Stove Top Temperature Measurement Location?

[IanH]

I'm wondering where people measure stove top temperatures? I've been lurking for a while and routinely see people give a single STT number (which I understand if you just have an analog thermometer) but with an IR Thermometer Gun I can see that temperatures vary widely over the top of the stove. I've attached a picture that includes a bunch of temperature measurements I took while the stove was cruising mid way through a burn cycle. So where should measure STT on my Kuma Tamarack (if I were looking for a single STT number)

I'm mostly concerned about avoiding over-firing. I routinely see a small area (1"x1" or smaller) in the middle-rear of the lower deck (marked 580 in the picture) get to 750 F during the early part of a burn cycle. An inch away it'll be 50-100 degrees cooler. Occasionally if I don't turn the air down quickly enough and its cold outside it'll hit 800 F in that small area. Am I over-firing the stove? Kuma's manual defines over-firing as when the stove gloves red, which it never has.

I also have a Condar flue probe thermometer 18" above the stove collar (just out of the photo) which is what I mostly use to monitor the stove during normal operations.

 

[Highbeam]

Stove top temperature isn’t very meaningful on a cat stove because as you have found with your measurements and as I can see from the faded paint, there is a hot spot over that 1500 degree cat. The cat can be that hot even when the stove output is low.

Like you, I would drive the cat stove with the flue meter.

On my noncat stove, I measure STT as the hottest spot on the stove top.

 

[White ash]

I'm wondering where people measure stove top temperatures? I've been lurking for a while and routinely see people give a single STT number (which I understand if you just have an analog thermometer) but with an IR Thermometer Gun I can see that temperatures vary widely over the top of the stove. I've attached a picture that includes a bunch of temperature measurements I took while the stove was cruising mid way through a burn cycle. So where should measure STT on my Kuma Tamarack (if I were looking for a single STT number)

I'm mostly concerned about avoiding over-firing. I routinely see a small area (1"x1" or smaller) in the middle-rear of the lower deck (marked 580 in the picture) get to 750 F during the early part of a burn cycle. An inch away it'll be 50-100 degrees cooler. Occasionally if I don't turn the air down quickly enough and its cold outside it'll hit 800 F in that small area. Am I over-firing the stove? Kuma's manual defines over-firing as when the stove gloves red, which it never has.

I also have a Condar flue probe thermometer 18" above the stove collar (just out of the photo) which is what I mostly use to monitor the stove during normal operations.

View attachment 287873

I have a kuma cascade le insert, very similar to your stove Ian. Over top of my cat will measure up to 800 with air damped all the way down. Top of stove will glow above the cat if the room is pitch dark. I believe the hot spot above the cat is unavoidable unless burning baby fires.

 

[IanH]

I have a kuma cascade le insert, very similar to your stove Ian. Over top of my cat will measure up to 800 with air damped all the way down. Top of stove will glow above the cat if the room is pitch dark. I believe the hot spot above the cat is unavoidable unless burning baby fires.

Thanks for the responses. My stove is actually the non-cat pre-2020 version of the Tamarack.

I’m glad to hear people aren’t too concerned about a small hot spot.

 

[Highbeam]

Top of stove isn’t supposed to glow!

 

[Buck Miller]

Top of stove isn’t supposed to glow!

I Like to Measure the middle of the viewing window on the door with My I R Gun its usually very accurate as my blower keeps the stove top temp a little lower than the actual fire temp in stove. when its Cruising at say 700 deg on the Glass, its 575 or 600 on top. But My top Is 5/16 in thick steel (Drolet)

 

[begreen]

Judging by the paint fade, the area around the 550-580º area has been consistently the hottest location. That looks like a good area for the thermometer, but I would also try measuring on the sloped face, right above where the 580º temp was read.

Make sure the insulation blanket is laying flat above the baffle bricks.

 

[xman23]

The Oslo, non cat the manual says the back left or right corner. But were ever you measure the temp they will be a percentage above or below a point you use. Typically the center middle would be the hottest. I mostlly use a magnetic on the single wall stove pipe about 1' above the stove. Easy to see from across the room.

 

[buc74]

Our Kuma Alpine cat stove we have dial thermometer at the upper right hand corner and one on top near the flue. The stove top one runs a little cooler. We can get as high as 700f in the corner and 600 on top. In the middle front by the cat as high as 800f plus using the IR gun. Ours also you can see red in the dark above the cat. But not the stove top, just the plate below.

 

[stoveliker]

I mostlly use a magnetic on the single wall stove pipe about 1' above the stove. Easy to see from across the room.

Then don't go by the "too low", "safe", and "too hot" ranges on the pipe thermometer, as they'll different than for a proper stove top thermometer.