Silo Gazebo - Smoke Problem

[NCAlaskan]

Have searched around and cannot seem to find anyone with experience so thought some of you might have seen this before.

My cow hay guy gave me a 14ft silo which I have repurposed as a gazebo firepit hangout. See attached picture.
5 of 8 of the sections are open. The back three have panel to the floor. It is open about 8 foot up on the 5 sides. 32inches of panel around the top under the roof.

Here is the problem: the smoke from the fire doesn't vent out the 2ft hole in the top center. It sits under the top and then floats down to head level and vents out the side.

In my reading, I found people with outdoor fireplaces talking about heating a chimney. I don't have one to heat.
I also found suggestions about adding chimney height. I would rather not as it will look funny.

If it is a convection issue, would it help to put holes under the roof line. I don't like the idea of a fan but that would probably get flow going.

Any ideas?

 

[NormL]

Have searched around and cannot seem to find anyone with experience so thought some of you might have seen this before.

My cow hay guy gave me a 14ft silo which I have repurposed as a gazebo firepit hangout. See attached picture.
5 of 8 of the sections are open. The back three have panel to the floor. It is open about 8 foot up on the 5 sides. 32inches of panel around the top under the roof.

Here is the problem: the smoke from the fire doesn't vent out the 2ft hole in the top center. It sits under the top and then floats down to head level and vents out the side.

In my reading, I found people with outdoor fireplaces talking about heating a chimney. I don't have one to heat.
I also found suggestions about adding chimney height. I would rather not as it will look funny.

If it is a convection issue, would it help to put holes under the roof line. I don't like the idea of a fan but that would probably get flow going.

Any ideas?

I know you said you don't like the idea, but how about a ceiling fan like you see for living rooms and other areas. They are quiet, reversible, and come with light fixtures that you could "play" with for interesting effects.

 

[RickB]

You're either going to need a fan to force the smoke out or add a chimney so convection draws it out.
A third option would be a turbine vent if you have reliable breezes.

 

[MossRoad]

You could try building a smokeless fire pit. Doesn't look too hard.

 

[Captain Dirty]

What sort of fuel are you burning? With a good draft (as Moss Road's post shows) a seasoned, hardwood (oak, Hickory, and others) will burn almost smokeless. If, like many of us, you are burning damp, punky, half-rotten wood that would otherwise go to a burn pit or a composting gully, the fire will smolder rather than burn.

 

[NormL]

You're either going to need a fan to force the smoke out or add a chimney so convection draws it out.
A third option would be a turbine vent if you have reliable breezes.

I considered suggesting the turbine vent but in my experience, they're noisy and from the pic provided, the reliability of a consistent breeze is doubtful. The chimney option would probably evoke chuckles and references to the "Tin-man from Oz".

 

[RickB]

I considered suggesting the turbine vent but in my experience, they're noisy and from the pic provided, the reliability of a consistent breeze is doubtful. The chimney option would probably evoke chuckles and references to the "Tin-man from Oz".

It's not my gazebo so I'm not worried about "looks". That's for the owner to decide. The goal is to remove the smoke. He doesn't want a fan or chimney, my guess is he's either gonna learn to like smoke or go without fires.

 

[tomplum]

The smokeless fire pit idea works. On what I had built out of steel, I welded tube to the bottom and ran it out the side. It wouldn't take much to do the same here. Myself I would run steel tube or tile in a trench to feed the fire the O2 it needs to burn. It should reduce the smoke a fair amount.

 

[jmc]

Maybe an "inside chimney" that drops down toward, and is heated by, the fire; but not so low that it interferes with heads and sight lines? Larger inlet than your 2' outlet and tapered.

afterthought: elevating the fire pit would help with the above and might provide options for better combustion.

 

[mike0000]

A Cupola with an exhaust fan?

Mike