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Thread: natural gas fire pits

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    Default natural gas fire pits

    I'm doing some landscaping updates, and that will include an all-new fire pit area in the backyard. I hate burning wood, makes you stinky and takes too long. I like the idea of just flicking on a fire and having some drinks. I know real warmth from something like this requires some sort of media to create radiant heat. Has anyone done this? Any local suppliers or contractors?

    Something like this would work I guess...but I feel like 65k BTUs might be light.

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    Propane will throw about 40% more heat than natural gas. I know a gas line is super convenient but the BTU's just can't compare.

    I have one i take camping with some upgraded rocks and it fairs well for a party of 4 because you can get close enough but any more and you have to get too far away to get any heat. The ambiance is nice still though.

    I plan on making a smokeless wood burning fire put when i do mine this year. All also make the pit big enough so i can put my propane one inside it if im just looking for a quick sitdown with the mrs.

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    Quote Originally Posted by spike98 View Post
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    Propane will throw about 40% more heat than natural gas. I know a gas line is super convenient but the BTU's just can't compare.

    I have one i take camping with some upgraded rocks and it fairs well for a party of 4 because you can get close enough but any more and you have to get too far away to get any heat. The ambiance is nice still though.

    I plan on making a smokeless wood burning fire put when i do mine this year. All also make the pit big enough so i can put my propane one inside it if im just looking for a quick sitdown with the mrs.
    I'm thinkin that the construction of the pit itself might matter as much as anything.

    I was just looking at these guys:

    https://montanafirepits.com/product/...-15-75-burner/

    180,000 btu burner is pretty huge output.

    I'm looking at getting some of their steel logs built locally, perhaps.

    https://montanafirepits.com/product/...-pit-log-sets/

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    Need big btu if you want to use it for warmth. Those steel logs look awesome

    I vote for wood lol. Use birch. Heck put a gas starter in

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    Quote Originally Posted by dirtsniffer View Post
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    Need big btu if you want to use it for warmth.

    I vote for wood lol. Use birch. Heck put a gas starter in
    whats big btu?

    You can get burners that do 320,000 lol.

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    Seems like a lot of money and effort. How bad does the smell bother you?

    Maybe a natural gas starter is what you need to cut down the “takes too long” aspect?
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    guessing who I might be, psychologizing me with your non existent degree.

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    Not sure.. but I've been around enough 60,000 btu versions to know your not feeling much warmth, even at 2-3 away

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    The deal with any of these is that the radiant heat from the flames is decent, but those huge stone/concrete/brick bases will NEVER warm up, so it's not warming your legs like a wood campfire will. Not a problem, just good to know. If you are using for ambiance, doesn't matter. If you are using for heat on cool nights or in winter, you want one you can get right up close to.

    My 55,000 BTU portable propane fire pit for the trailer in fire ban season throws wicked heat for 4 people to sit around, as long as you are right up close. Sometimes we take it to the beach and roast weenies on it.

    Something like this your style?
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    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    The deal with any of these is that the radiant heat from the flames is decent, but those huge stone/concrete/brick bases will NEVER warm up, so it's not warming your legs like a wood campfire will. Not a problem, just good to know. If you are using for ambiance, doesn't matter. If you are using for heat on cool nights or in winter, you want one you can get right up close to.

    My 55,000 BTU portable propane fire pit for the trailer in fire ban season throws wicked heat for 4 people to sit around, as long as you are right up close. Sometimes we take it to the beach and roast weenies on it.

    Something like this your style?
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    I'm going to have an upper and lower tabled seating area. I'm planning gas powered radiant heaters (like restaurant patios) for these areas. What I'm talking about is more of a fire put area closer to the lake to sit around like a campfire by the water. So think comfy chairs. I'm thinking of building a low firepit with bricks, and putting a burner in them with some of those steel logs. That way people can put their feet up on it to get warm and it will be low enough to get the radiant heat out at knee level or lower.

    - - - Updated - - -

    something more like this (top image)

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    That's a nice setup, I can dig it.

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    I had a natural gas fire table and while it was nice I didn't really like it, the flame burned so clear that although it made good heat it wasn't really fun to watch. Sometimes a fire is just nice to stare at while sitting around chatting n shit. If I did it again I'd go propane or preferably a wood firepit.

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    Mr. Ford has a fire table that is heavily supplemented with glass "beads" but beads is the wrong term... Think of a marble that you squished. They radiate quite a lot of heat but overall, it's a patio gimmick and these other ideas are more suitable for your plan.
    C2H6 > CH4 as mentioned. But really, it's Canada - make a wood fire and use hardwood. Bonus is your hardwood stash also supplements cooking and smoking.
    Become a surgeon with a hatchet or a real axe. Bitches be sliding right off those cushy chairs.

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    Burn birch. No smoke, no lingering smells, lasts longer, very hot and leaves very little ash.

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    Some good thoughts here. The problem with wood compared to gas is that I don't use it enough. Gotta grab wood, and keep feeding it wood, and light it and blah blah.

    I've seen nat gas burning before, and it doesn't seem to burn clear? And in terms of heat, I think you can help that by just throwing BTUs at it, no?

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    Montana burners look interesting. I've always understood limitations on BTUs came down to the size of your fire bowl. Smaller fire pits would max at 60,000 btu with some companies offering 100,000.

    It's interesting to see the smaller size on the Montana style burner. I know code in canada now requires a blower box/thermo coupler which I'm not sure I saw in their videos. All fire tables must have built in safety features where the gas turns off if the flame ever blows out.

    180k up to 360,000 btus sounds insane. No one owns a fire table like that. Sounds like a great conversation piece worth looking into.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Buster View Post
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    Some good thoughts here. The problem with wood compared to gas is that I don't use it enough. Gotta grab wood, and keep feeding it wood, and light it and blah blah.

    I've seen nat gas burning before, and it doesn't seem to burn clear? And in terms of heat, I think you can help that by just throwing BTUs at it, no?
    Methane doesn't burn clear but it's not a captivating flame that humans find peaceful to stare at. I think that's a better way of putting it.
    There's something moth-like about humans that makes us compelled to gawk at controlled wood fires. Nat Gas is kind of, just pleasant heat...

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    May be obvious, but one of the best things we have around our fire pit is a bunch of wool blankets for the ladies.

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    For you guys with wood pits, do you have anything protecting your deck? I have some paver stones, but thinking i want a shield as well..

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    My wood pit is just that, a pit in the ground.

    No protection needed.

    A foot by foot concrete paver would do the job I imagine.
    Last edited by killramos; 04-16-2021 at 09:44 AM.
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    guessing who I might be, psychologizing me with your non existent degree.

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    The only way...The Uncle Gus way...

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