My neighbor saw flames coming out of my chimney...
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Agreed, though surface temps on double-wall are grossly inaccurate and drop off quickly based on the distance from the stove top. I just checked our double wall with a fire starting. The probe reads 790F and right alongside it the IR measures 338F.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
550F is my cat engagement temp on the outside of my single-wall pipe, 14" above stove collar. I'd think 500F on the outside of double wall would be almost guaranteed to light off anything within? I thought typical steady-state temps inside double wall were ~3x outside, and if you're in a mode of increasing temperature, then it's surely hotter than the steady-state estimate, inside the flue.
I did a lot of comparing between the magnetic stick on thermometer and the probe thermometer when I installed my probe. At 18 inches above the stovetop I found that the ultrablack pipe from excel pretty consistently had a probe temp reading 2 1/2 times the magnetic. Certainly close enough for safe estimating, as long as you keep the temps at a reasonable level. Thus 320 was actually about 780 internal. I bet a 400 degree reading equates to darn close to 1000, too hot. And, as stated above, the magnetic thermometer does not respond to temp increase as quickly as the probe, and at temps in that range, an increasing temp is a source of real concern. 550 on a magnetic thermometer can't be good.
I believe a flue probe thermometer is the safest and most effective way for me to easily obtain the burn temperatures I want on my stove.
I believe a flue probe thermometer is the safest and most effective way for me to easily obtain the burn temperatures I want on my stove.
Sometimes yes sometimes no it depends on where the fire is burning hot hot it is burning the volume of creosote ect. There are many variables and all fire will be different lots of people also think you will hear they typical roar that most people think of when they think of a chimney fire but many times that is not present either.
I will add that most of the time a class a will be fine after a fire but it should always be checked out because they can and do fail from chimney fires. That is not a problem with the design of the chimney they are designed and tested to contain the temperatures of a fire and they do that well if they are installed correctly but that does not mean that they cannot be damaged in the process. And if they are damaged they may not do a very good job of protecting your house the next time
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BKVP
Minister of Fire
Tape a pigeon, ferrets are cool.As I think you alluded to earlier - this isn't really indicative of any real world temps inside your stack. It would be just as accurate to duct tape a ferret to your pipe and gauge temp off of how much he wiggles.
aansorge
Minister of Fire
So I have had a minor chimney fire in mine (similar story to Poindexter). How does one see damage looking down a class A 20 feet? Mine is enclosed in wood...can't see a thing from the outside!
Quentin2
Burning Hunk
Guy I commute with said he saw sparks coming out of my chimney just the other day while he was waiting for me. I was getting a new load going with cat bypassed.
Yeah what poindexter said. That is what we used I know you can link the camera on your smart phone to your computer then tape the phone to your cleaning rods. If all of your bk stove shoot sparks out the top of the chimney when the bypass is open you better make sure that flue is clean. It is a good thing they typically burn really clean if not that is just asking for a fire.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Local news story last week (warning... this is not a happy story): http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...-Face-Eaten-by-Familys-Ferrets-289601801.html
BKVP
Minister of Fire
BKVP,
What should be the average flue temp measured with a flue probe thermo say 4 hrs into a burn on a Ashford? Any idea?
There is no reason you need a camera to do an inspection on most class A chimneys. Unless you've got an offset, you can see down it pretty well with a bright light. It's extremely uncommon to see a class A with damage from a flue fire. It happens, but it takes a major flue fire. I wouldn't run out and buy a camera is what I'm saying.
I would never tell anyone to go buy a camera but it is also not that uncommon for a chimney to be damaged in a fire. I would say that after a fire that you know about you should have the chimney inspected and it is really easy to miss something looking down a chimney that is really obvious with a camera
Thanks Highbeam
That is what I thought. I get similar readings on my encore.
Are we running these stoves too low?
That is what I thought. I get similar readings on my encore.
Are we running these stoves too low?
It's always a good idea to have it looked at after a fire, or better yet before. Like you, I look at them daily. I rarely ever see the need to use a camera.
As I think you alluded to earlier - this isn't really indicative of any real world temps inside your stack. It would be just as accurate to duct tape a ferret to your pipe and gauge temp off of how much he wiggles.
I hear tell you can also use the ferret to clean your chimney as well.
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