Chimineas and Fire pits? Advice please
Discussion
Hi all,
My Dad says he wants some form of wood fired outdoor heater, so I'm looking at buying one for him.
I'm looking at fire pits and Chimineas, but realistically which gives out the best heat for a few people to sit around on a larger patio?
My guess is the old style solid Chimineas with the hole in one side to put logs in don't give out that much heat? But I notice the newer Chimineas have a mesh 'bowl' at the bottom where the logs sit so that the heat from the flames comes out all round through the mesh presumably?
Or are fire pits the way to go?
Don't mind spending a bit more for something decent and a bit bigger.
Any suggestions welcome.
My Dad says he wants some form of wood fired outdoor heater, so I'm looking at buying one for him.
I'm looking at fire pits and Chimineas, but realistically which gives out the best heat for a few people to sit around on a larger patio?
My guess is the old style solid Chimineas with the hole in one side to put logs in don't give out that much heat? But I notice the newer Chimineas have a mesh 'bowl' at the bottom where the logs sit so that the heat from the flames comes out all round through the mesh presumably?
Or are fire pits the way to go?
Don't mind spending a bit more for something decent and a bit bigger.
Any suggestions welcome.
Having used both they have pros and cons for each. A fire pit warms up really quickly and give off more heat, but you end up sticking. A Chimenea warms up slowly, get a metal one, and the smoke goes upwards through the chimney, so less smell. However I find they need constant feeding to j
Keep them hot.
Keep them hot.
sospan said:
Unless wood fuel is a must have then how about a gas firepit?
Costs a bit more but some nice designs available.
My dad has plenty of chopped and dried firewood as he has a regularly used log stove, so it would be easier for him if it was wood burning.Costs a bit more but some nice designs available.
Knowing my dad as I do: If it was gas, the initial gas bottle would run out, he would then never go and get another citing "The price of gas bottles these days is ridiculous" and "It didn't last 5 minutes" and that would be the end of it
The secret to getting plenty of heat and no smoke is burning nice dry wood.
I have a basic open fire pit and we were sat out in Aberdeenshire until 3am in short sleeves on Friday. No noticeable smoke once up and running and we were too hot at times! Some nice dry Scots pine and some scrap wood from an old gate.
I have a basic open fire pit and we were sat out in Aberdeenshire until 3am in short sleeves on Friday. No noticeable smoke once up and running and we were too hot at times! Some nice dry Scots pine and some scrap wood from an old gate.
snowandrocks said:
The secret to getting plenty of heat and no smoke is burning nice dry wood.
I have a basic open fire pit and we were sat out in Aberdeenshire until 3am in short sleeves on Friday. No noticeable smoke once up and running and we were too hot at times! Some nice dry Scots pine and some scrap wood from an old gate.
Nice. Exactly my kind of fire to have a cosy cup of cocoa in front of.I have a basic open fire pit and we were sat out in Aberdeenshire until 3am in short sleeves on Friday. No noticeable smoke once up and running and we were too hot at times! Some nice dry Scots pine and some scrap wood from an old gate.
(I woke the neighbour up with that one - he reckoned he thought is what morning sunrise!)
We had a clay chiminea and now have a metal fire pit.
For heat, the chiminea won, easily. The design means air passing over the chimney helps the fire enormously. It used to swirl around inside and got extremely hot. It was a shame the chiminea cracked when we had a very cold winter and it wasn't wrapped enough outside.
Fire pit: we always need a shower after using it. Like a couple of kippers!
There's a reason the chimineas you're looking at have sold out.
For heat, the chiminea won, easily. The design means air passing over the chimney helps the fire enormously. It used to swirl around inside and got extremely hot. It was a shame the chiminea cracked when we had a very cold winter and it wasn't wrapped enough outside.
Fire pit: we always need a shower after using it. Like a couple of kippers!
There's a reason the chimineas you're looking at have sold out.
snowandrocks said:
The secret to getting plenty of heat and no smoke is burning nice dry wood.
I have a basic open fire pit and we were sat out in Aberdeenshire until 3am in short sleeves on Friday. No noticeable smoke once up and running and we were too hot at times! Some nice dry Scots pine and some scrap wood from an old gate.
haha, that's just sitting in front of a bonfire. I have a basic open fire pit and we were sat out in Aberdeenshire until 3am in short sleeves on Friday. No noticeable smoke once up and running and we were too hot at times! Some nice dry Scots pine and some scrap wood from an old gate.
Lord Marylebone said:
My guess is the old style solid Chimineas with the hole in one side to put logs in don't give out that much heat? But I notice the newer Chimineas have a mesh 'bowl' at the bottom where the logs sit so that the heat from the flames comes out all round through the mesh presumably?
Trouble I find with the mesh sided ones is all the smoke comes out there if there's any wind at all - the chimney doesn't do anything. I think they should be solid apart from where you put the logs in.And obviously anything from B&Q et al is made from the cheapest steel available and will look crap after the first use and rot through in a couple of years max.
Edited by Jambo85 on Thursday 24th September 11:19
Clay and cast iron crack so avoid those. We got a modern looking stainless one off ebay and it's been fine, it's basically a piece of sheet rolled into a cone with a disc to sit the wood on welded into the bottom. The downsides to any are smoke and ash being blown around and onto you.
I was looking into this years ago when I was moving to a place with my first garden, and I seem to remember reading/researching that you could buy (for want of a better word) treated wood that gave off no smoke/smell etc?
In the end I didn't get a fire pit so I wasn't able to test this out, but does this sound true, or just a sales gimmick and no matter what you do, you will smell of smoke if you're sitting near open flames?
In the end I didn't get a fire pit so I wasn't able to test this out, but does this sound true, or just a sales gimmick and no matter what you do, you will smell of smoke if you're sitting near open flames?
have both so just gone out to photo for you
The Chiminea I have had for 20 odd years and heavy as hell cast iron jobby.
The Firepit a trendy 'Kadai' one, 70cm I think
We use both and to echo some of the above- the Chim takes a litttle while to warm up but radiates the head well and less smokey. I just drop another log down the top to fill. I believe the clay ones dont survive well with frost and the lightweight tine ones also die quickly.
The Firepit is good fun and we use with a Pizza oven on top a lot. Down side- and perhaps as we are rather exposed on the garden, is that the firepit is far more susceptible to winds affecting the heat output - essentially blowing away.
The Chiminea I have had for 20 odd years and heavy as hell cast iron jobby.
The Firepit a trendy 'Kadai' one, 70cm I think
We use both and to echo some of the above- the Chim takes a litttle while to warm up but radiates the head well and less smokey. I just drop another log down the top to fill. I believe the clay ones dont survive well with frost and the lightweight tine ones also die quickly.
The Firepit is good fun and we use with a Pizza oven on top a lot. Down side- and perhaps as we are rather exposed on the garden, is that the firepit is far more susceptible to winds affecting the heat output - essentially blowing away.
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