How Do Smokeless Fire Pits Work? The Science Behind a Cleaner Burn

November 18, 2024

Why Choose a Smokeless Fire Pit?

If you’ve ever spent time around a traditional fire pit, you’ve likely experienced the struggle of dodging smoke while you’re trying to enjoy the ambiance. Whether it’s drifting into your eyes or causing you to retreat inside for a breather, smoke can be a real buzzkill when you’re meant to be relaxing. Some fire pits are designed for maximum heat, others for portability, and others for fuel-efficiency. And you’ll find some smokeless fire pits that share these fantastic design features. But minimizing smoke is where smokeless fire pits really shine, as you can probably tell from their name.

But Wait, Where Does Smoke Come From?

We’ll get into how smokeless fire pits work in a bit, but first it’s important to understand where smoke comes from to begin with. Basically, smoke comes from the moisture and gases in your fuel source that aren’t burned up as your fire burns. So the more moisture there is, the more smoke there will be.

Sure, you could use a gas fire pit or fuel that holds less moisture, like wood pellets, but the vibe just isn’t the same without a few glowing logs and the aroma of burning wood. Alternate fuel, like wood pellets, also tends to be more expensive than regular wood, which can add up over time. Plus, there’s something undeniably satisfying about the sound of crackling logs burning on an open fire—an experience that wood pellets just can’t replicate.

Are Smokeless Fire Pits Actually Smokeless?

Technically, no wood-burning fire is ever truly smokeless. Even using wood pellets instead of logs will produce some smoke. But a good smokeless fire pit will keep smoke to an absolute minimum, even during an authentic wood-burning experience, crackling logs and all.

How Do Smokeless Fire Pits Work?

Short answer: Smokeless fire pits are cleverly designed to use air circulation and efficient combustion to minimize smoke. That means the smoke that would be ending your bonfire early is burned up before it gets a chance to escape and ruin all the fun.

Longer answer: Smokeless fire pits typically feature vented double walls that allow air to flow into the fire to keep the flames going, while also promoting secondary combustion. Here’s how it works: Starting the fire creates the primary combustion, which also creates smoke, since not all of the fuel combusts. Remember, smoke is the result of unburned moisture, gases, and smoke particles. The genius of smokeless fire pits is that by channeling that unburned material into the chamber created by the double walls and heating it with the fire, it gets a second chance to combust and burn up before escaping (thus, secondary combustion). Meanwhile, airflow is maintained through a series of vents to keep your flames burning, without all the pesky smoke.

Conclusion

Thinking of adding a smokeless fire pit to your outdoor setup? If you’re tired of dodging smoke but still want a real wood-burning experience, check out Ash & Ember for a cleaner, more enjoyable burn. We offer smokeless fire pits that look great in any environment, from weathering steel to carbon steel models.