Good day fellow hoarders! Winter has arrived in northern Minnesota, so it's time to revisit one of my favorite online communities - FHC! I have a 2017 Woodstock Ideal Steel that I love. Right now, it's heating my entire 3000+ sq ft home because my gas furnace is dead and might be replaced early next week. Luckily, we're in the +20s right now...better for this to happen now than in January. Two years ago I bought a new Condar 4" probe thermometer, to replace the one that was 3+ years old and kinda crusty. The probe itself seems to flake away over time and I assume that means it becomes less accurate. Not sure why I think that...it's bi-metal, right? Anyway, I also keep an IR thermo handy, for when I'm curious about STT. This week I'm running the stove continuously, and I've noticed that after a reload takes off and I've engaged the cat, the probe temp takes off pretty quickly (the cat is also on year 2...new in the fall of 2021). I ramp the air down...and now I'm down under the 1/4 mark, just to keep the probe temp around 1400...which is normally reserved for the coldest days with the biggest draft. Hmmm...this seems odd. STT when the probe is at 1400 is right around 500-520, which is NBD for this stove. In previous years and with the old probe, an STT of 500 usually meant cat temp around 1200, which I'm more comfortable with. I know there's not "right" answer here, but I tend to believe my IR thermometer in these cases. What's your take on it? Are some Condar probes just "off"?
Pop the old probe in for a check. I just replaced an oem BK probe with a Condar. I'll check it tomorrow out of curiosity. I've had good luck with the stove top Condar. Any bimetallic temp gauges are not terribly accurate. Sounds like your setup is humming along nicely.
I have never had a probe nor have wanted one. IR is good to have and use and for temps I go with stovetop and flue temps. I have not yet burned a full firebox this fall so the stovetop is not that hot but as outside temps fall, that will change.
According to my condar cat probe on my ideal steel (not a year old yet) my cat runs hot a lot of the time at 500 degrees STT or so, it can easily hit 1600.
Just to follow up on the new Condar Cat probe results. It is quicker to react and tops out within 100 degrees of the original. Soooo. No significant difference that would alter stove operation. At least the Condar is legible, and the probe is not eroded and curved Of more interest however..... oldspark can you give us an update thread on your IS ? Thanks
