Cruisin' with the 'View

Keep the light on, I will see you in a bit.

 

Beautiful picture! Woodstock should be paying you to use it their promotional literature

 

Thank you!

 

Love the pics!

Question? Where do you have your thermometer placed on the stove top?

 

In the center just above the cat on the left hand side.

 

Oldhippie , here is version one of my max STT indicator. Not as good as yours, but functional for the first version. Should have measured twice cut once instead of the other way around. Also reads 20 degrees higher than actual ... but close enough.

My son confessed he was thinking of moving the indicator way into the red to try to freak me out; I told him it would not have worked - this stove consistently runs up to 550 loaded with cherry, elm or oak - tops was 575 with big load of white oak. Perhaps if I had hedge or loaded with CWF it would do it.

 

Nice, I did a temp measurement last night and found 575 in the same spot you are measuring with low 400's towards the edges of the stove top. Stove sides were at 400. Reloaded the stove at 340 stove top. Cat probe temp was a touch over 1500 degrees. External single wall pipe temp 18" up at 340 degrees. Full load of oak and ash, setting at .5. Outside temp -13.

No need to wash our cat, it went into self cleaning oven mode.

 

How are you measuring that?

I run right at about 1. If just a bit below it goes dark. Have never tried running at .5, perhaps .75 has been my lowest. What kind of burn time will you get with that full load on .5?

 

I'd take my air setting with a grain of salt, I have a super tall stack in the center of the house. Most people run at 3/4 to one. Usually we are running .25 to .75 air or sometimes using some the turn key damper if the winds really kick up. We usually set the stove that there are some flames in the stove= more overall heat output.

Burn went for 11 hours last night with a stove top in the morning at 190 degrees and a good pile of coals.

 

jdonna , I remember a thread (somewhere) where a cat probe was used in the Fireview by drilling the soapstone; was that you? I wonder how many Fireview owners are running with cat probes ... must be able to count them on one hand.

 

Pretty sure either Fox9988 or Todd did that. If you use the probe port in the back of the stove, it can't reach to over the cat. It is still useful though, a kind of flue-exit meter, which helps you tell when the stove is hot enough to light the cat. I run mine about 1000 for 10-15 mins, then light 'er off. A probe 9" would work, but I can't find one. Maybe you could thread a thermocouple wire through that hole...

 

I Drilled The Soapstone For A Probe | Firewood Hoarders Club

It works great, wouldn't be without one now. It would Really be easy on a FV.

 

Now you have my attention. I was not aware the Fireview had a port for a cat probe. Is the port where the upper right arrow starts in the picture below?

I just spoke with Condar and they have a couple 9 inch probes in stock. The model number is 3cx-9 cost is $25 and shipping/handling is $4.50. I needed an 8 inch probe for my old hearthstone and called Condar for that and found they have other models not listed on their website.

The placement of the probe certainly is not optimal if that is indeed the cat probe port.

 

Just read the thread again. I am still too chicken to drill a stove. I'm going to simplify my life and just assume my cat temp is 2 * STT. Nice and simple.

 

You can order the stock probe from Woodstock. That is what I use to measure cat temps. It's still a good ballpark.

 

Actually, the port is at the left end of the upper right arrow, with a cap screw in the hole...hex wrench needed.

Whoa, I'll be all over that. 9" should reach over the edge of the cat by maybe a half inch...perfect. Thanks, HM! Wish I had thought of calling them a couple years ago...

 

The problem is it doesn't react much. Mine just sits there at 1000 or so when ramping up the stove for a light off, then doesn't do much after I close the bypass and light the cat. Guys who have put in a thermocouple or drilled for a probe see temps of 1400 or so. I actually get a better indication if the cat is lit by watching for a relatively fast rise on a stove top meter placed over the cat. On my Dutchwest, with the probe tip over the cat, I can see a rise of 100 every minute or two when the cat lights. Then again, you don't even need a cat probe; You can tell by looking for a glowing cat. But the probe is a good indicator what's going on later in the burn after the cat quits glowing, but is still burning.

 

Ya, I know its a bit far down stream in my stove with the stock cat probe setup, but I've questioned how hot it really is when I have seen temps over 1500 degrees on my cat probe. Wife doesn't want me drilling holes in the top lid of the stove. I agree it is easy enough to see the cat's operation, but I agree having a probe for late stage burn indication is nice. I think the thermocouple routed through the back of the stove is probably the way to go for those like myself who can't leave a good thing alone.

 

You would make an ideal Harley rider.

 

I'll get the 9" probe Harvest Man found, and report back. I bet it will give accurate temps and will be easy to install. Maybe not as quick to react as a probe but for less than $30, what the heck?