Do Chimineas Smell of Smoke? How Smokey is a Chiminea?

Do chimineas smell of smoke is a question you may be asking if you want to place one close to the house or near a neighbor’s property. You may also be wondering do chimineas smell of smoke if you are concerned about the smell sticking to your clothes.

In this article, you will find out whether the smell of smoke from your chiminea is too much or actually quite pleasant most of the time. We share some tips on how to reduce the amount of smoke coming from your chiminea and how to manage the smoke by selecting the correct position.

Do Chimineas Smell of Smoke?

Chimineas do smell of smoke whenever you are burning anything inside. Whether you use wood, charcoal, or firelogs, they all produce some smoke as a byproduct of the combustion. Whether you will smell the smoke when you are sitting around it is another question and depends on the wind direction, where you use your chiminea, the type of fuel, and many minor factors.

How Smokey is a Chiminea?

The amount of smoke produced by a chiminea depends on the type of fuel and how much of it and not the chiminea itself. The amount of smoke you actually get in your face is very minimal with a chiminea because of the chimney design. So compared with other types of outdoor fires it is not very smokey at all.

If you were to hold your face over the chimney or leave the cap on by accident you will certainly get a blast of red hot smoke in your face. But if everything is working as it should then you will hardly notice the smoke from your chiminea when sitting around it.

Below are some of the common questions about chiminea smoke and reasons a chiminea can smell extra smokey:

Does Wind Direction Make a Chiminea Smokier?

Yes, the wind direction can have a big impact on how much smoke you encounter when using a chiminea which is why the location is so important. If the wind is blowing in all directions then at some point the smoke will change its course and come back on you. Wind will never blow directly down the chimney and force the smoke out of the opening but it can get in and cause some smoke to ‘leak’ out.

Should you put your chiminea facing the wind or with the back against it? In my experience, you are better off protecting the opening by putting the back to the wind. The reason for this is that wind can disturb the ash if it blows directly in and then you have smoke and ash to worry about.

Where to Put Your Chiminea to Avoid the Smell of Smoke

The best place to start is where not to put your chiminea if you don’t want the smell of smoke to be a problem. You should avoid putting it too close to the house or your neighbor’s house or beneath any open windows to prevent the smoke from getting in. You should also avoid places that are prone to be battered by the wind or that don’t have a good escape route for the smoke.

The best place to put your chiminea to avoid smoke is at the corner of your patio the furthest away from the house. If you don’t have a patio or want to put it on the bare ground you should seek somewhere with a little wind block and lots of open space above.

What is the Best Fuel to Reduce Chiminea Smoke?

You can get certain charcoals and firelogs that have reduced smoke but there is another way you can go with this. Hear me out. Instead of trying to reduce the amount of chiminea smoke, why not just wood that smells better? Fruit tree wood like cherry, apple, and pear trees smell extra sweet when burnt and don’t smoke much either.

If you really want the least smoke then we suggest the Thaan Thai Style Charcoal or the Duraflame Fire Logs but no product that you burn is ever smokeless so don’t be fooled.

Why Do Some Chimineas Smoke More than Others?

It is not the chimineas that are smoking but instead the type of fuel and how hot the fire is. The two easy rules to go by are that hotter fires smoke less and seasoned hardwood or fruit tree wood is the best type of wood to burn. Wood that is too green or too soft will smoke more and if the flames die out you can expect much more smoke.

The more you tend to and care for your fire the less smoke there will be. Similarly, the pickier you are about the type of fuel or firewood will have a massive impact on how much smoke comes off. So if one neighbor knows what they are doing and the other doesn’t, you better hope the wind is blowing in the right direction.

Do Chimineas Produce Less Smoke than A Firepit?

If you were to burn the same amount of fuel in a chiminea and a fire pit then they would both produce the same amount of smoke. The difference is that a chiminea will direct all the smoke upwards whereas the smoke from a firepit is free to blow where it likes. So they produce the same amount of smoke but you will not experience the same levels of smoke when sitting around them.

Does Chiminea Smoke Smell Bad?

Smoke smells bad if you burn dirty fuel. What do I mean by dirty fuel? I mean wood that has paint or varnish on it, rotten wood, damp wood, greenwood, and any other type of wood that is not dry and seasoned specifically for the chiminea. You can also use firelogs and eco charcoal which are designed to produce less smoke.

Smoke that smells bad will often make you cough and sting your eyes. You can also sometimes see darker smoke and green/blue colors in the flames as chemicals are burnt. You can tuck your face inside your shirt for some quick protection but you should fiercely avoid inhaling any kind of toxic smoke from wood.

We hope we answered your question of whether chimineas smell of smoke, we would love to hear what you think.