Stove top Thermometer life span

[Benchwrench]

I rely on it heavily, but don't know if all those heat cycles will have much effect on its life span, this one is in its 6th year of service.
I know the magnet has faded from this Rutland stove top thermometer but what about the spring?
How long do these things stay accurate?

 

[Sprinter]

If in doubt, get an IR gun. They are very accurate and you can double check your stove top unit that way. They''re great to have around anyway. Pretty cheap, too.

BTW, if you do have to replace the Rutland, I'd suggest the Condar unit. It seems to have a better reputation around here.

Another BTW, I'd suggest you get an appropriate flue thermometer as well, depending on whether you have a single or double wall stove pipe.

 

[Highbeam]

My stove's intake air is controlled by a bimettalic spring. It is not a wear item and should never need replacement. The stove top meters use the same technology so I don't expect them to need replacement.

 

[begreen]

Thermostatic air controls are exposed to relatively low room ambient heat. A stovetop thermometer spring is exposed to much higher heat. The good ones will last but if exposed to overfire temps they may start to lose accuracy. This is more common in probe thermometers according to Condar.

 

[Highbeam]

Thermostatic air controls are exposed to relatively low room ambient heat. A stovetop thermometer spring is exposed to much higher heat. The good ones will last but if exposed to overfire temps they may start to lose accuracy. This is more common in probe thermometers according to Condar.

Not the thermostatic air control on my stove. It is bolted right against the firebox within a few inches of the flue collar. Not exposed to or driven by room ambient heat.

If you overfire any thermometer built with a coil you risk damage. We're not talking about abuse here but about normal use.

 

[Sprinter]

To answer the OP, yours was a good question, and it's probably okay, but I stand by my recommendation to buy an IR if you are at all concerned. It's a cheap assurance. And fun. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008Q00BI2/?tag=hearthamazon-20

What I did was to use the IR to find the hottest part of the stove top, but away from the collar, and place the Condar there.

Really, absolute accuracy is not that much of an issue, truth be told. But for some of us, it's just nice to know, and sometimes stuff just happens to the simplest of devices. I happen to like redundancy when it's practical. I have the Condar stove top, a Condar probe for the double pipe, and an electronic controller I wired as a thermometer/alarm that is nuts on. Necessary, no, but I'm kind of nutsy that way.

 

[Benchwrench]

If in doubt, get an IR gun. They are very accurate and you can double check your stove top unit that way. They''re great to have around anyway. Pretty cheap, too.

BTW, if you do have to replace the Rutland, I'd suggest the Condar unit. It seems to have a better reputation around here.

Another BTW, I'd suggest you get an appropriate flue thermometer as well, depending on whether you have a single or double wall stove pipe.

My mistake, It's a Condor Medallion on an insert that I call a "stove".
I also use an IR from the Recliner, life is good, thanks for the replies, guys.

I am seeing a discrepancy of about 75-100 degrees between the two devices, the medallion is top center, whereas the IR gets pointed at the face of the door

 

[Highbeam]

My mistake, It's a Condor Medallion on an insert that I call a "stove".
I also use an IR from the Recliner, life is good, thanks for the replies, guys.

I am seeing a discrepancy of about 75-100 degrees between the two devices, the medallion is top center, whereas the IR gets pointed at the face of the door

The IR requires a flat black surface 6" away to be "accurate". That and the temperature will vary wildly across the hot stove, easily 100 degree difference between the hotter parts and the cooler parts.

 

[Sprinter]

The IR requires a flat black surface 6" away to be "accurate". That and the temperature will vary wildly across the hot stove, easily 100 degree difference between the hotter parts and the cooler parts.

That's right. The sensing area spreads out pretty quickly, so if you want to measure a smallish spot, it has to be close. Don't let the red beam fool you.

 

[begreen]

Reading off the stove glass is not very meaningful wrt stove temp.

 

[Sprinter]

Reading off the stove glass is not very meaningful wrt stove temp.

not trying to beat it to death, but IR readings from the glass is telling you nothing useful.

I didn't realize yours was an insert. Inserts are notoriously difficult to find a meaningful place to measure. You may want to start a new thread regarding measuring inserts.

As I understand the Medallion model, it can be used on either a stove top or the surface of a single wall pipe, so that should not be a problem, but finding a meaningful place to attach it can be.