It’s a warm summer evening, and all you want to do is kick back and relax by the bonfire. Unfortunately, a stubborn smoke cloud seems to follow you no matter where you sit. Since cavemen first discovered fire, we have all learned to put up with smoke as an annoying price to pay to enjoy a fun campfire, but did you know that there is a type of fire pit that can solve this problem? Smokeless fire pits are an innovative type of fire pit with a unique design that helps dramatically reduce the amount of smoke created. How does it work? Read on to learn more.
Why Do Fires Create Smoke?
First, it is time for a quick science lesson. In order to understand how smokeless fire pits are able to reduce smoke, we must first understand why fires produce smoke in the first place. Smoke is a strange combination of solid, liquid, and gas particles. But where do these particles come from? In order to start a fire, you need firewood. Each piece of wood combines water, carbon, minerals, and other compounds. When burned, the minerals are not burnable and ultimately become ash while some of the other compounds evaporate when they are heated.
Smoke occurs when the fire is not hot enough to burn away all of the particles and they are instead released into the air. Smoke mostly consists of carbon and tar. The particles are too small to see each individual piece, but when they come together they create a gray or black cloudlike form that we can see, feel, and, unfortunately, smell.
How Do Smokeless Fire Pits Reduce Smoke?
So how do smokeless fire pits help solve the smoke problem? Let’s examine the differences between a smokeless fire pit and a traditional fire pit. In order to keep a fire going, you need the right combination of fuel, fire, and oxygen. Traditional fire pits typically feature a bowl where the fuel is contained. This bowl contains the fire pit and fire but doesn’t allow enough air to get the fire burning hot enough to burn away all the particles.
Smokeless fire pits, on the other hand, feature a unique design that allows the fire to burn more efficiently. Unlike traditional fire pits, smokeless fire pits feature an innovative 2-wall design. Both the inner and outer walls of the fire pit feature vents which allows more oxygen to enter the unit. Oxygen is a highly important ingredient for fire-building and ensures that the fire will burn hotter than they would using a traditional fire pit.
Despite their name, smokeless fire pits cannot completely rid the fire pit of smoke altogether, but their efficient burning does a better job of burning away many of the particles that would ultimately become smoke. This will help get rid of that pesky smoke cloud that tends to follow people around during backyard bonfires.
What are the Benefits of Smokeless Fire Pits?
Besides the obvious perk of less smoke, there are a number of other useful benefits to using a smokeless fire pit.
No Campfire Smell
One of the major drawbacks of campfires is the smell of smoke that lingers on your clothes even after the fire has been extinguished. With less smoke produced, you can sit around the campfire without having to worry about how to get the smokey smell out of your clothes or hair.
Fewer Ashes to Clean
With smokeless fire pits, most of the wood material is burned up as fuel to keep the fire going. This means that there is less material left that can be reduced to ash and less maintenance and cleaning required.
More Consistent Fires
The unique design of smokeless fire pits ensures that fuel is burnt more efficiently. As long as a constant supply of firewood is provided, the fire should produce roaring flames that won’t die down until you are ready to call it a night.
Faster Cooking Times
With the right accessories, you can cook delicious meals over a smokeless fire pit. Plus, due to the extra hot fire the cooking time is quicker than you would expect.
Please note, just because smokeless fires burn hotter, this does not necessarily translate into more heat as much of it may escape out the top of the fire pit instead of moving to the surrounding area. Smokeless fire pits tend to produce the same amount of heat as their traditional fire pit counterparts.
Portable
There are many portable models of smokeless fire pits that make it easy to pack up and take on the go. This makes them a useful option for camping and hiking trips.
Smokeless fire pits provide all the fun and warmth of traditional fire pits while reducing the smoke, smell, and clean-up that comes with traditional fire pits. Add a smokeless fire pit to your backyard and gather your friends to celebrate the start of summer bonfire season.
Already own a traditional fire pit? Check our blogs 6 Easy Tips and Tricks to Reduce Fire Pit Smoke and How to Get the Smell of Campfire Smoke Out of Your Hair and Clothes to improve your campfire gatherings.
