Wood Stove Thermometer Testing

[Coop0102]

I recently purchased a new thermometer for my wood stove. After running it for a few days i had my suspicions that it may not be that accurate.

The only way i could thing to test it was to heat my oven to 400 and see if the wood stove thermometer matches the oven thermometer in the oven. My suspicion was correct. With the oven set to 400, the wood stove thermometer was showing 600! My oven thermometer was showing 400 on the dot.

Is this a accurate method for testing a wood stove thermometer?

 

[kennyp2339]

Yes very accurate, make sure its not a thermometer for smoke pipe vs stove top
(broken link removed)

 

[Coop0102]

I got it off amazon for about 12$. The title is a little suspect as to which type it is.

Im going to order the stove top Inferno just to be sure. I have a 1977 Vermont Casting Vigilant stove. Its my understanding you want the stove operating at 300-500, so im guessing a stove top stove is best to find this reading as it give you a constant real time temp of your stove. Correct?

 

[kennyp2339]

I got it off amazon for about 12$. The title is a little suspect as to which type it is.

Im going to order the stove top Inferno just to be sure. I have a 1977 Vermont Casting Vigilant stove. Its my understanding you want the stove operating at 300-500, so im guessing a stove top stove is best to find this reading as it give you a constant real time temp of your stove. Correct?

you want that stove top between 450 and 650 for optimum burning, between 300 - 400 you want to start shutting the air down in increments until you learn your stoves personality so you don't have a run away or waste fuel.

 

[Coop0102]

you want that stove top between 450 and 650 for optimum burning, between 300 - 400 you want to start shutting the air down in increments until you learn your stoves personality so you don't have a run away or waste fuel.

Awesome, thanks for the info. Ill return this one and get the inferno. For those interested, the one im returning is the $11.99 Autsmal thermometer on amazon

 

[kennyp2339]

Awesome, thanks for the info. Ill return this one and get the inferno. For those interested, the one im returning is the $11.99 Autsmal thermometer on amazon

if you have single wall pipe keep it and stick it on approx. 18" up from the stove collar, this will give you an idea of your smoke pipe temp.

 

[Coop0102]

if you have single wall pipe keep it and stick it on approx. 18" up from the stove collar, this will give you an idea of your smoke pipe temp.

I do have a single wall pipe, however im not convinced of this thermometers accuracy.

 

[kennyp2339]

on single wall pipe the I believe the numbers are off purposely so I can give a general accurate of the inside of the pipe.

 

[Highbeam]

Yes very accurate, make sure its not a thermometer for smoke pipe vs stove top
(broken link removed)

Uh no, it is an absolutely horrible way to test a stove top thermometer. Erroneous.

a stove top meter uses a bimetallic spring that is floating at a specific distance away from a hot surface in a bath of room air. It is calibrated to read correctly at this distance and in room temperature air. this is not the same as immersing the whole thermometer in boiling water or an oven.

use an ir thermometer to verify your stove top meter.

 

[kennyp2339]

Erroneous.

really? I just learned something new

 

[Highbeam]

My guess is that the surface meter indicated a higher than expected temperature while in the oven.

there is also the somewhat irrelevant question of the oven’s temperature control accuracy as well. This is why they sell oven thermometers.

Unless you’re willing to use thermocouples and digital readouts, you’re forced to trust these relatively cheap bimetallic coil meters. If you care enough about thermometer accuracy to want to test your meter then you might be a good candidate for one of the thermocouple systems. Way faster reaction time, much more accurate, can read the display from across the room, set alarms, etc. I’ve been considering it myself!

 

[Coop0102]

Strange that in a 400deg oven it would read higher. That just doesnt make sense to me. Ill know more when the other one comes in and i can test side by side.

 

[Highbeam]

Strange that in a 400deg oven it would read higher. That just doesnt make sense to me. Ill know more when the other one comes in and i can test side by side.

Strange? Totally logical since the meter was designed to read the temperature of one surface while being surrounded by room temperature air. Measure your oven temperature with an oven thermometer.