Don’t we all like a cool evening outdoors catching up with family or friends as we seat around a glowing fire pit. The fun, the shared memories, the laughter and the cooking sessions all make part of a wonderful fire pit experience, which is why fire pits are becoming popular to many homeowners, with many opting to design make fire pit construction plans of their own
There is a satisfactory feeling one gets from designing something from scratch up do I would imagine with a fire pit, to see it fully operational after hours of work just heightens the fire pit experience that much more. However, due to the nature of fuel used, designing and making fire pit construction plans and the actual building process for a gas fire pit is quite different from a typical wood burning fire pit.
With a gas fire pit, the intensity of the flames is determined by connected variables such as the fire pit location, the gas pressure, the size of the fire pit burner and burner BTU rating among others which is not the case the case with a wood burning fire pit. These factors are connected during the building process to ensure the fire pit operates at its optimum.
This is why, you must confer with a gas technician before you purchase anything or attempt to build anything. A gas technician will be able to advice you accordingly depending on your gas source, size etc and any other fire pit related issues. By getting expert advice, you will avoid future problems and disappointments caused by poor installation that will result in a poor operating fire pit that may turn out to be quite expensive in the long run not to mention it could be a dangerous endeavor.
So what are these variables that you and your technician need to determine when making fire pit construction plans?
Gas pressure at source
The gas pressure at source where you connect into will determine how much gas is supplied to the fire pit burner for flame height and intensity.
This where a qualified gas technician when making fire pit construction plans is able to determine how much gas pressure will be required in the burner. If there isn’t enough gas pressure at the source to feed the burner, the technician will be able to advice on the possible adaptations that can be made to increase the pressure or give the necessary alternatives on say, burner size and fire pit location.
All in all for liquid propane gas as a fuel, there shouldn’t be any pressure related issues at the source if the air valve is turned correctly.
Location of your fire pit.
The hose length, connecting the fire to the gas source is important when it comes to the pressure of the gas that is fed into the fire pit burner. You see, the longer the distance traveled by the gas from the source to the burner, the less the pressure it will have. Also, how many ‘corners’ the gas has to cut to reach the burner may have a reducing effect on the overall gas pressure into the burn
BTU rating of your burner/ ring
All gas burners come with a BTU rating. BTU (British Thermal Unit) could this case simply mean the heat value of a fire pit fuel. Basically, BTU rating is how much gas your burner would need to consume to generate reasonable heat.
The BTU rating will indicate what gas pressure is needed in the gas burner for maximum results.
The size of your fire pit.
When making your fire pit construction plans, the first thing you will want to determine is how big you want your fire pit to be, which will be determined by the number of people who will sit near the fire pit near enough to enjoy the warmth.
Remember, the size of your fire pit will determine the size of your burner.
Size of your fire pit burner
Depending on the size of your chosen burner, the BTU rating will differ. Usually the larger the burner, the more the gas required by the burner to produce reasonable heat. This means that the gas getting into the fire pit will need to be at a higher pressure.
Other than for cooking, a good fire pit must be able to provide enough heat for warmth and heat is as a result of your fire pit producing reasonable flames. All the above factors have a role to play in order to achieve good flames in your fire pit, which is why, unless you have the necessary expertise, first have gas technician examine your gas supply first before you go ahead and make any fire pit construction plans.
