Fire pit vs Chimnea

[joewilly12]

I currently have a huge fire pit on my patio this past weekend we went to a fall family gathering at a friends and he had a chimnea everyone commented how no one smelled like a wood fire like they usually do when they are at home sitting near the fire pit.  

What is the choice here? 

[Maxman]

Fire pit. This way everyone smells and you cut burn huge piles of wood.

[OH THE PAIN]

10 hours ago, joewilly12 said:

I currently have a huge fire pit on my patio this past weekend we went to a fall family gathering at a friends and he had a chimnea everyone commented how no one smelled like a wood fire like they usually do when they are at home sitting near the fire pit.  

What is the choice here? 

Stay inside on the warm couch in front of an electric fire pit .

[jetophile]

I prefer a chiminea re: the smoke factor, but I'd  rather just make my own firepit for a bonfire if there's a bunch of people. A lot of commercial firepits rust through rather quickly, it seems. 

[PFSIKH]

I have a clay chimnea.  When we purchased it, it came with a stand.  It is heavy (>75 pounds).  Eventually the stand broke.  I have been searching for another stand for about four years.  Surprisingly, the stand is not a big demand item in the South.

[joewilly12]

Not sure yet if I want to replace my mac daddy cast iron fire pit with a chimnea but not smelling like a piece of burnt wood was really refreshing after standing next to it. 

[The Crusher]

Chimneas eventually break.  Had a couple they crack from the heat then someone bumps into it. He gone.

[joewilly12]

9 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

Chimneas eventually break.  Had a couple they crack from the heat then someone bumps into it. He gone.

Wouldn't go clay Crusher cast iron is my choice. 

[Dcat]

Fire pits billow out a ton of smoke.  Not only does it stink everything up, but depending on the wind direction, that smoke can leave an ugly residue on the vinyl siding on the house.    Yuck.  We barely use our fire pit any more.  

[joewilly12]

8 minutes ago, Dcat said:

Fire pits billow out a ton of smoke.  Not only does it stink everything up, but depending on the wind direction, that smoke can leave an ugly residue on the vinyl siding on the house.    Yuck.  We barely use our fire pit any more.  

Agree and this happens quite often at my house with the bonfires and thats before I toss on the Jets memorabilia. 

Im constantly power washing the siding near the fire pit. 

[joewilly12]

Considering one of these..

[nj meadowlands]

I don't think chimnea's produce as much heat. Also think sitting around a firepit with a group (while it is smellier, yes) is much more enjoyable.

[joewilly12]

3 minutes ago, nj meadowlands said:

I don't think chimnea's produce as much heat. Also think sitting around a firepit with a group (while it is smellier, yes) is much more enjoyable.

Depends on the seating arrangements I have some big bonfires in my backyard and the women complain of the smoke and the smell that lingers its all a matter of preference I guess. 

[peebag]

1 hour ago, nj meadowlands said:

I don't think chimnea's produce as much heat. Also think sitting around a firepit with a group (while it is smellier, yes) is much more enjoyable.

If you're naked, it's also more enjoyable.

[joewilly12]

Maybe a change in plans. 

[Larz]

I have installed gas firepits. total pain in the ass, lots to think about and plan, but no smoke, no clean up and a variable flame.

if you do it, make sure there is a flame monitoring device (pilot). don't get cheap and get a "turn the valve and throw a match" one, lol

[Integrity28]

On 11/16/2016 at 3:16 PM, joewilly12 said:

Considering one of these..

 

On 11/16/2016 at 10:17 PM, joewilly12 said:

Maybe a change in plans. 

These seem like budgetary extremes. 

I hate the chimanea. I had the stone kind and destroyed it on my first night using it. I literally took it back to Home Depot in pieces and told them I followed directs and it crumbled to pieces. LOL

I have a pit built from pavers, like the one in your second picture, but mine is just a simple out under the stars. I love the look of the paver stove/pit, but my backyard is woodsy and I prefer the simplicity of my "camping" pit, as we call it in my family. You can built it for cheap too...

My stones are grey, not pinkish. It's perfect for drinking, smores and letting my little one tell us stories.

[joewilly12]

17 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

 

These seem like budgetary extremes. 

I hate the chimanea. I had the stone kind and destroyed it on my first night using it. I literally took it back to Home Depot in pieces and told them I followed directs and it crumbled to pieces. LOL

I have a pit built from pavers, like the one in your second picture, but mine is just a simple out under the stars. I love the look of the paver stove/pit, but my backyard is woodsy and I prefer the simplicity of my "camping" pit, as we call it in my family. You can built it for cheap too...

My stones are grey, not pinkish. It's perfect for drinking, smores and letting my little one tell us stories.

I have a cast iron tank of a fire pit that I bought a few years ago its in great condition and serves its purpose.  The problems arise with the smoke and slight wind sitting by a fire pit you are bound to get smokey.  The brick paver models like you have sometimes dont radiate the heat near the base is what I've seen in them I could be wrong they look good but the purpose is defeated and you need to really load them up with wood to generate any heat.  

The chimnea seem to direct the heat and control the smoke from my research. Im looking at a cast aluminum model indestructible lifetime warranty. 

Im not installing that big outdoor fireplace the mason told me it would be about $2500 or more. 

[Integrity28]

On 11/21/2016 at 3:52 PM, joewilly12 said:

I have a cast iron tank of a fire pit that I bought a few years ago its in great condition and serves its purpose.  The problems arise with the smoke and slight wind sitting by a fire pit you are bound to get smokey.  The brick paver models like you have sometimes dont radiate the heat near the base is what I've seen in them I could be wrong they look good but the purpose is defeated and you need to really load them up with wood to generate any heat.  

The chimnea seem to direct the heat and control the smoke from my research. Im looking at a cast aluminum model indestructible lifetime warranty. 

Im not installing that big outdoor fireplace the mason told me it would be about $2500 or more. 

I can confirm that the stone ring style of pit built with pavers doesn't radiate heat outward, only upward. I've been tempted to spread mine so the bricks aren't butted up against each other, to allow heat to seep out the sides, but frankly don't know if it'll work... and haven't had time to tinker with it.

 

[isired]

I can confirm that the stone ring style of pit built with pavers doesn't radiate heat outward, only upward. I've been tempted to spread mine so the bricks aren't butted up against each other, to allow heat to seep out the sides, but frankly don't know if it'll work... and haven't had time to tinker with it.

 

I think that will not radiate heat out. It will likely draw cool air in through those gaps, because they are sort of beneath the fire, and make the fire burn faster and the flames higher (upward). I'm guessing this because my limestone fireplace has gaps on the left and right at too and bottom - the lower gaps (slightly above tye floor of the fireplace) draw air, the upper gaps (about 2 feet above the top edge of the face of the fireplace, so we'll above the wood and flames) pumps out hot air. I mention that it's limestone because I'm totally unknowledgeable about fireplaces (it was there when we bought the house) and I don't know if that affects anything, or if it's just the look.