Are flue pipe thermometers useful?

werdnareklaw

Advice please! I have two wood burners, identical models, (Scan Andersen 8-2) one rear flued and the other top flued. If I put my Stovax flue pipe thermometer on the top of the rear flue stove, the optimum temperature is displayed almost regardless of the level of fire in it. The rear flue pipe is too small to attach it.

With the top flued stove I can attach it about 18" above the stove on the pipe and the temperature indication falls rapidly as the fire burns down but if I move the thermometer to the top of that same stove, again it shows optimum with a low fire. Both stoves are burning the same fuel, in fact home grown Ash

Is it really that important to know the temperature of one's flue gases if the glass door doesn't fog up?? Both stoves give off wonderful amounts of heat anyway:)

Williwoodburner

In my opinion they are a must have, not so much as indicating when running to low a temp as you can tell just by looking at the fire, but more so for an indication if overfiring.

Stove pipe thermometers should be on the stove pipe about a foot above the stove, that would explain why you are getting strange readings when on the stove body itself.

regards

Willie.

:money:

w50nky

+1 - a very usefull addition when you are new to stoves.

grahamc2003

The flue pipe is quite thin and will change temperature reasonable quickly, so will give a decent indication of the flue gas temperature. The top of the stove is much thicker, and will have a large thermal mass, meaning its temperature will change relatively slowly. Uselful I suppose if you want to know the temperature the top is to cook on for example, but pretty useless for indicating the flue gas temperature. In fact, when I light my fire, I can get the flue temp in the 'overheating' reading within 5 or 6 minutes, while the stove itself is still very cool - the stove takes probably another 20/25 minutes to get really hot.

I find mine (on the flue pipe) really useful for getting a better control of the correct heat output.

suki1964

Ok guys - explain all this too me in simple terms


What is optimum burning temp? Why is is so important? If not using a thermometer, what would one be looking for in a good burn ?

welda

suki1964 wrote: »

Ok guys - explain all this too me in simple terms


What is optimum burning temp? Why is is so important? If not using a thermometer, what would one be looking for in a good burn ?

Looks good in jeans, not too much heading south, movement like a couple of ferrets in a sack while walking.....................oops, my mistook, you said "good burn":o

Williwoodburner

The top of the stove is much thicker, and will have a large thermal mass, meaning its temperature will change relatively slowly. Uselful I suppose if you want to know the temperature the top is to cook on for example, but pretty useless for indicating the flue gas temperature.

Good explanation by grahamc2003, never thought of it like that. :beer:

Willie.

suki1964

welda wrote: »

Looks good in jeans, not too much heading south, movement like a couple of ferrets in a sack while walking.....................oops, my mistook, you said "good burn":o

You are such a cheeky wee !!!!er lolololol

highrisklowreturn

welda wrote: »

Looks good in jeans, not too much heading south, movement like a couple of ferrets in a sack while walking.....................oops, my mistook, you said "good burn":o

Could you desist in making patently homoerotic "jokes" on a family forum.:mad:

werdnareklaw

grahamc2003 wrote: »

The flue pipe is quite thin and will change temperature reasonable quickly, so will give a decent indication of the flue gas temperature. The top of the stove is much thicker, and will have a large thermal mass, meaning its temperature will change relatively slowly. Uselful I suppose if you want to know the temperature the top is to cook on for example, but pretty useless for indicating the flue gas temperature. In fact, when I light my fire, I can get the flue temp in the 'overheating' reading within 5 or 6 minutes, while the stove itself is still very cool - the stove takes probably another 20/25 minutes to get really hot.

I find mine (on the flue pipe) really useful for getting a better control of the correct heat output.

Thanks for that! The top flue stove is a new installation with a new SS lined flue that once served an oil boiler. The other one is connected into an original fireplace that was built with the house in 1975 and lined with clay pipes.

I want to be sure that I am not clogging up the clay pipes!!

A._Badger

Personally, I don't have one and have no desire for one.

The following makes interesting reading.

http://woodheat.org/thermometers.html