Smokeless firepits
Discussion
I had a bowl-style fire pit, which I ended up rarely using due to the smoke. But, I like having a fire to stare at on a summer's evening.
I have seen that "smokeless" (more accurately, less smoke) fire pits are a thing now, they seem to work by encouraging a secondary burn. I can see how that works, anyone with a garden incinerator has seen that moment where the burn suddenly becomes a lot cleaner as a critical temperature is reached and the crap starts to burn instead of becoming smoke.
However, I am struggling to separate the wheat from the chaffe when shopping online for one. Everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. Has anyone had particular success or failure with one they've bought?
I have seen that "smokeless" (more accurately, less smoke) fire pits are a thing now, they seem to work by encouraging a secondary burn. I can see how that works, anyone with a garden incinerator has seen that moment where the burn suddenly becomes a lot cleaner as a critical temperature is reached and the crap starts to burn instead of becoming smoke.
However, I am struggling to separate the wheat from the chaffe when shopping online for one. Everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. Has anyone had particular success or failure with one they've bought?
After years of smokey firepits, but with a fair understanding of combustion, and trying various wind/spark screens, bellows, types of wood, storing and stacking and drying methods and god knows what else....
I solved my issues with an axe and a chopping block. I stopped throwing logs on the size they arrived and were stored (sort of quarter to 6th of a round) and chopped each log into 4 or 5 sticks. Not quite kindling sized, but somewhere in between. Just keep feeding it smaller sticks. They burn hotter, smoke gone. I guess there's less heat retention in a firepit than a wood burning stove, so nothing you learn keeping a stove going really translates to the open firepit.
Also, the more steel mass there is in the firepit, the easier it is. I've tried some thinner steel pits, washing machine drums etc and they're not as good as a thick steel bowl that gets some thermal mass and keeps itself going, and radiates nicely and more consistently so you're not constantly moving chairs as the fire rages then dies. Go heavy.
I solved my issues with an axe and a chopping block. I stopped throwing logs on the size they arrived and were stored (sort of quarter to 6th of a round) and chopped each log into 4 or 5 sticks. Not quite kindling sized, but somewhere in between. Just keep feeding it smaller sticks. They burn hotter, smoke gone. I guess there's less heat retention in a firepit than a wood burning stove, so nothing you learn keeping a stove going really translates to the open firepit.
Also, the more steel mass there is in the firepit, the easier it is. I've tried some thinner steel pits, washing machine drums etc and they're not as good as a thick steel bowl that gets some thermal mass and keeps itself going, and radiates nicely and more consistently so you're not constantly moving chairs as the fire rages then dies. Go heavy.
A mate has got one of these, and does seem to be remarkably smokeless.
Alternatively, save yourself £250 and go and find an old washing machine drum!
https://www.johnlewis.com/solo-stove-bonfire-2-0-s...
Alternatively, save yourself £250 and go and find an old washing machine drum!
https://www.johnlewis.com/solo-stove-bonfire-2-0-s...
rah1888 said:
A mate has got one of these, and does seem to be remarkably smokeless.
Alternatively, save yourself £250 and go and find an old washing machine drum!
https://www.johnlewis.com/solo-stove-bonfire-2-0-s...
That's going to look shiny and new for one burn, and then tarnish and look patchy.Alternatively, save yourself £250 and go and find an old washing machine drum!
https://www.johnlewis.com/solo-stove-bonfire-2-0-s...
Just get an iron pan from a scrap metal dealer or iron monger, and drill holes in it.
We’ve got a Solo stove and it still looks good after plenty of use - the outside has gone a bit rainbow-like in places with heat but actually I quite like that.
It’s not always smokeless; if burning crap wood like bits of pallet it can smoke and if it’s windy enough then the secondary burn is presumably not as effective. But on the whole, it’s definitely less smokey than a traditional fire pit. Looks nice with a big conical clean flame coming out of the top too, albeit it munches through the logs when it’s burning that hot! We like it.
It’s not always smokeless; if burning crap wood like bits of pallet it can smoke and if it’s windy enough then the secondary burn is presumably not as effective. But on the whole, it’s definitely less smokey than a traditional fire pit. Looks nice with a big conical clean flame coming out of the top too, albeit it munches through the logs when it’s burning that hot! We like it.
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