Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Chimineas
Ideally we recommend chimineas to be placed in an open area or just outside a roof line allowing them maximum airflow and ventilation. However in saying that hundreds of people use them successfully under covered areas /pergolas. It really depends on your individual situation. As a guide your roof should be average roof height of approx 2.4m or higher and the area should be open on minimum of 2 but preferably 3 sides and the chiminea should be placed on an open external edge or corner to allow maximum ventilation.
The heat dissipates very quickly from the top of the chimney and so with normal use heat affecting the roof is generally not an issue , it's more about allowing maximum ventilation for any fumes or smoke. Another point to be aware of is that in a covered are you're likely to get some soot build up and or discoloration of the underside of the roof which may require washing off as and when required. To assist with using your chiminea in undercover areas Charcoal can be a good fuel to use. Charcoal is the cleanest burning fuel available and can be good to use on it's own or in combination with good hardwood to achieve a hotter cleaner burn.
The Aussie Heatwave Chiminea is the only chiminea that is safe to use on timber decks. This is because it's cast in one piece with no vents, grates or base plates. There are also no holes or base plates in the bottom of the Aussie Heatwave, as is the case with inferior quality chimineas. Inevitably these flimsy mild steal base plates rust out and your fire then falls through the base of your chiminea & onto your deck! This can never happen with an Aussie Heatwave as it's one solid piece of cast iron. The Aussie Heatwave also doesn't have grates and vents instead it has 15kg of sand In the bottom which insulates the base & legs of the stand and prevents heat from radiating downwards. The legs of the stand stay cool enough to touch and hold while the fire is going so you don't need to worry about heat radiating down onto your deck. Many photos on our website show the Chiminea on a roller decks. The roller deck is only required for easy mobility it's not required to insulate the heat or protect your decking. The chiminea on either it's regular or Heavy duty stand only is perfectly ok to use on the timber deck as the legs don't get hot.
Both our Clay Chiminea and Cast iron Aussie Heatwave chimineas will rarely if ever need to be cleaned of ash. Once every couple of years you may decide to scoop a layer of ash out. Due to the design and the base of sand all the ashes and embers burn away to virtually nothing on the hot base of sand leaving little or no residue. Certain soft timbers will leave more residue than others but hardwoods tend to burn clean leaving very little residue.
Chimineas radiate approximately 2-4 m radius of heat depending on the size and type of Chiminea. Cast iron radiates more heat than the clay. In an independant test Burke's Backyard rated the Chiminea the most effective outdoor heater both in terms of heat and running costs. These tests were done on clay before we had developed the cast iron Aussie Heatwave Chiminea so you need to keep in mind that the cast iron would radiate a lot more heat.
You bet you can! Chiminea cooking is the best!! There’s nothing better than the fun and flavour of wood fired cooking on your chiminea.
Achieving a completely smoke-free fire may not always be possible, as some smoke is inevitable especially when you first light your chiminea. However, here are some tips and a video on how you can minimise smoke and create a cleaner burn in your chiminea.