Thermometer

[Adam_MA]

I just ordered a bunch of stuff for my stove, and along with the order I added on one of the stovepipe thermometers. I was just figuring to stick the thing onto the stovepipe and be done with it, but after a bunch of reading here, it seems that most folks talk about the temp of their stove top. Just wondering where I will get the most useful data from this thing, and what I should bee looking for as far as temps to make sure everything is running as it should.

Thanks
Adam

 

[learnin to burn]

Different stove manufactures give different locations for a thermometer if used at all. Some don't even tell you to use one. Check your owners manual to see if one is suggested for your unit. For my stove all the directions said was to keep a bright flame at all times however the dealer said put a thermometer in the center of the top of the stove and not to let it go over 600, manufacturer on the other hand said 700.

Fill out your signature and let everyone know what stove you have and someone will be able to give you some good direction.

 

[Slow1]

Probably a personality thing... I ended up using two, one on the stovetop (where my mfg recommended) and another on the single wall pipe about 16" up from stove exit. I found it very interesting to see the temp differences and trends between both as the burn went through the various stages. Some folks say that you can figure out the temp of one based on the other - my experience says otherwise.

So - the answer really is it all depends on what you are going to do with the information / why you are using the thermometer. Likely your stove mfg has a recommendation, if so then you should use that as your guide.

 

[Adam_MA]

I updated my signature to reflect my stove. I am running the Vogelzang Defender stove. I just looked through the manual and didn't see anything about even using one, but from the things I have read online, it is a useful tool to make sure I am running the stove hot enough or cool enough to prevent problems. I basically want to make sure I am running the stove so it's the most efficient it can be.

Here's a link to the manual of the stove, maybe I am just missing something.. http://vogelzang.com/Manuals/tr001defenderMnl.htm

 

[Pagey]

Keep in mind that the ranges specified on most (if not all) magnetic thermometers are geared for flue gas temps, not the actual stove top temp itself. So the "overfire" range for the stove top itself vs. the "overfire" range for the flue gases shouldn't be confused. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Jags]

Adam - What Pagey said is very true and can confuse beginners. Please heed his post. That said...Single wall or double wall pipe coming from the stove??

Personally - I have a probe therm for the flue temp (double wall pipe) and a surface mount on the top of the stove. I find both readings informational and for different reasons. Stove top for actual heat output (usable heat into the heated area) as well as staying within the safe limits of the stove (overfire = bad). Flue temp for maintaining proper stack temp to keep the dreaded creosote monster away.

I did not review your stove manual, and as said above every MFG has its own "ideal temp". As a SWAG, I would venture a guess to stay below 650F on your stove top. Pipe temp is gonna vary depending on probe or surface mount.

 

[Adam_MA]

single wall stove pipe if that helps. I am thinking I would rather know more precisely weather or not I am in danger of the "dreaded Creosote Monster" coming to visit, but of course knowing how close to the limits of the stove I am firing it would give me a piece of mind. Maybe an email or call to the manufacture is in order. The folks over there at Vogelzang are very helpful and answer their phones.

 

[Jags]

With single wall stove pipe and a surface mount thermo on the pipe ~30 inches up from the stove, you should be looking to stay above 200F and below 450F (Jags rule of thumb). That translates into about 400F - 900F internal flue temp. Mind you, this is during the first stages of the fire. As the fire goes into the coaling stage, the flue temp is not so critical because most of the bad stuff has already been burned up.

If you do in fact call the MFG and can nail down an "over fire temp" for your stove please report it back here. That is info that is difficult to come by in many cases.

 

[Slow1]

The other thing to consider is that these thermometers are not really very expensive so having two isn't really that crazy. Besides - there may well come a time when you will question the accuracy of your thermometer, then having a second one on hand to verify what you are getting may be helpful - may as well store it somewhere where it is gives you some interesting information at the same time

A call/email to mfg to find out their recommended temp range (and where exactly the suggest you measure it on the stove) is a good idea. I finally found the recommended ranges documented for my VC on the packaging for a genuine VC stove thermometer - not the stove! Go figure. Stove only had the "if any part of the stove is glowing" overfire statement in the manual.

 

[Jags]

- there may well come a time when you will question the accuracy of your thermometer,

Never a truer statement made.

 

[firefighterjake]

Good advice here Adam MA . . . being the anal retentive type like Jags. (just kidding Jags) . . . I too have two thermometers.

As Jags said, having a stove top thermometer gives you an idea of the temps being produced by the stove and more importantly lets you know when you're getting close to the over-fire temps . . . very important in my opinion to keep your stove working well for a long time . . . and of course the whole safety factor.

The flue thermometer on the otherhand is useful for letting you know if your temps are good for minimizing creosote production -- i.e. that you're not running too cool . . . or on the otherhand that you're not running so hot that you risk starting the creosote in the chimney on fire.

Honestly, I find having both thermometers to be very useful. Together they give me a better picture of what is happening in my heating system (both the stove and chimney), where the fire is and where it may be going in terms of the burning cycle and it helps me maintain my stove and keep it and my family safe. For the small price of buying a second thermometer the peace of mind in my opinion is immeasurable.

As others have mentioned . . . different manufacturers recommend different placement locations on the stove top . . . and different manufacturers have different opinions on what temp constitutes an overfiring temp.

As Pagey mentioned, most thermometers "Overfiring" reading is for the flue gas . . . not surface temps of the stovetop.

As an example of how I use my thermometers.

When I am first building a fire from scratch I keep a watch on the flue thermometer . . . watching the temp until it climbs to 300-400 or so before I close the side door (which I have left open to get the fire going) . . . once the flue thermometer reaches 500 or so I begin to close down the air control lever on my Oslo until I reach a point where the flue temp is steady at 500-600 degrees and the stove top temp is below my overfiring limit. As the fire progresses I keep a close eye on both temps.

 

[fossil]

Both of my stoves have single wall stovepipe. I have mag thermos stuck on them just above the flue collars, and have learned to use them there. I like to see the thermos at the collars running ~450°F during the main part of the burn cycle. On my shop stove for a time, I had another thermo up the pipe about 4' higher than the one at the collar, and it was very interesting to me to observe the temperature drop in that 4' of stovepipe...on the order of 150°F. I might change over to double wall and install probes one of these days. Rick

 

[Adam_MA]

Great info. I actually just got off the phone with the customer support. Another great person I've talked to over there. Also, they literally just updated their web site today, and they have some new stoves in their line-up and they now carry an insert.

Anyway, I was told that a magnetic thermometer should be located about 6" above the flue collar, and I should look for about 400* as a standard temp. Also they consider 600* on the stove top to be at the edge of over firing the firebox.

Thanks again for all the info

Adam

 

[Jags]

Those seem reasonable, although for a plate steel stove 600F would not scare me (but that don't mean I'm right %-P )

 

[mikepinto65]

Great info. I actually just got off the phone with the customer support. Another great person I've talked to over there. Also, they literally just updated their web site today, and they have some new stoves in their line-up and they now carry an insert.

Anyway, I was told that a magnetic thermometer should be located about 6" above the flue collar, and I should look for about 400* as a standard temp. Also they consider 600* on the stove top to be at the edge of over firing the firebox.

Thanks again for all the info

Adam

The new Vogelzang EPA lineup actually dosnt look all too bad. Im interested to hear how they do, and if more people will warm up to them and start respecting them a little more. I think the BTU outputs are inflated a bit however compared to the firebox sizes imo.

 

[Adam_MA]

I am pretty fond of my stove. It works great, looks good, the fit and finish are very nice, but most of all, it makes my entire house nice and toasty warm. I'll have to get some pictures up here soon of my install.