Using heat diverter in cabinet smokers

[kadjenter]

Why is a heat diverter needed? In a smoker with a water pan such as those used in Backwoods smoker, is the heat diverter needed?

[tbob4]

I have one in a specially built unit that has a heat diverter. The smoke goes through a box from the firebox and back into the cabinet. The water pan sits directly above the fire, making a seal between the bottom and top, thus the box and the diverter. In my other upright unit I use a Lodge griddle to act as a diverter and a water pan. A reason to use a heat diverter in an upright is that if you are using a water pan you will find that the food directly underneath the pan benefit from the humidity but food going upward on the sides can dry out a bit. I would imagine that a diverter above a water pan would nicely spread the humidity through the unit. I would have to know what unit you are looking at to really know if it is needed or not.

[flht01]

I think it would depend on how the cabinet/firebox is made. I'm running a Pitmaker vault and the firebox top - waterbox bottom is the same plate. The diverter for mine is a plate that slides in a track a few inches below the fb/wb plate (directly above the fire). It works as a sacrificial plate protecting the fb/wb plate. Since I run the cooker dry, it helps prevent warping the fb/wb, especially considering its stainless and I occasionally run at temps between 350 and 400 f.