Do I want a firepit?

[Cindy87]

Any firepit owners out there, do you get much use out of it? Does it make you stink of smoke? Thanks!

We got rid of ours.
Everything stank of smoke!
Everything!
Shower required before bed ect
We had sockets put in and use electric heaters .
Much more civil 😀

Our neighbours have a fire pit , they use it quite a lot . Our gardens are not particularly large and I’m not sure what they put in it but it smells no different to a bonfire . My husband was working in our garden when they had it on last week and he stank of smoke when he came in and he had been no closer than 40/50 ft to the fire . It’s a bit of a nightmare for me and I have to close all our windows as I have emphysema and smoke makes my chest really tight . Unfortunately it’s one of those things that you have to put up with when you have neighbours .

No, bought it, used twice, put away for winter and never got it out again.

Hmmmm sounds like I don't want a fire pit.

Make everything stink of smoke (not envy)

I like ours. Makes a good focal point for gardening get-togethers and means we can sit outside longer because of the warmth. We do smell of smoke after, but nice smoked salmon smoke rather than fag smoke!

Your neighbours don’t want you to have a fire pit.

Not unless you want your neighbours to hate you

A gas fire pit would stop the smell of smoke

You will reek of smoke afterwards - and it's a pretty gross smell. The few times we used ours made us realise it wasn't worth the stench.

Where I live everyone has them but our houses are fairly spread out, so it's not seem as unneighbourly. But yes you do smell of smoke at the end of the night.

I love ours. Nothing quite like sitting round the fire, toasting marshmallows, looking at fireflies and slapping mosquitos.

TBF I live in Maine so they're sort of required, like Bean boots, Subarus, a hound rehomed from the south, and a canoe on top of your car.

We do only burn well-seasoned wood. And occasionally at the end of the academic year the kids burn all their homework.

You will smell of smoke and unless it is a totally still night you will spend half your time trying to move out of the direction of the smoke. A friend had one in her garden last year which 3 of us sat around trying to stay 2m apart after lockdown 1 - the experience definitely convinced me not to buy one.

Yes, but I think wood smoke is one of the loveliest smells in the world and I am not close to any neighbours to annoy.
Posters are absolutely right you cannot avoid getting kippered.

Yes, but burn charcoal in it, not wood. Treat it like a barbecue and light it half an hour before you want to sit round it. You don’t get the pretty flames, but you also don’t get kippered, and your neighbours will hate you less.

I haven't been able to get the smell out of my coat since I was last round a fire pit. My jeans were washed three times.

I wanted1 for ages and have had it for a year and used it no more than 5 times. Agree with pp who says use charcoal ....otherwise you do smell like a bonfire. I still love it, but it’s not the wisest use of money.

@takemetothelakes

I haven't been able to get the smell out of my coat since I was last round a fire pit. My jeans were washed three times.

Same! Quite enjoyed it at the time but in retrospect that cost is screwed 🤣

cost = coat!

We've got a cheap one and used it for the first time in ages a few weeks ago, smoke everywhere and we stank. While I don't mind when camping somehow I don't want that at home and I don't suppose my neighbours do either.

Not worried about neighbours, the layout of the gardens and where it would be means it wouldn't bother them. But I can imagine it being one of those things we use once or twice for the novelty and don't bother again. And they aren't cheap.

I'm so pleased I came across this thread.

I've wanted a firepit for ages and had daydreams of cosy family evenings in magical surroundings, toasting marshmallows...drinking mulled wine.

Thank God for a quick dose of reality from the vipers!

I can let go of the firepit idea with zero regret, having saved myself money.

I love fire pits!!!

We can’t have one where we live so I have ordered a gas one. Maybe it’s a bit naff but I am so
Looking forward to sitting around it and roasting marshmallows!!

This is so odd. I’d love to see a pic of the offending ones, because I went to a wedding last year and they had a fire pit - it was lovely, no smell of smoke that I remember, and it was lovely to sit next to with a gin in the evening!