With Both Thermometers In Place

[soupy1957]

With both the Rutland and the Condar magnetic surface mount thermometers in place on my stove, I lit a fire this morning..............

So far I see 70º difference in their readings, and the Laser is even lower, pointing the dot in the middle between them........

Like, right now (for example):

Rutland is reading 530ºF (approx.)
Condar is reading 460ºF (approx.)
________________
495º F (Delta)

Laser (by the way) is reading 450º (in between the two thermometers, from a distance of 3 inches from the stove). This is interesting, because it tends to agree more with the Condar, regardless of the "Delta."


-Soupy1957

 

[Corey]

If you stick with only one thermometer, you'll always know exactly what the temperature is.

 

[Todd]

Throw that Rutland away, they always read high.

 

[oldspark]

Throw that Rutland away, they always read high.

My Rutland reads lower that my condar somethimes as much as 150 °F but it seems the the Rutland is the one most people do not trust.

 

[North of 60]

The real question here is Do You Have Secondaries Going Now to REFERENCE That Back To YOUR STOVE TEMPS? As this is what its all about. Are Ya Buruning CLEAN NOW?

 

[Battenkiller]

Throw that Rutland away, they always read high.

I must be lucky. While I obviously can't get an IR reading directly under these units, both my 25 year-old VC thermometer and my brand new Rutland seem pretty much right on the money for what I need them for. The VC thermometer came to me second hand. It was off by 75º when I got it, but it was easy to calibrate by simply using an Allen wrench and rotating the magnet until it agrees with a known standard like the IR gun. It's a nice thermometer because of that, but close to $40 new.

Both magnetic units have significant time lags, however. The VC can lag behind the true flue pipe temp by 100º for ten minutes or more before it settles in to the point where these photos were taken. OK for stove top, but not much help in monitoring an extremely rapid rise in flue temp at start up. For that, I keep the IR gun handy.

 

[begreen]

It does seem somewhat like luck when getting a new thermometer unless you get a quality calibrated instrument. Our old Sandhill keeps plugging on fairly accurately, now in it's 30th year. But I also picked up a cheap Drolet (made in China) thermometer at our local True Value, for our friend's Morso in the yurt. My IR thermometer shows it off about 10 degrees at 500 °F which isn't too bad for a $12 thermometer. But no guarantee that the next one on the shelf would read the same.

The Drolet I got is similar to the Volgelzang model sold by Northern Tool: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200325976_200325976

 

[fishingpol]

Hook up your stove to a bunch of sensors and a laptop like the robostove at the Woodstock open house and you will definitely know what hell is going on with it. ;-)

Jon

 

[soupy1957]

BeGreen: The Sandhill is a reliable one?

I was interested in what was being said by someone else about "calibrating" theirs. I didn't realize that either of my thermometers COULD be calibrated. How would I know what to "calibrate" it TO?

Finding a nominal is satisfying "me" right now..........don't really feel a need to prove out which one is "right" at this point. Finding the average with my system, and the way IT runs, is sufficient.

North of 60:The "secondaries" (I found) are working fine. They had been all along. I hadn't yet learned what to look for really. I knew that the color of the flames would change a tad, and I'd see the burn coming out of the top holes, (front and back), but I guess I was expecting a constant inferno from these, and mine are more sporadic and irregular in burn (visually).

-Soupy1957

 

[begreen]

That Sandhill is going on thirty years old this year. Sadly, it's no longer available or I would be giving them as Christmas gifts to my woodburning friends.

You'll see a better secondary display as the stove gets a larger charge of wood and draft gets stronger with the cold weather. Once the coal bed is established and the stove is hot, refuel as normal. Then after the wood is fully aflame, turn down the air to the point where the fire gets lazy. That should ignite the secondaries and provide a good light show.

 

[North of 60]

North of 60:The "secondaries" (I found) are working fine. They had been all along. I hadn't yet learned what to look for really. I knew that the color of the flames would change a tad, and I'd see the burn coming out of the top holes, (front and back), but I guess I was expecting a constant inferno from these, and mine are more sporadic and irregular in burn (visually).

-Soupy1957

Thanks for the reply. The point I was trying to make in some of your threads was that once you have established your secondaries you now have a reference to when you can step back from the stove and know that its operating clean and efficient.
Regardless of the + or- your thermos are out. A reference is the key. It gives you a better picture when you can throttle back your primary air and go for the holy grail of the burn.
Cheers

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Soupy, that is a pretty high temperature to run for this time of the year. Did you roast anyone out? lol

 

[soupy1957]

Backwoods Savage.........naw, we only let it burn enough to warm up the house, and then let it die. We've learned how to effectively use fans, the blower in the hot-air system, and window. (lol). Actually, with regard to the temps, it was interesting that my IR was reading lower, pointed at the same surface, and based on BeGreen's input, I should trust my IR more. Again, ......I'm only looking for averages, .....not precision. I'm getting there folks..........

North of 60......I'd say I'm burning clean and efficient generally speaking, thanks to all the great advice I received in here, and elsewhere. I'm learning more and more each time I fire it up. I think I recall some folks in here stating that it's not a great idea to do Autumn burns that are "just to take the morning chill out" (was it YOU "Jake?"). I think the premise was that these types of short burns were trouble. Did I understand that correctly?

-Soupy1957

 

[oldspark]

Hey soup how long have yu had that EPA stove, I'm asking cause I just bought mine in march and still learning also?

 

[soupy1957]

Bought it at the end of 2009, and burned from December to March, last year...........doing morning burns about 3 days a week this year, so far........

Won't be 24/7 til probably late October, early November............guessing.....

-Soupy1957