# How to better move heat through my smoker



## Jaxturbo3 (Jul 29, 2019)

I built my smoker a while back and it works pretty well, doesn’t take much to get it hot, holds heat well, the only issue I’m having is it’s tough to move heat through it evenly. Near the fire box it will be hot but it doesn’t seem to move the heat as far as I’d like. Any ideas?


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## Jaxturbo3 (Jul 29, 2019)




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## HowlingDog (Jul 29, 2019)

The picture is not showing up for me.  Could repost the picture or try a different one?


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## Jaxturbo3 (Jul 29, 2019)

This link might take you to the gallery I posted a while back on imgur. Let me know if that doesn’t work.


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## HowlingDog (Jul 29, 2019)

There the pictures are, Thanks.   On the fire box, what do the air inlets look like?   Looks like it should draft well.  Have you tried tuning plates all along the pit, not just the one near the firebox?   What is the temp near the box, and on the opposite side?


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## HowlingDog (Jul 29, 2019)

Although it is a vertical, here are the plates in my smokerView media item 554653
Even in the short space I have, they do even out the heat distribution....


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## Jaxturbo3 (Jul 29, 2019)

I haven’t tried any other plates, and I’ll have to get a picture of the air vent when I get home. I can get the area next to the fire box up to about 250 and it’ll drop to 210 or so by the far side of the vertical.


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## JWFokker (Jul 29, 2019)

Could try insulating the horizontal cook chamber. Seems like you're losing heat before it reaches the vertical chamber. A longer baffle or more tuning plates in the horizontal could help too.


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## daveomak (Jul 29, 2019)

Add air inlets directly across from the FB/CC opening... That will allow air flow to move heat from the FB through the system...   AND, being above the fire, will not increase the heat in the smoker...  
You will have the lower air inlet to adjust the heat generated.....

Folks here build their smokers with that design...


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## Jaxturbo3 (Jul 29, 2019)

This is my air inlet on my fire box


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## daveomak (Jul 30, 2019)

I would put 4 each ~1 1/8" holes with a slide damper at the location shown..  Be sure the holes are 1 1/4" or more apart so there's no overlap..


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## Jaxturbo3 (Jul 31, 2019)

Is there an advantage to doing multiple small holes compared to one big one?


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## daveomak (Jul 31, 2019)

Distribution of air flow...  Better for burning up any creosote that may be in the FB...
This is my choice...


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## Jaxturbo3 (Aug 2, 2019)

Would a pinwheel damper work?


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## daveomak (Aug 3, 2019)

Jaxturbo3 said:


> Would a pinwheel damper work?



Yes...  install it in the horizontal position....


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## Jaxturbo3 (Aug 3, 2019)

What size pin wheel do you think I should use?


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## daveomak (Aug 3, 2019)

CC Dia inches x CC Dia inches x 0.7854 x CC length inches x 0.001 x 0.2 = Square inches for the upper air inlet opening..


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