Chimney thermometer-how long do you trust it?

This is my Ideal Steel running low 'n slow: the four temperatures shown are:
Top left: Combustor temp.
Bottom left: Firebox temp.
Top Right: Smoke pipe exit (flue gas temp. as it exits the house into the chimney thimble)
Bottom right: Stove top (back of stove, right next to the smoke pipe collar.

Notice that the stove top temp. is considerably higher than the flue gas temperature: this, coupled with how clean the burn is, is what indicates stove efficiency to me. The stove is buring with Zero visible smoke and creosote and is discharging almost all the heat generated by the fire into the room the stove is in, with little heat going up the flue. An extremely efficient burn.

All readings are in degrees Fahrenheit. The flue gas temp. is measured inside the smoke pipe; it is single wall black smoke pipe and I can hold my hand on it for about 4 seconds before having to let go- it is not much hotter than a hot shower.



Brian

 

You can see all my wires but it is about function to me

 

My condar probe thermometer is 5 going on 6. No issues with it so far. It see's a lot of heat since my stove wastes a lot of heat up the stack.

 

....man...I got'a get out more.....

here ya go....
WTF where's the firewood T-Shirt | Spreadshirt

 

On the right is a new one I bought a few months ago. On the left is in old guy that came with an old Fisher I just picked up. I remembered reading this thread so I figured I'd test them. Seem to be the same

(Just woke up and stoked the fire on my non-cat - hence the low flue temps )

 

I have a probe dial gauge thermometer that came with my boiler, and a magnetic one. Side by each the magnetic reads 100c less than the probe at full burn. Some magnetics are not very accurate - but it is also a LOT hotter inside the pipe than it is on the surface. Some new burners aren't fully aware, so they go by a magnetic one - not realizing that inside the pipe might be getting dangerously hot.