Wind blowing down exhaust

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

lemans

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Dec 29, 2013
2,920
844
Jackson New Jersey
Help ,
I have a problem with wind blowing down my exhaust and killing the heat in the fire box
Other than relocating the pit, what else can I do?
Put a rt angle on the stack?
 
Hello.  Maybe I am being a little dense here but I have never had this problem nor have I heard of it being a problem, but they write entire encyclopedias about stuff I don’t know.  I have had the opposite problem of not getting enough air flow through my firebox.  Can we start by asking what smoker you are using and maybe a pic. or two of the smoker?  Also could you explain a little more about what is happening?  What size pipe is the exhaust?  I am thinking an offset or reverse flow here so I am having trouble seeing how this is happening.  Wind blowing 90 degrees to and across the top of the stack I get, but not “down” the exhaust unless your smoker is in some way between structures that cause the wind to “whirl” in some sort of “vortex” fashion.  Hopefully my “bump” will get you some better advice and we can both learn a thing or three.  Keep Smokin!

Danny
 
Danny
It is a chargriller duo which is on my top deck
As far as the vortex we'll you might have hit it on the head. This is where I has a gazebo blown away a few years ago.
 
I'm sorry.  I didn't mean too.  It was an accident!  
icon_biggrin.gif
  Hello.  I am grasping at straws here, just guessing.  I see that you do have a VERY short stack on the rig.  With that short stack, MAAYYBEE??.  
th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif
  I am just inclined to think that if you have proper airflow through your smoker the rising hot air from your stack SHOULD prevent wind being forced into your stack and cooling down the smoker.  The only thing I can come up with is that the smoker is in the wrong place as described above.  Unless you get better advice may I suggest a trial and error.  As I am no expert here and I assume you are not using your smoker in a hurricane or tornado, move it.  Just for fun try 2 or 3 different places and see if you are then able to control your temps in those areas.  If you can, problem solved.  We have all walked between buildings in certain places and found we were in a wind tunnel.  Maybe the particular spot where you have the smoker has that wind tunnel effect.  I am still fumbling and guessing here but should be worth a try.  Keep Smokin!


Danny
 
Help ,
I have a problem with wind blowing down my exhaust and killing the heat in the fire box
Other than relocating the pit, what else can I do?
Put a rt angle on the stack?
Turn the pit 180° so the wind blows into the intake on the SFB and your problem is solved. The prevailing wind should always flow toward the intake on the SFB, if it flows in the opposite direction it will reverse the air flow in the chimney and cut down the fire. I have had  this happen in with a wind strong enough to blow the flames of the burning wood out through the air intakes of the SFB
icon_eek.gif
.

A cap will not help and the right angle will not draw, which will also kill your fire.
 
Hello Lemans.  Mr. Carter raises a very good point  I had just ASSUMED you turned your firebox to the prevailing wind.  NEVER ASSUME!  Even if I had known the firebox was facing the wrong way I would have never come up with this one as I have still yet to hear of this problem before but if CC says he has had it before I am convinced.  I often turned my offset so the wind blows into the firebox but I guess I thought of it in the reverse.  No air flow INTO the firebox.  Never thought of it as wind blowing into the exhaust.  So we both learned something new!  Glad you got some more help with this one.  Keep Smokin!

Danny
 
In the science of aerodynamics, when air flow is moving faster on one side of an object, it creates a force going towards the faster moving side.

That's what makes all airplanes fly. The top of the wing is curved to make the air flow faster on top, creating an uplift force to make a heavy metal plane fly. That's why roofs get lift off houses in high wind.

Your smoker overall geometry probably is making the air flow faster on the bottom, and that drawings air down the stack. If that's the case, it will make no difference which way you turn your smoker.

Just a theory. 

dcarch
 
Last edited:
Hello Lemans.  Well there you go; problem solved!  You now have different 3 theories.  May I suggest you sell your smoker for scrap, buy a different smoker, relocate it and turn it to face a different direction!  
ROTF.gif
  SERIOUSLY now!  That's what I love about the forum.  So much knowledge out there and you get OPTIONS to try to solve your problem.  Options are a GOOD thing!  Try one at a time and see if you find a solution.  Good luck!  Let us know the results of your trials.  Will be interesting.  Keep Smokin!


Danny
 
Thanks all
Well I think I will move the smoker down to
Lawn level and get it out of the wind tunnel on my higher deck. Anyhow I see that a smoker and a wood deck are not the right combo.
I am noticing burn holes!!! Lol
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky