Opinion on air intake.

[danbury]

I've been cooking on a UDS in one form or another for many years. The one that I made some years back and use now has two 3/4" intake (ball valves) located on each side of the drum.  I usually have both of them open while the coals are coming up to cooking speed and then close one off and adjust the other one till I reach my preferred temp, usually 225 - 250 for pork/beef and 300 - 350 for chicken/turkey.

I now want to build a new one for two reasons.  Aesthetics and one or two other modifications that are mostly internal for my style of cooking as well as due to a foo-barred back, I want to bring my intake valve(s) up the side a bit higher so I don't have to bend over. (Yea, I know I can open and close with my foot.. just hate doing it)  I would prefer to have just one intake and increase the size of the intake to inch and a half or two inches.

I will be putting in one of those Pitmaster IQ temperature controls at some point, so I will have the fitting installed and capped till I can order one.

I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here.  Just trying to make it prettier and try to reduce fittings as much as I can.  I like the valve set up so one way or the other will be sticking with that.  I am using a dome lid (Weber).

Should I go with 1 1/2" or 2" intake?  Other opinions welcome.

 

[chiefusn]

The area of a 3/4" intake is .44in². You have two so that would give you .88in² of intake area. A 1½" intake has 1.77in² of intake area. a 2" intake has 3.14in². You do need to take into consideration the length of pipe and how many 90° bends you'll use as this will restrict airflow. I personally think you would be fine with a 1½" as this is twice the amount you currently have.

Chad

 

[danbury]

Thanks for replying.  I was thinking "If" I did go with one 1 1/2" and bring it up the side, I would have one 90 at the bottom and then a 90 at the top so the valve opening isn't pointing straight up.  So 2 90 degree bends is what I was thinking.  Could I still get away with a single 1 1/2"?

Nothing is decided yet.  I'm still in the planning stages at this point. On one hand I like the aesthetics of a single intake, but if it is going to be at the cost of good functionality, then I would choose to stick with the standard setup that I have now.