How to Light a Propane Fire Pit? 6 Easy Steps To Follow

How to Light a Propane Fire Pit

Basically, there are two major types of fire pits. You have the wood-burning fire pits and the gas fire pits.  Although both of them have their pros and cons, in our opinion, gas fire pits are better in numerous ways.

The only advantage that wood fire pits have over gas fire pits is the crackling of wood and the burning smell. Some people find the crackling sound irresistible. So, they will always go for the wood fire pits.

On the other hand, wood fire pits emit a lot of fume into the air, and they also give off smoke that will continue to smell on your clothes until you wash them.

Also, it is much more difficult to light a wood fire pit and to quench the fire. To extinguish a wood fire pit, you need to wait for it to die out or douse it with water.

Gas fire pits are more convenient in several ways. First, they burn smoothly. They neither give off any chemical nor emit smoke. Also, it is very easy to extinguish a gas fire pit. Just close the gas valve. Once the gas supply ceases, the fire will go out.

Both propane fire pit and gas fire pit are seen as gas fire pits because they both have all the advantages listed above. However, a fire pit that uses natural gas has one huge advantage over the one using propane. Since it will be linked to your main supply, you won’t need to bother about replenishing its fuel.

For propane, you will need to refill the propane when it runs low. For this reason, you may want to convert your propane fire pit to a gas fire pit. This article is meant for you. We have outlined the steps on how to light a propane fire pit and how to convert it to a gas fire pit.

What Is A Propane Fire Pit?

To put it in very simple terms, a propane fire pit is the kind of fire pit that runs on propane. Its source of fuel is propane. In a propane fire pit, a line is connected from a propane tank to the burner in your fire pit.

To run the fire pit, there will be a seamless supply of propane to the burner. The supply is controlled with a valve. It is very easy to extinguish the fire pit. All you have to do is to close the valve that supplies the propane, and the fire will go off instantly.

Propane fire burns smoothly without any smoke or any harmful fume. It is eco-friendly.  You can have your pets and kids sit around a propane fire.  When you run out of propane, you have to refill the propane tank.

How to Light a Propane Fire Pit?

Lighting a propane fire pit is easier than lighting a wood fire pit, but it is as easy as lighting a gas fire pit. Here are the steps on how to light a propane fire pit.

Step 1:

Open the propane valve slightly. For safety reasons, you should not open it fully.

Step 2:

Start a fire with a long lighter and push it near the burner. It is mandatory to use a long lighter so that your hand will not get too close to the burner.

Sometimes the fire starts with a mild “boom”. If your hand is too close, it could get scalded. So, always use a long lighter to keep your hand at a safe distance to the burner.

Step 3:

Let the fire burn for some minutes before you decide to either open the valve more or leave it the way it is. It all depends on how intense the flame is.

Step 4:

You can now sit around it for as long as you want.

Step 5:

Never leave the fire unattended, especially with kids and pets around. Don’t trust your children with fire.

Step 6:

To put off the fire, you only need to close the valve, and the fire will go off in a second.

Signs of Propane or Gas Leaks

The biggest danger in using a propane fire pit is leakage.  It is possible for the propane tank or the pipe to start leaking without your notice. Here are the commonest signs of leaks.

Hissing is a big sign that there’s a leakage somewhere.  The hissing sound may get louder when the volume of propane leakage increases.

You already know what can happen when you light your fire pit during a leakage. For this reason, we advise people to wait for a few minutes after opening the valve slightly. Listen very attentively and see if you will hear any hissing sound.

Another sign is a rotten egg smell. When you perceive sulfur or this funny smell of a rotten egg immediately after opening your gas or propane valve, then it is certain that there’s a leakage.

Leakages don’t go away. You must fix them. If you close the valve and open it after a few days, the leakage will still be there if you don’t fix it.

The leakage could be from the propane pipe or line, it could be from the tank, and it could be from the joint between the line and the tank. So, your next step is to find out which of the three is leaking before you know what to do.

How to Fix Leakages?

Here are the steps to take to fix leakages.

Step 1:

Try to confirm the source of the leakage. Close the valve and see if the leakage continues. If the leakage continues, it means that your propane tank is leaking.

Change it. On the other hand, if the leakage stops after you lock the valve. It means that it could be from the joint or the pipe.

Step 2:

Open the valve again and pour some soapy water around the joint between the propane line and the propane tank. If the soapy water begins to bubble, it means that the leakage is from the joint. Tighten it further. If the leakage does not stop, change the joint.

Step 3:

On the other hand, if the soapy water does not bubble when you pour it on the joint, it means that the leakage is from the pipe. Change the pipe.

How Long Does A Propane Fire Pit Last?

All fire pits are very durable because they are built with tough materials.  Gas and propane fire pits last even longer because you don’t need to douse them with water to extinguish them.

So, a propane fire pit can last for more than half a century if it is well-maintained.  In fact, we have seen a propane fire pit that was built over 30 years ago, and it is still functional up till now.

How Long Will A Propane Fire Pit Burn?

A propane fire pit will continue to burn until you close the valve or until it runs out of fuel.  So, the answer to this question depends on the capacity of the propane tank and the amount of propane left in the tank.

That being said, on average, a propane fire pit can burn for about 3 to 8 hours before it goes off. This estimation is based on the average capacity of common propane tanks.

How to Convert Propane Fire Pit to Natural Gas?

Converting a propane fire pit to natural gas is not so difficult. Here are the steps involved.

Step 1: Remove all the rocks or glass in your fire pit to give you clear access to the burner.

Step 2: Go to the underneath of the burner and remove the propane hose or line connected to it.

Step 3: Run another hose from your main gas supply to the burner and connect it to the underneath of the burner.

Step 4: Wait for a few minutes to be sure that there’s no hissing sound or rotten egg smell. In addition, you should pour some soapy water on the joint and see if there’re bubbles.

If not, it means there’s no leakage. Open the valve slightly and wait for about 2 minutes to be sure that there’s no leakage. Then, you can light the burner to see how it burns.

Step 5: If you are satisfied with its flame, you can extinguish it by closing the valve. After that, you can arrange the rocks or fire glass back in the fire pit. Your gas fire pit is ready.

Final Word

As a reminder, this article has taught you how to light a propane fire pit, how to convert a propane fire pit to natural gas, signs of leakage, and how to fix the leakage.

We are glad that you took the time to read it through, and we are also sure that it is worth your time. Finally, don’t forget to share all the knowledge you acquired from the article.

June Brandt
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