wood stove temperature

[jim]

The woodstove at the cottage has an expose flue pipe and I have a magnetic temp guage on the pipe. Keeps me in the safe burn zone which results in 0 pipe buildup. Have a wood burning insert at home with no exposed flue (pacific energy). Dealer says to place the magnetic temp guage on the lip of the stove top. It would result in a pretty accurate temperature comparable to the flue pipe. Any thoughts on this? I would assume the top of the unit would be considerably cooler that the flue pipe?

[jack]

Can't answer your question, but will ask one of my own. I also have a woodstove at the cottage with a temperature gauge; but don't really know how to use it. It was there when i bought the cottage. I assume you are supposed to keep the temperature below the red area, but figured that was to keep it from being a fire hazzard, rather than preventing buildup. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The magnetic ones can fall off the flue when they get really hot. I always run the stove at about 400 degrees as measured on the top. Once or twice a day I'll run it up to about 800 in order to burn out any crap built up in the flue and thimble. There is a definite correlation between the flue temperature and the stove temperature so being consistent at one place you are OK. The difference can vary from stove model to stove model, but at 400 or so you are OK unless the manufacturer give different numbers. .

[Edwin Pawlowski]

That is pretty much it. If you go too low you get more creosote buildup. You never want to see anything glowing red!

[Blattus Slafaly]

Of course you do. That's how an airtight stove works when you turn it down for the night. You just open it up in the morning and burn out the creosote. I have an airtight with a glass front' It runs the best glowing red with a small amount of blue flames.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You want the wood making fire to glow, but you don't want the cast iron stove itself to glow.

[KC]

On mine, the catalytic converter at the output of the stove/input to stove pipe runs 1500-1700 degrees when working properly. Of course that's not air temp as it goes up the pipe. Just showing that different stoves have different ways of measuring proper operating temperature.

KC

[Blattus Slafaly]

I don't think you could make the stove glow unless you had a bellows.

[KC]

Neighbor had a wood stove with a glass insert in the door. Left the ash door open to get the fire started. Walked off and forgot it. Smelled something hot. Came back and the glass had melted out of it's frame and folded in half. I would guess the stove was glowing at some point.

KC

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Yes you can, that is why I mentioned it. I've seen glowing doors I've seen glowing flue pipes. While I've never seen an entire stove glow, parts of it can be made that hot. Critical areas are the flue and any place the gasket may be leaking air in. Has the same effect as bellows.