Wood furnace burn temps

[crzybowhntr]

Hello. I have an energy king 480ek and am curious as to what a good burn temp is? Do you measure the temp on the door, directly above it, or above the sliding baffle handle? Thanks.

 

[Jgib4]

I put my thermometer on the pipe next to the wall. I try to keep it above 250 as any less it turns into creasote range. Ideal would be 250-500. If you walk outside while your burning and the smoke is clear you are in the good range and not producing creasote.

 

[3fordasho]

I run a probe type thermometer into the flue about 12-18" from the outlet of the furnace. I like to keep it over 250F and under 625F. Under 250F is ok if your just down to coals at the end of the burn. Search for a Tel-tru replacement thermometer for the "big green egg".

 

[crzybowhntr]

Thanks for your replies. I have a hard time keeping my flue temps that hot without having high draft issues. I have to use a baro dampener and if not my manometer will read well over 1. Would having an 8" chimney system on it have anything to do with it?

 

[maple1]

But how are you measuring your temps? Magnetic guages are very inaccurate IMO and should not be relied on to determine how you fire.

 

[crzybowhntr]

But how are you measuring your temps? Magnetic guages are very inaccurate IMO and should not be relied on to determine how you fire.

Magnetic. I`ll look into another method and compare. Thanks for the heads up

 

[JRHAWK9]

I use a probe (BBQ Thermometer) about 15" or so from collar.

The highest temps I have seen is when it was very cold out and was loading on hot coals with the computer set to absolute max burn and they reached 466° before the computer went to pilot mode. This was a temporary (maybe 5 minutes) max though and as soon as the computer went to pilot they started to fall and sat around the 400° area. Again, this is with the furnace running balls out.

Under normal heating conditions, which it spends 90% of the time at, my flue temps range from 270° to low 300's. When on pilot they will sit at high 200's or so. When changing from pilot to opening the damper to maintain the computer temp setpoint (happens early in the burn when starting a fire or later in the burn), they will range from the 270 - low 300's. During this scenario when the computer opens the damper they will trend up to low 300's until the computer goes back to pilot then they will fall to the higher 200's. Rinse and repeat until things settle in and then the damper will remain closed and flue temps will remain high 200's to low 300's.

 

[crzybowhntr]

I use a probe (BBQ Thermometer) about 15" or so from collar.

The highest temps I have seen is when it was very cold out and was loading on hot coals with the computer set to absolute max burn and they reached 466° before the computer went to pilot mode. This was a temporary (maybe 5 minutes) max though and as soon as the computer went to pilot they started to fall and sat around the 400° area. Again, this is with the furnace running balls out.

Under normal heating conditions, which it spends 90% of the time at, my flue temps range from 270° to low 300's. When on pilot they will sit at high 200's or so. When changing from pilot to opening the damper to maintain the computer temp setpoint (happens early in the burn when starting a fire or later in the burn), they will range from the 270 - low 300's. During this scenario when the computer opens the damper they will trend up to low 300's until the computer goes back to pilot then they will fall to the higher 200's. Rinse and repeat until things settle in and then the damper will remain closed and flue temps will too.

WOW!! That is detailed. I`ll see what I can do over the next week and get a new probe and report back

 

[maple1]

Just for a bit more info, I have a probe beside a magnetic. The magnetic reads around 100c less than the probe when I am at pretty well full burn. (I don't have a furnace - just a thermometer comparison)

 

[ElwoodP]

@JRHAWK9

I use a probe (BBQ Thermometer) about 15" or so from collar.

I am also interested in using a BBQ thermometer. How do you attach the probe to the pipe?
https://www.hearth.com/talk/members/jrhawk9.31925/

 

[maple1]

My probe thermometer is just stuck in through a tight fitting hole in the pipe.

 

[ElwoodP]

My probe thermometer is just stuck in through a tight fitting hole in the pipe.

Thanks maple. Are you using a BBQ thermometer? My impression was that internal flue temperatures would be too high for these probes and that they would only be suitable for surface mounting?

 

[maple1]

No, not using a BBQ thermometer for flu temps. It's a probe pipe guage.

But BBQs can get pretty hot. It might come down to what your flu temps are. Mine don't go much past 300f. 400f tops.

 

[JRHAWK9]

@JRHAWK9
I am also interested in using a BBQ thermometer. How do you attach the probe to the pipe?

I'm also just using a tight fitting hole in the stove pipe for mine. I'm measuring internal flue temps and my BBQ thermo is good for 578° or some goofy number.

 

[brenndatomu]

My impression was that internal flue temperatures would be too high for these probes and that they would only be suitable for surface mounting?

Depends what burner you have...most don't run hot enough to damage anything normally...IIRC, my Maverick ET732 BBQ thermometer reads some random number (max) like JR said, 574 maybe...but they say the probe itself can withstand 700 and some degrees...