Flue temp...what are my options

[fishboat]

Noob here... As I try to educate myself on the art of burning wood I ran across an segment in a book that discussed using flue temp to optimize your burns. I see from a search that this has been a topic here also (no surprise). I'm having a high-eff fireplace (basically a zero clearance wood stove) installed in a couple weeks and would like to know what options I have in determining the flue temp with this install. The flue will be behind a wall. The chimney pipe itself will be double walled.

Aside from guessing, how do I determine an "optimal" burn? Is there some add-on accessory I can include in the install that will let me know what the flue temp is? If so, where does it need to be installed?

The burner will be a Bis TraditionCE.

 

[fishboat]

hmmm...I'm guessing I have no options?

 

[JohnnyBravo]

you can moniter the stove temp with a therm on the face.

 

[jtp10181]

You cant really check the flue temps, as JB said just check the temp of the unit itself with a thermometer on the face.

 

[velvetfoot]

I'm no expert, but I have put in a pyrometer on the exhaust of a car. (Yes I realize there is controvery over location and most will say it should go at the turbo inlet. )
They probably have something similar for a stove.
Maybe it would involve drilling a hole in the flue and installing a thermocouple and routing it to a gauge on the wall next to the stove.
Plus, you'd have to have access to it.
For a car model you'd need 12 volts.
My VDO goes to 1600F I think.
It could be nice.
Maybe someone here knows of a pyrometer with a cable for stoves.

 

[BrotherBart]

I'm no expert, but I have put in a pyrometer on the exhaust of a car. (Yes I realize there is controvery over location and most will say it should go at the turbo inlet. )
They probably have something similar for a stove.
Maybe it would involve drilling a hole in the flue and installing a thermocouple and routing it to a gauge on the wall next to the stove.
Plus, you'd have to have access to it.
For a car model you'd need 12 volts.
My VDO goes to 1600F I think.
It could be nice.
Maybe someone here knows of a pyrometer with a cable for stoves.

(broken link removed to http://www.condar.com/digital.htm)

 

[fishboat]

Sorry for another dumb question...but if I read the temp off the face...what temp am I looking for that'll indicate optimal vs sub-optimal burning? Taking a temp off the face would the most convenient.

I do like the thermocouple idea into the flue although I'd need to build in access to swap out the thermocopuple when it fails. I work with similar devices and they do fail occasionally.

 

[Metal]

I would think optimal burning would mean you have the highest stove temp with the lowest chimney temp, which would mean you are burning at maximum efficiency (least amount of btu's going up the chimney).