Lopi large insert operating Temp

[uforia]

Hi guys,

Just wanted some feedback on operating temps of your wood burining insert. I have a surface thermometer mounted on the steel plate on my Lopi large insert.

AM curious if my assessment is correct in assuming if the temp here is showing ~ 300 I would have to imagine inside the firebox it is probably double that ~ 600 degrees? Do you guys think that is a fair assessment and do you think this is a good temp to operate at?

How else to you guys measure temps inside the firebox?

Thx in advance!

Chris

 

[begreen]

That looks like a flue thermometer. The ranges are for surface stove pipe reading. The temperature is being read above the convection plenum so it will be much lower than the actual insert temperature. The thermometer would need to be behind the grillwork, on the actual stove top to read better. Then it would be in the 500-600ºF range with normal operation.

One doesn't measure the internal firebox temperature. The two normal readings are the stove top temperature and the flue temperature. With this insert, that's hard to do with all the trim. An IR reading off of the top of the door frame would be more meaningful. Or a digital probe on either the actual stovetop or flue liner would be more meaningful.

 

[uforia]

Thanks for the info! I think you are correct as this thermometer was given to me and it use to sit on a flue pipe from a wood stove. I have it as low as I could on the steel plate and as close to the top as I could get...

SO, if I am understanding you correctly you are saying if the thermometer is reading 300 or so here it is probably more then double where the proper reading should be taken from?

Maybe I will invest in a IR gun that can read temps....

Love my insert throws off a ton of heat to help head my 100 year old brick English Tudor that was normally heated 100% by steam heat prior to this.

thx,
Chris

 

[begreen]

SO, if I am understanding you correctly you are saying if the thermometer is reading 300 or so here it is probably more then double where the proper reading should be taken from?

The temperature reading will be inconsistent because of the air gap between it and the stovetop. How inconsistent I can't say with any certainty. The Lopi is a good heater so I was just guestimating the actual stovetop temperature based on typical performance. It will be hottest right over the cat.

 

[uforia]

Thx! When you say "right over the cat" where would this be? My Lopi doesn't have a cat converter but has those air tubes at the top.

thx
Chris

 

[begreen]

Thx! When you say "right over the cat" where would this be? My Lopi doesn't have a cat converter but has those air tubes at the top.

thx
Chris

OK, I wasn't sure of the age of the insert. It looked new. The Lopi Large inserts now are hybrids with tubes and a catalyst. Front center is good enough for reading.

 

[uforia]

ahh gotcha! Mine is 3 years old. Didn't realize the new ones had CC.... How much am i missing out on without one?

 

[begreen]

Hmm, the NexGen Flush hybrid came out in 2020. This must have been old stock. The newer units are cleaner burning and may burn for a bit longer.

 

[uforia]

hmmmm.... pretty sure mine says next gen. on it gonna have to double check that.. I know i dont have a CC just the 4 tubes with small holes across the very top of firebox.

thx
Chris

 

[begreen]

It might be me that is confused. Looking back, the Flush Large Hybrid has had a cat for a long time. The medium flush was non-cat for a brief period of time around 2020, but I didn't realize that might also apply to the large. My two manuals for the large are 2104 and 2020 in which it is a cat insert.