Fire pits are a winter must-have, but there is nothing magical about a backyard covered in smoke.
To really get that beautiful red color and crackling fire warmth, your pit should be smokeless.
Finding the Best Smokeless Fire Pit won’t be hard, but creating your own adds another cottage-core element to your beautiful backyard.
How To Make A Smokeless Charcoal Fire Pit
As you can guess from the name, charcoal fire pits are fueled by … charcoal. It’s important to distinguish between the fuel you are using, as wood can leave your winter party covered in ashy smoke.
Charcoal creates a cleaner burn. To generate this fire pit, you’ll need charcoal, a fire starter, lighter fuel, and a fire pit.
Step 1 – Add The Coal
Make sure the charcoal is evenly distributed in the base of your pit. Don’t fill the pit up, instead only use what you expect you’ll need for the event.
Step 2 – Add The Fire Starter
You can use tinder or any other method to help get this fire going, but we suggest a fire starter. They are easy to use and quick to flame up.
Whatever material you’ve picked, tuck 2 or 3 under the coals and others on top. This should help the fire spread.
Step 3 – Add The Lighter Fuel
Add a couple of squirts to the fire starter and some of the coal too. This should help the fire start up quickly. The quicker the fire starts, the less smokey the beginning will be.
Step 4 – Light The Fire Starters
Using a long match, so you don’t get hit with the flame, light up your fire starter. The material has been doused in lighter fluid, so the fire should start very quickly. The quicker the fire arrives, the less likely you’ll receive smoke for this “catching” moment.
Once the fire has caught onto the charcoal, those black pearls will do the rest – creating a smokeless fire pit.
How To Make A Smokeless Fire Hole
Also known as a Dakota fire hole, this type of fire pit is perfect for a spot of camping. Depending on the location of your campsite and the rules they allow, you can make a Dakota fire hole to add to your wilding adventure.
To make sure this pit is smokeless, you need to provide oxygen to the firebase, use oils to help quicken the fire, and avoid logs with moisture.
The real trick is to make the fire sit on the top of your biggest logs.
You’ll need logs, a strong poking stick, a shovel, and a small spade.
Step 1 – Dig Two Holes
About one foot apart, dig two holes. Make the holes around one cubic foot deep, and then dig a tunnel connecting the two. You should end up with a u-shape.
This is to make sure the fire gets that all-important oxygen.
The hole you want to use as the pit should be bigger than the oxygen hole.
Step 2 – Add Firewood
Like you would normally do, add firewood to your hole. Remember to only put it in the biggest hole. Stack the hole using the biggest kindling first and the smallest kindling on top. If you have brambles or newspaper, use this as the final layer as it’s the easiest to light.
Step 3 – Light Your Fire
Set the top layer aflame. The hole underneath the fire will pull oxygen into the logs, which will keep the fire going.
As the fire will be intensely burning without the wind catching it, the flame will be almost entirely smokeless.
How To Reduce Smoke In Your Fire Pit
If you already have a fire pit, but it keeps producing smoke no matter what fuel you’re using, then it’s time to follow this step-by-step process instead.
Step 1 – Obtain A Steel Tank Ring
The interior of your fire pit has probably been worn away through years of use. This worn structure will probably need to be replaced.
You can do this with a steel stock tank ring. Once you find one in the right size, drill holes along the top parts of the ring. This is to create airflow.
Step 2 – Fit The Ring To Your Fire Pit
Remove any rubble or debris from the fire pit. Then, insert the ring. Make sure there is a gap between the barrier and the center, to ensure airflow.
Step 3 – Remove Base Fire Pit Blocks
Depending on the size and the state of your fire pit, you may need to remove some of the base blocks. Most likely, 2 or 3 locks should be taken out. This should increase airflow to your pit, which will reduce the smoke.
Summary
As you’ll have learned from these three examples, it’s the under-air flow that creates a smokeless fire pit. That or the materials you’ve used as fuel.
