Anyone know of a stove-top thermometer with wind-up warning bell?

[Rhone]

I overfired last night after I loaded up my insert and decided to check something in the basement and shortly thereafter turn down the air but, it turned into a 3 hour project and I forgot to go back up stairs to turn down the insert. Long story short, really funky smell, and everything in the firebox looked like it had been vaporized... luckily no damage and it may have cleaned things out as the next fire after burned fantastic. But, I was thinking how useful would it be if they made a wind-up stove-top thermometer where you can set it to ring if a certain temperature is reached. Is there such an invention? Maybe I should invent and patent it!

 

[wahoowad]

I need one too. My problem is I'll go upstairs or out of hearing of a normal bell. I need something like the nonstop blaring of my stove timer.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

im no electrical engineer, but i would think a thermocouple could be used to trigger some electrical device..

 

[Hogwildz]

How bout a cheap wind up kitchen timer. Course ya couldn't put it on the stove.

 

[laynes69]

My wood furnace has a honeywell limit control on the back to trigger the blower to come off and on. I could wire something to my high which is set at 180 so when the circuit kicks off an alarm would sound. Its not a bad idea, but I though somewhere I had seen alarms that were used on the flues of the stoves. When they hit a certain temp an alarm would sound. There maybe a product out there. Found it here it is.....http://www.cas4.com/Wood-Stove/Woodstove-Control-001.htm

 

[Corie]

Since thermocouples generate voltage, I imagine you could just set up a simple circuit that sent that closed when the voltage corresponding to a hot temperature was sensed. Wouldn't be too hard.

 

[Gooserider]

My wood furnace has a honeywell limit control on the back to trigger the blower to come off and on. I could wire something to my high which is set at 180 so when the circuit kicks off an alarm would sound. Its not a bad idea, but I though somewhere I had seen alarms that were used on the flues of the stoves. When they hit a certain temp an alarm would sound. There maybe a product out there. Found it here it is.....http://www.cas4.com/Wood-Stove/Woodstove-Control-001.htm

INTERESTING.... This is something I've been looking for for quite a while, and this is the first time I've seen something that actually looked like what I had in mind. Interesting that the site looks like mostly a H-D aftermarket parts shop, so this isn't a primary product for them.

Looking at it, I think he may simply be doing a simple parts combination trick - it looks like his "alarm module" is nothing but a standard water overflow alarm like you might have in a basement (Zoom in on it, you can almost read the text label) which is not a bad alarm - they are noisy and simple as continuity across the inputs sets them off... The control module looks like a low cost DIN form factor industrial controller. Nice idea to combine the parts though.

Corie: Since thermocouples generate voltage, I imagine you could just set up a simple circuit that sent that closed when the voltage corresponding to a hot temperature was sensed. Wouldn’t be too hard.

Would be real easy if the thermocouple was like a snap switch and only generated voltage when it was at the desired temp. However as I understand it, a thermocouple is not linear, so you would need some kind of comparator circuit, and a ideally a way to get an actual temperature reading when not being alarmed at. From what I've seen, most of the electronic thermometer items I've seen tend to use a thermistor instead, and track the change in resistance using an ohmeter type circuit.

Of course if you wanted to drop a bug in peoples ear while you are in Vegas, that might be nice. I have yet to figure out why someone can't do a simple variant on one of those digital meat cooking thermometers they sell all over the place for $10.00 or less - It would seem to me like a fairly easy thing to do if one had the schematics, just change the calibration a bit, and hook up a different probe. I bet they would find it a nice niche market, as I don't think anyone really likes those magnetic dial jobs, but it's all we have that's reasonably priced. OTOH, a digital thermometer with an alarm and say a 4-5' probe cord would work for the insert folks and the free standing stove people giving us a more reliable reading unit that was easier to put the sensor where it would do the best job and still be readable.

Gooserider



Gooserider

 

[Corie]

I was thinking EXACTLY what you posted Goose. Have been thinking about it all day actually while I was mindlessly milling flanges and uprights for our race car.


I'm working on something in my head over here, need to right it down.

 

[Gooserider]

I was thinking EXACTLY what you posted Goose. Have been thinking about it all day actually while I was mindlessly milling flanges and uprights for our race car.


I'm working on something in my head over here, need to right it down.

Keep us posted for sure. I'm sure if you could come up with a hacked version of the kitchen thermometer you'd be able to sell a bunch of them.

Gooserider

 

[wahoowad]

Yup, I want what goose said. I have the remote BBQ thermometers/probes and think this would be a decent add-on. Even hitting a low temp alarm might be good too if someone wanted an alert to wake up and reload her. You only need to set the alarm when you actually wanted to get it.

 

[elkimmeg]

Wrench is working on training his dogs they are trained to watych the stove and if the fire get to a certaint stage, they begin barking letting him know the stove air has to be cut back.

After all there is such a thing as a watch dog. No fancy thermo couplers needed..

Im working on my dog retriving splits so far I have not had sucess and I have to throw it first to get his interest. Then he does not always return with it, he tries to playkeep away and tries to chew it up. So that's not working out. I would just use a cooking type timer athat goes off in 10 minutes. For ythat matter most sport watches, even cheap timex ones, have a time alarm mode all one has to do is set it

 

[nshif]

This only goes up to 700f and youd need something to stick the probe into on the stove top ( like a metal block with a hole drilled in it ) but might work.
http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=CIC-00869&src=nextag&kw=CIC-00869

 

[Gooserider]

This only goes up to 700f and youd need something to stick the probe into on the stove top ( like a metal block with a hole drilled in it ) but might work.
http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=CIC-00869&src=nextag&kw=CIC-00869

Good find! might only be good for stove tops as opposed to flue pipes, but it's better than nothing.

Gooserider

 

[Corie]

I'd like the ability to read two probes and a screen that would either display both or allow you to toggle between the two. It would be nice to have a stack temp probe and a stove surface temp measurement as well.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

then you can design some data logging software that will track your temps throught the burn cycle.. there should be a database in there where you can imput amout of wood loaded, of course to measure that you will need a heat resistant pressure plate in the bottom of the stove that would automaticly weigh the wood as you load it, and that would be automaticly data logged as well...Then you could desing a interface to work with some of the more popular weather stations, logging baro pressue, wind speed, temp.. ect. It would be a geek out feista.

 

[Robbie]

This is the kind of stuff that I have mentioned several times in other threads (like below).

I just can't understand why some major stove company does not have one of these on the market yet.........or maybe they do and we have not seen one.

Any way, I too have thought of something similar to this alarm, and hope someone hurries and makes one. ;-)

Wood stove accessory, “new” ideas. thread....... https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/5397/

To be honest, this is one of those "DUH" moments I think...........where is the technology in reference to this kind of stuff ?

Craig ? Help us out here............



Robbie

 

[Gooserider]

then you can design some data logging software that will track your temps throught the burn cycle.. there should be a database in there where you can imput amout of wood loaded, of course to measure that you will need a heat resistant pressure plate in the bottom of the stove that would automaticly weigh the wood as you load it, and that would be automaticly data logged as well...Then you could desing a interface to work with some of the more popular weather stations, logging baro pressue, wind speed, temp.. ect. It would be a geek out feista.

The dual probe thing is already fairly easy - they make handheld meters with dual type K probes...

As to the rest of it, it wouldn't be that bad to do given the cash. However I probably wouldn't put a weight sensor IN the stove - it would take up firebox volume and be difficult to come up with a sensor that was adequately resistant to the heat, ash, etc. in the firebox. I'd be more inclined to put weight sensors under the stove legs. This would accomplish the same thing and put the sensors in a much easier environment to deal with.

You can get data aquisition boards that plug into a PC and gather all sorts of info from different types of sensors, including weather station boards. The data processing demands aren't that severe so you wouldn't need anything that powerful in the way of a PC, though given the number of cards you might end up with it might be a challenge to find a mobo with enough slots. I'd probably look for an old box with a CPU that didn't need a lot of cooling, and try to make a dedicated near fanless setup that could sit near the stove without being a nusiance. Feed it into the network so as to allow monitoring from your primary box and really get the geek points.

Gooserider

 

[GVA]

A small plc would be cheaper and easier.

 

[Gooserider]

A small plc would be cheaper and easier.

Perhaps, though I'd argue a PLC doesn't have as much flexibility, and is less friendly to "one-off" home brew solutions. Particularly I don't think a PLC is easy for anyone trying to make a DIY solution since the instrument people don't seem interested in serving the market.

To use a PLC, you need to have a bunch of extra gear to program it with, typically including a PC, not to mention the development environment, specialized programming skills, etc. OTOH, the sort of older PC I was talking about is usually a giveaway or very low cost item, the data aquisition boards probably cost less than the hardware you need to burn the PLC chip, and an equivalent would be needed to go with the PLC, so the costs for a non-mass-produced solution would be about the same.

An otherwise ready to retire PC is a minimal cost item, comes with a nice case and power supply, and (if you are smart and using Linux) the needed software is free, including development environments in your choice of languages.

Gooserider

 

[GVA]

A small plc would be cheaper and easier.

Perhaps, though I'd argue a PLC doesn't have as much flexibility, and is less friendly to "one-off" home brew solutions. Particularly I don't think a PLC is easy for anyone trying to make a DIY solution since the instrument people don't seem interested in serving the market.

To use a PLC, you need to have a bunch of extra gear to program it with, typically including a PC, not to mention the development environment, specialized programming skills, etc. OTOH, the sort of older PC I was talking about is usually a giveaway or very low cost item, the data aquisition boards probably cost less than the hardware you need to burn the PLC chip, and an equivalent would be needed to go with the PLC, so the costs for a non-mass-produced solution would be about the same.

An otherwise ready to retire PC is a minimal cost item, comes with a nice case and power supply, and (if you are smart and using Linux) the needed software is free, including development environments in your choice of languages.

Gooserider

rough cost for what I was leaning towards
PLC-$130
Programming cable-$30
4 channel module for either t/c or RTD- $199
T/C or RTD-$25 each (estimated)
software- free (if under 100 words)
Computer-Well if you can read this you got one...
Total $459ish
The best way would be to use process controls but at about $200 bucks a piece you can only measure one temp at a time..
Where the PLC could do up to 4 lets say stove top temp, stack temp, outside temp, room temp. or other combinations.
The PLC is actually very flexible you could almost have the woodstove adjust dampers by itself based on temps or set off the warnings people want when temps fall outside of a certain range.
And the PLC has little power draw as opposed to a computer.....
It was just a thought, but I do realize this falls out of the range of the average DIY Guy.

 

[Corie]

Alright, no more talking about this thermometer project. Its gone super secret. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

[Robbie]

Not me...........I won't talk. %-P



Robbie
:zip:

 

[Corie]

You'll all get testers when its done if you stay VEWY VEWY KWIET

 

[Gooserider]

Well, as a starter, what I found doing a quick search....

Computer - P1-200 or better, 64Mb RAM, small hard drive (200mb+), CD (1x or better) 1 serial port, 2+ PCI slots, = mostly giveaway, if you can't scrounge a better box, you need to go back to begging class ....
If you run headless, an Ethernet card (10baseT will do, though 100baseT is better) <$20

a basic minimal Data Aquisition box - 9 pin serial like one of these for $120, or this kit for $50 Gives up to 5 temp channels or other analog inputs and a handful of assorted digital outputs to drive alarms and the like.

If you prefer the overkill approach - how about one of these 16 channel thermocouple boards with 16 thermocouple sensor channels, and another 16 each digital inputs and outputs, but it's almost $600

Software - free for as big a program as you want to write, almost any language

Operating system - Free, includes source code and license to use with unlimited users on unlimited machines.

Temp sensors - lets go with your figure $25 / each

Total - two channels $100, going up to 16 channels at about a grand. How fancy do you want to get??? Probably could use this setup to add all sorts of remote control options at variable cost, maybe throw in a weather station board and get that functionality as well....

Gooserider

 

[Corie]

Oh you guys are going the ultra high power temperature computing system.



Keep up the work on that then!