Proudly American
Name the surface that the dial expects
A stovetop instrument reads the stove surface at the location specified for that appliance and instrument. A single-wall stovepipe surface gauge reads a different surface. A probe designed for a suitable double-wall connector samples the hot gas inside rather than the temperature of the outer wall. Condar distinguishes these products in its catalog. Their colored ranges and numbers cannot be transferred from one location to another.
Follow the line on an insert installation drawing
An insert may sit behind a surround and have no length of approved exposed connector available for a magnetic pipe dial. The decorative surround or blower outlet can be accessible without representing the measurement location in the instructions. Do not remove trim panels, drill into a vent or attach a probe to a factory-built chimney to find a convenient position. Ask the appliance manufacturer or installer whether a suitable monitoring location or accessory exists for the exact installation.
Make sense of a suspicious reading
A gauge can appear cool after being moved, even though nothing changed about the fire. Write its model, intended use, former position and current position beside the appliance model. A surface temperature cannot establish that a vent is clean or that a fireplace is safe to use. If smoke enters the room or an appliance behaves abnormally, address that condition directly before using the stove again. Do not increase the firing rate simply to make a dial reach a color band.