Woodsove flue pipe temperature

[robson]

In my old home I used a thermostat that was attached to the wood stove pipe via a magnet backing. It indicated an ideal wood burn heat and this resulted in a cup full of suite(sp) during 2 chimmney clean outs per year. In my new (100 year old home) I have a pacific energy wood burining insert in the old fireplace. The stove liner runs inside the chimmney. Any one know of a product or way to determine the stack temperature - no part of the pipe is exposed to the room. Dry firewood is always used / a good rapid burn is used for the first 1/2 hour on a new fire.

Thanks

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Thermometer with a very long probe? Can you drill a hole safely someplace for it?

[Charles Spitzer]

pyrometer? the one for a kiln can be on a long wire because the readout may be a box on the wall.

[barry]

If it's an EPA-approved (afterburning) unit, and doesn't use a catalytic converter, it's simpler to manage the fire so that the secondary combustion flames stay lit at as low an output rate as possible, until all the volatiles are gone. That'll give you a clean burn and best efficiency.

Fact is, current woodstoves don't have an ideal stack temp. They can be run cleanly over a wide range of output, often with little variation in efficiency- as indicated by stack temp. Local dealer advised me to put the thermometer on the top of the stove to indicate output, for this reason. Now I just use if for decoration and tracking startup.

To keep it clean, keep all the internal fires burning, especially the one where the secondary air is admitted.

J