Quality
People consider buying a smokeless fire pit for a lot of different reasons, and I’ve heard ‘em all!
Some just want to be able to enjoy a night around the fire without getting bloodshot eyes and a sore throat. Others may just hate the smell that smoke leaves on their clothes. I’m firmly in this camp – I love a good fire pit, but I don’t want to smell like one!
However, a growing number of people are opting for smokeless fire pits for an entirely different reason: They want their fire pit to be as eco-friendly as is possible. That’s right – you can actually help the planet by using a smokeless fire pit instead of an old-school, traditional fire pit.
Below, I’ll explain how smokeless fire pits are “greener” than the alternative. I’ll also tell you about one of the best smokeless fire pits for people interested in being ecofriendly.
Is Fire Pit Smoke Bad for the Environment?
Yes. Next question.
Jokes aside, the smoke from a traditional fire pit is not great for Mother Nature. It’s full of all kinds of volatile chemicals that pollute our air and (eventually) water. It releases a few different kinds of carbon into the atmosphere, and it even produces something called “ozone precursors.”
Now, that doesn’t mean the tiny fire pit in your backyard is going to singlehandedly hasten the arrival of global warming and bring the planet to its knees. There are plenty of factories out there pumping tons of these pollutants into the atmosphere.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t all pitch in a bit, right? Especially when that’s so easy to do!
Just consider opting for a smokeless fire pit, which will allow you to stop some of these pollutants from getting into the air we all breathe.
How Does a Smokeless Fire Pit Work?
Smokeless fire pits work in the same manner that regular fire pits do, except that they’re much, much more efficient. And by that, I mean that they come closer to achieving something called “complete combustion.”
When you fire up a traditional pit, the wood burns and smoke starts pouring out of the top. This is because traditional fire pits only achieve incomplete combustion. The fire can’t burn everything efficiently, so nasty stuff like carbon and volatile chemicals are released in the form of smoke.
This can happen for a few reasons, but the most common issue is that the fire isn’t getting enough oxygen.
When you provide a fire with enough oxygen, it stops producing smoke and instead produces only water
vapor and carbon dioxide.
So, in a nutshell, a smokeless fire pit works by providing more oxygen to the fire.
Tiki Patio Fire Pits: An Example of an Eco-Friendly Fire Pit
Most of the people I talk to about smokeless fire pits understand things better when I use a specific example. So, let’s consider Tiki Patio Fire Pits – some of my favorite fire pits on the market.
The Tiki Patio features a ton of tiny little holes that let oxygen flow through the unit, which makes the fire burn hotter and more completely. But it isn’t just the fact that there are so many holes – it’s also the places these holes are located.
The Tiki Patio features holes at the bottom and top of the unit (as well as a steel grate that sits beneath the fire).
This is important, because it means that the fire gets enough oxygen at the bottom, where primary combustion takes place, as well as at the top, where something called secondary combustion to take place.
Secondary combustion is essentially what occurs when little particles that didn’t burn at the bottom of the fire have the chance to burn at the top of the fire. The result? Reduced pollutants and smoke.
The Tiki Patio also utilizes a metal shroud to help the fire burn hotter than a traditional fire pit would, which improves the fire’s efficiency even more.
Throw in a removable ash tray and an included weather-resistant cover, and you’ve got one great (and eco- friendly) smokeless fire pit!
There are a ton of ways we all could take better care of the planet. I try to recycle, and I’m getting better about walking or bicycling instead of hopping in the car. Maybe you have decided to donate to a wildlife charity, or you’ve started using an eco-friendly laundry detergent.
We all have to find our own path.
But I know one thing all fire-pit enthusiasts can do (and it’s pretty easy): switch to a good smokeless fire pit, like the Tiki Patio.
You also might want to read my review blog on the current best smokeless fire pits.
