Propane Fire Pits

Propane Fire Pits, Fueled by a Cylinder Rather Than a Gas Line

A propane fire pit burns the same liquid propane as a grill, from the same kind of refillable cylinder. Nothing is plumbed in, so there is no trench across finished hardscape, no licensed gas fitter, and no reason the fire pit has to stay where you first set it down. That is the whole argument for propane. The cylinder is also the argument against it, and where it goes is the first thing to settle.

Where the Propane Tank Goes

The cylinder has to sit somewhere, stay outdoors, and get swapped when it empties. The designs here handle that three different ways.

• Concealed in the base behind an access door. The most common approach in this collection, across Top Fires, American Fyre Designs, The Outdoor GreatRoom Company and HPC tables. Nothing shows but the flame, and you open a door to change the tank.
• Alongside the unit, with a cover sold separately. Most concrete and steel fire bowls have no cavity for a cylinder, so it stands beside the bowl on a hose, and a cover to conceal it is sold separately. Budget for one, and for a spot where the tank is out of a walkway.
• Inside an enclosure you build. American Fyre Designs publishes the spec for this in its fire table manual: non-combustible construction, at least 16.5 inches of interior width and 22 inches of interior height, the cylinder secured and standing at least 2 inches off the floor, and a hose run no longer than 10 feet.

Why Enclosure Ventilation Is Not Optional

Propane vapor is heavier than air. American Fyre Designs states it plainly: L.P. gas will accumulate or pool in an inadequately vented enclosure or recessed area, and an ignited pool causes an explosion. Every rule about propane enclosures follows from that one fact.

Their requirement is four vent openings of at least 10 square inches each, two near the top and two at floor level, plus two drain openings, all kept clear. A sealed cabinet looks tidier and is the wrong build. For the same reason the cylinder never goes in a garage, a shed or any enclosed space, even between uses.

Propane or Natural Gas

The fuel is a hardware choice made at the order, not a setting. Propane runs at a higher supply pressure than natural gas, so the burner ships with a fuel-specific orifice and the two are not interchangeable. American Fyre Designs lists separate orifice part numbers for each, and a Top Fires bowl arrives with its orifice and hose already matched to the fuel you picked.

Choose propane when the patio has no gas service, when running a line would mean digging up finished hardscape, or when the fire pit may move. Choose natural gas for a permanent spot that gets used constantly and never runs out mid-evening, and accept the cost of a professional running the line. Some models offer a manufacturer conversion kit afterward, but most are ordered in one configuration and stay that way.

Three Formats, and Who Each One Suits

• Fire bowls are the vessel and nothing else, so they read as an object in the landscape rather than furniture. The tank usually lives outside the bowl.
• Fire pit tables do double duty as a surface, hide the cylinder in the base, and come in coffee, dining and bar heights. That page covers the height and shape decision in full.
• Freestanding sculptural pits sit between the two: too tall and too deliberate to read as a bowl, with no tabletop. Fire Pit Art builds this format in hand-worked carbon and stainless steel.

Ignition, and What Each Type Needs

Match lit is the most common system here and the simplest: a manual valve and a long lighter, no power at the fire pit. Electronic ignition adds push-button or remote start and, on all-weather systems, an automatic relight if a gust blows the flame out. It needs power, which is worth checking before you commit to a spot in the middle of the yard.

What to Confirm Before You Order

• Decorative media is required. A gas burner needs fire glass or lava rock over it to spread the flame and shield the burner, and the quantity scales with the size of the unit. Some models include it, many do not.
• Check the floor, not just the footprint. Top Fires publishes one clearance sheet covering all its fire features: non-combustible flooring underneath, and non-combustible paneling installed under the unit if it sits on wood decking.
• Check the clearances too. The same sheet calls for at least 48 inches around the fire pit and at least 96 inches of overhead clearance from the top of it.
• These are decorative appliances, not cooking appliances, certified to the outdoor decorative gas appliance standard and rated for outdoor use only.
• A big burner needs the right regulator. American Fyre Designs rates a single-stage L.P. regulator hose assembly to 95,000 BTU and a two-stage to 150,000, and the hose assembly is not included. On a high-output model, confirm what the burner needs before the delivery arrives.
• A burner cover or lid turns it back into a surface. Not every model offers one, so confirm it if the daytime look matters.

Explore Related Fire Pits

• Fire Pits, the full range across every format and fuel
• Fire Pit Tables, every fuel type in one place
• Gas Fire Pit Kits, a burner and pan to drop into an enclosure you build
• Fire Pit Accessories, covers, wind guards and media