Air intake vent above AND below fire grate...is this OK?

[busmania]

Does the opening need to be totally below the fire grate or is this ok?  I plan on having 2 vents on my firebox.  Each on opposite sides.

Is this OK?  I apologize for the terrible "drawing."  MS paint was acting up (not allowing me to draw straight lines).

air vent ok.dib

• busmania
• Mar 10, 2016

 

[daveomak]

Below is probably the "best" install of the 2 air inlets on a FB....   Your depiction is a compromise.... 

If you rotated the adjustable inlet 90 deg. it would probably work for the lower air inlet...

Smoker Exh and Intakes 2.jpg

• daveomak
• Mar 10, 2016

 

[busmania]

Thanks Dave. This will actually be a vertical smoker so no top vent. I should have mentioned that.

 

[daveomak]

Regardless of the smoker design, being able to adjust the heat and the air flow through the smoker is a good thing....

 

[busmania]

So are you saying even though it's Verticle, it will benefit me to have top and bottom vents?

 

[foamheart]

 
Regardless of the smoker design, being able to adjust the heat and the air flow through the smoker is a good thing....

                                                               

 

[busmania]

Thanks yall. After this discussion, I now have a new plan for my vents. I'll draw it up tomorrow.

 

[busmania]

How about this?  Not to scale but you get the idea.  Instead of doing full round vents, im thinking of just doing quarter vents.  I will be installing vents on TWO sides of the firebox.  Any downsides to doing the quarter vents and doing vents on two sides rather than just one side?

As always, thank you.

airvents.png

• busmania
• Mar 11, 2016

 

[daveomak]

You can just plug the upper 1/4 hole and leave the adjuster as is...

 

[busmania]

I am sorry dave, let me clarify something.  Are you saying I should still use the full round vent style but only cut one of the two triangles for air inlets?  I am making my own vents so I can design it any way, I just want what's best.  If I do the full circle vent (but only cut out bottom triangle instead of top and bottom), I think the vent will stay open easier than if I do just the triangle like above.  That said, I kind of like the look of just the triangle and I have a way to ensure they will stay open (spring on bolt).  Thoughts?

 

[daveomak]

If you are making your own, why not make the sliding vents like on the FB above...  They can be made of 18-20 gauge...

 

[busmania]

here is my design.  The fins will get in the way of a sliding vent.

smokermockup.jpg

• busmania
• Mar 11, 2016

smokermockupvents.jpg

• busmania
• Mar 11, 2016

 

[daveomak]

How about this.....

1smokermockupvents.jpg

• daveomak
• Mar 11, 2016

 

[busmania]

Once again Dave you have shown me the light. Thank you. I'll be doing circle vents. The reality is you only need as much "slide" as the diameter of the vents (plus maybe a 1/4". I wasn't visualizing it correctly. Thanks again.

Last question, is doing vents on two sides of the firebox a bad idea? I feel like with the vertical, it will distribute the air better.

 

[daveomak]

No idea which side would be better...  

 

[busmania]

Took your advice.  Having never used a plasma cutter, I did some practice holes and then got to work.  turned out almost perfect.  now onto the rest of the smoker.  Thanks again for the advice.

vents.jpg

• busmania
• Mar 15, 2016

 

[daveomak]

Looks good....    There are many ways to skin a cat.....