That was scary. Possible chimney fire?

[Moranaj]

I was getting a fire going today and i lost track of time while i was doing something upstairs and had the air all the way open. I come downstairs to that smell when you first break in the stove. Stove tops at 500 but the double wall pipe was at 500 too. Normally when im burning with a 500 stovetop that pipe is at like 175 outside temp. Heard some crackling in the stove pipe right above the stove and im pretty certain it was creosote burning. Didnt really sound like the metal expanding and contracting

 

[Moranaj]

I should add that its windy as hell today so im pretty sure my draft was way too good and helped facilitate the raging fire

 

[Diabel]

You now have a clean pipe section then.

A magnetic thermometer on a double stove pipe is useless. Is you need to know the pipe temp. you need a probe thermometer.

 

[Moranaj]

You now have a clean pipe section then.

A magnetic thermometer on a double stove pipe is useless. Is you need to know the pipe temp. you need a probe thermometer.

I was just using an infrared thermometer. Ive been using the stove top temp, clean glass, and the secondary burn as a metric to how well im burning. I just know the outside of a double wall shouldnt be 500 and smell like burnt paint in the house. Is it actually helpful to know the flue temp as well or am i just going crazy trying to monitor this thing at that point. Today was all my fault i got distracted

 

[Rickb]

I have had that happen you just got the stove a little warm.

 

[Diabel]

In my opinion, correct flue temp is very important. The probe is cheap and it takes 5min to install. I pay attention to it asl the time.

 

[Highbeam]

I’d rather have a flue temp gauge then a stove temp gauge.

 

[firefighterjake]

I was just using an infrared thermometer. Ive been using the stove top temp, clean glass, and the secondary burn as a metric to how well im burning. I just know the outside of a double wall shouldnt be 500 and smell like burnt paint in the house. Is it actually helpful to know the flue temp as well or am i just going crazy trying to monitor this thing at that point. Today was all my fault i got distracted

Knowing my flue temp is perhaps one of the most useful ways for me to gauge how I am burning, when to dial back the air, etc. I rely on my Condar probe thermometer far more than I do on the stove top thermometer.