Incredible Ways To Reduce Smoke In Your Fire Pit

If you burn firewood in your fire pit and experience excessive smoke, there are a few ways you can reduce the smoke. Read on as we get to the bottom of what causes smoke in your fire pit and what you can do to reduce smoke. Excessive smoke in your fire pit is usually the result of incomplete combustion of firewood due to excess moisture in the wood or burning older wood that hasn’t been dried properly.

The burning of wood types that contain sap and other substances can also be a contributor to excess smoke in your fire pit. Improper stacking of your wood during the fire-building process can also cause smoke. It is, therefore, important to choose the wood that has been dried adequately if you want to reduce the issue of excess smoke from your fireplace. Here are some common causes of excessive smoke in your fireplace and how to reduce it.

Using wet wood

Wet wood causes a lot of smoke when burning. The moisture in the wood should first heat up and burn off and then turn into steam. The steam mixes with the smoke of the burning wood to make the smoke thicker than the smoke that comes from dry wood. Wet wood is also problematic because it prevents wood from burning hot. Smoke will begin at a lower temperature than flame, so if the wood is smouldering it will create too much smoke to bear. When the fire is hotter, it will create less smoke and more flame. Wet wood is not good for burning because it makes everything difficult.

You can easily prevent this by getting dry or seasoned wood from your firewood delivery company. Make sure you use firewood that has less than 10% moisture content. Greenwood will have a moisture content of over 50% and even seasoned wood can have up to 30% moisture.

Burning wood with fungus and mould

If you use seasoned wood that has sat outside for a very long time, it could grow fungus or mould. When you burn wood, it will burn off the fungus and mould and these things create a lot of smoke. They are not the kind of thing you would wish to be released into the air around your family or friends. You should therefore inspect your wood for mould or fungus and do not burn it if it is not clean. Choosing to burn wood that has been kiln-dried will prevent this problem. Kiln drying kills all the fungus, mould and bugs and makes your wood cleaner and safer to burn.

Burning yard debris

If you do not have dry pieces of firewood to start your fire, it can be tempting to start your fire with pine straw, leaves and pinecones. These can sometimes create a quick flame. They can also create a lot of ash and smoke. Yard debris is quite wet and this means it has a lot of moisture that will contribute to the smoke. Yard debris reduces the flow of oxygen and this makes it harder for your fire to heat up and properly burn.