What way should your pellet smoker face.

[graywolf1936]

I read somewhere that in mild wind you should face your smoker/

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• graywolf1936
• Feb 2, 2014

hopper to the wind or away from the wind?

 

[seenred]

Hmmm...never gave that much thought.  I try to get mine out of the wind...when it's cold or windy, I put my pit under my covered porch.  But if it were exposed to the wind, I could see how the direction it faces relative to the wind could make a difference.  

Red

 

[graywolf1936]

Red, I was reading that if a unit gets starved for  oxygen it could seek it thru the hopper causing back fire.  I am trying to find the article.

 

[seenred]

 
Red, I was reading that if a unit gets starved for  oxygen it could seek it thru the hopper causing back fire.  I am trying to find the article.

That sounds reasonable...let us know what you find out.

Red

 

[graywolf1936]

I found this:

: Always face the front of the grill into the wind.  If you face the fan side of the grill into a strong wind, the wind can speed up the fan causing an erratic fire.  If you face the back (vent side) of the grill into a strong wind, the wind could slow down the air flow again causing an erratic fire.   

 

[seenred]

I found this:



: Always face the front of the grill into the wind.  If you face the fan side of the grill into a strong wind, the wind can speed up the fan causing an erratic fire.  If you face the back (vent side) of the grill into a strong wind, the wind could slow down the air flow again causing an erratic fire.   

That makes sense...thanks graywolf...

Red

 

[roger47]

I've had a couple episodes of back fire into the auger after the unit is turned off.  Too hot or wind direction?

roger 

 

[bill1]

I've had a couple episodes of back fire into the auger after the unit is turned off. Too hot or wind direction?

roger

Roger, you don't just unplug your pellet machine when you're done do you? You want to hear the fan running after you shut down. That keeps the fire burning UP from your crucible and not following the fuel path INto your auger shaft. After a while the fire is fully burned out--all pellets in the crucible are gone (your auger should have quit turning/feeding as soon as you turned off) and a bit later is the design point to turn off the fans too. Then you can safely unplug.

To the general topic, for cookers using natural draft, wind can have a significant effect. By the Bernoulli effect, wind can create a vacuum at your air input essentially sucking the fire and smoke out of your machine. But these pellet machines use forced air...the combustion fans move quite a bit of air. I'd be surprised if winds would have ANY effect.