surface is not all that large, however this is where I mounted the thermometer. I have been getting some very high readings, like 500 degrees with only a coal bed or a very minimal flame. It has read 400 degrees and when I went to reload it took longer than I would have thought to restart. Just curious if others out there have used this device and what your thoughts were on it. I am new to the stove world (2 weeks) and love this site and the feedback I have received. Thanks again in advance everyone. Marc

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I have an older Rutland and it read the same as the other one I used to use.

I don't rely on them though. I use them as a rough estimate of temperature. Your nose will tell you when you're running too hot.

Matt

 

[David Tackett]

I bought that same one at TSC and had to take it back it would not read over 200 degrees. Also I noticed on the pkg it stated it could be off 10% of the scale. Well it goes to 900 degrees, so that means it could be off 90 degrees. I think I will just break down and buy infrared.

 

[Todd 2]

I myself, and alot of others have had the best results with the condar brand thermometers, a cheaper IR gun is a great tool for testing them and peace of mind stove temps. Todd 2

 

[Caruso293]

Thanks for the quick reply. I was thinking infrared as well, however I just needed a guideline to see when i should cut back the air supply to maximize burn times and get the most out of my wood. I was told around 500 degrees was a good temp to maintain. So far that has been my goal.

 

[corey21]

I use a probe made by Condar in my flue then one Rutland thermometer on the stove.

But use common since cause i found out they can miss lead you.

 

[theonlyzarathu]

I use one. But I don't really give a dam what the temperature of the stop top is. What I care about is the temperature of the pipe stack. I need just enough temps at the pipe to make sure that the gases moving up through the center of my house are hot enough to get out. Hotter than about 500 degrees and I am wasting heat up the stove pipe.

I adjust the stove's fan speed to maximize the temps and the heat into the room. Of course at night, I can't full around with it and I let the stove's EBT technology run it at a good secondary burn, keeping the temps for the primary ignition before I go to bed just high enough to keep the gasses coming out of the fire to have enough for a secondary burn.

 

[nate379]

I've had one on my stove for a couple years. For it to read close to correct at 500-600 area it reads 150* at room temp.

 

[ScotO]

I use mine as a guideline only. They are by no means "super accurate". I also have an expensive Fluke IR meter that is very accurate, I've.only used it a handful of times though. Like Limestone said, your nose will tell you if things are.getting too hot, you'll start to smell the stove when it gets too hot. I rarely ever run my stoves over 1/3 open once they get up to temp (500°). Don't let your draft wide open for long periods of time, and burn only well-seasoned wood, and you'll most likely never have an over-fire situation.

 

[Caruso293]

Thanks a lot folks. It seems 500 degrees is a good temp to cut back on air. When starting a fire, at what temp to start closing the flu and air supply? And in which order. I think I'm closing the flu too early like 400 but my fire seems to die quickly and it's a pain getting it up to that 5-600 mark.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

500 does not seem that hot for a stove! And as for getting the stove up to temperature, sometimes leaving the draft full open is counter-productive. Close the draft some, perhaps 1/2 way.

On our stove (yes, it is a cat stove so a bit different) we engage the catalyst at 250 stove top when starting a new fire. Long before this we set the draft to about half way because it brings the stove top temperature up faster by cutting the air. The reason is that hot air is not all forced up the chimney. Then after we engage the cat we are less than 25% open on the draft. For us, 500 is just getting started! In winter we regularly aim for 650 stove top. Others will aim for higher temperature but each stove manufacturer will have recommendations for the maximum.

 

[lopiliberty]

Thanks a lot folks. It seems 500 degrees is a good temp to cut back on air. When starting a fire, at what temp to start closing the flu and air supply? And in which order. I think I'm closing the flu too early like 400 but my fire seems to die quickly and it's a pain getting it up to that 5-600 mark.

After starting a fire in the liberty, I usually take my flue temp between 250 and 300 depending on what the fire looks like before closing the bypass. I also let it get to that temp after reload before closing the bypass. On reloads I usually start cutting the air back at 450 alittle at a time over the next 10 to 15 minutes and watch the fire between adjustments

 

[TradEddie]

I'm still in the first year of leaning my Lopi, but I close the bypass damper as soon as I have good draft, so within a few minutes of starting from cold, or almost immediately on reloads. I don't ever partially close the bypass, its either fully open or fully closed (it's not a flue damper, it doesn't restrict airflow up the chimney).
I use a condair thermometer beside the bypass handle. I close the air control about half way as soon as the needle passes 400, and almost fully closed at 450-500. It's not very cold, yet so I'm running as low as possible, otherwise I'll have a sauna inside. Anything over 400 gives me no visible smoke, so I try keep it below 500 unless I need more heat.

TE

 

[DaveGunter]

Hello all. After several people from a prior post advising me to get a stove thermometer, I did. I purchased a Rutland thermometer below is the one I purchased from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Rutland-701-Stove-Thermometer-Each/dp/B000627RGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353811458&sr=8-1&keywords=rutland stove thermometer

I have a Lopi Freedom Bay insert and as most of you know the cook top surface is not all that large, however this is where I mounted the thermometer. I have been getting some very high readings, like 500 degrees with only a coal bed or a very minimal flame. It has read 400 degrees and when I went to reload it took longer than I would have thought to restart. Just curious if others out there have used this device and what your thoughts were on it. I am new to the stove world (2 weeks) and love this site and the feedback I have received. Thanks again in advance everyone. Marc

I've got the same one and it is way off ~200 low according to my IR laser thermometer. The IR is also useful in the kitchen, my kids made a couple batches of peanut brittle to give as Christmas gifts using the IR thermometer because the candy thermometer was broken. The candy came out perfect, which tells me the IR thermometer must be pretty close.

 

[charly]

I use these gauges for my stove top temps on both my stoves,,, from PTC Instruments. Has dual magnets on the back. I believe they are used to indicate pre-welding temps on heavy steel, as you can pay a little more for the same gauge with a certification.

 

[charly]

Here's the web page, 36 dollars and change, not bad. I have the 314F model

(broken link removed to http://www.ptc1.com/thermometers_surface_dm.htm)