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Can I use my Chiminea under a roof line or a pergola?
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.
Can I put a Chiminea on Timber Decking?
The Cast Iron Aussie Heatwave is the only chiminea that is specially designed to be used on timber decks. The solid one piece casting and thickness of the base and the bed of sand inside insulates the base and keeps the bottom and legs completely cool.
Clay chimineas are not safe on decking as they can crack and then your fire will fall onto the decking. Inferior quality cast iron chimineas like those made in China that have base plates and are in many sections with grates and vents are also not safe to use on timber decks as the bolts that hold the base together break and the fire will fall through onto the deck. Also the grates and vents allow too much air to get under the fire causing it to spit and spark and swirl ash and embers everywhere with any slight
breeze. In comparison the Aussie Heatwave will perform perfectly even in gale force winds without any ashes or embers being blown out of the firebox. This is all due to it€s unique design and the absence of grates and vents.
How Often do I have to clean ash out of my Chiminea?
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.
How Much Heat Do They Radiate and What are the Running Costs like in Comparison to other Patio Heaters ?
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.
Cut & paste the following weblink to view test results .
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Chiminea & BBQ Video on Bourke's Backyard