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[trz]

how accurate is the thermometer on your owb?  and does it read right according to the aquastat?   

  I had a chance today to do some water temp checks and this is what i found.
    My aquastat is set at 170 degrees,   watched the boiler til it shut down and the temp on the boiler read 182 degrees.  Now I'm not quite sure what the temp differential on the aquastat is 20 or 30 degrees.  Any ways  when it shut down i drew some water from the drain under the unit and checked it  with a candy thermometer and it read 155 not even close to the 182 that the unit themometer read.    Am i positive that the candy thermometer is accurate?   Not really, but i would assume it is.   
     
      So, with that information what would that tell YOU?    What would you're next step be?


    With almost 30 degrees difference between the owb reading and the "actual"? temperature , what effect if any would that have on  cycle times and more importantly wood consumption?

[victor6deep]

I have noticed the opposite on my stove. I took the paneling off the sides of my stove which they wrapped the firebox and water jacket with r30. I filled any space left with r19 and foamed every little hole I could find underneath. I also insulated the back cabinet and the cabinet door as well. Ever since I did this my aquastat reads 10 degrees hotter than my water temp gauge. If you have a non digital temp gauge in front then put a meat thermometer around the same height in the back of the stove on a water line to see how close. If you put it on your return line you are gonna notice a diff. Put it on a line that is not a return to see how accurate. My stove was right on before I went insulate crazy and now its off which if I want 180 I just set the stat at 190. I am saving a ton of wood also. The whole trick is insulation on the stoves for max efficiency.