Outdoor Fire Pit Questions

[My Dream]

DW and I have been talking about redoing our back yard and I wanted to introduce a ng or pgs (propane) fire pit. I checked online and the pricing are quite expensive for what I want so I was wondering if anyone had built one before from a kit? If feasible then I can mention it to dear wife with related costs since I know that will come up within a couple minutes into the conversation.

I was going to surround the pit with interlock to match the surrounding stone, but I guess I need some sort of access for the shut off valve. My question was more on the kits rather than the stone facing surrounding the fire pit.

I checked into codes and they were more concerned about wood burning since that flame is not as controllable. I was also told that if someone did complain just have a pack of hotdogs close by.

These are what I was thinking:

 

[ducky911]

Funny that a sponsors ad popped up selling fire pits when i open your post...?

 

[ChiliPepr]

Funny that a sponsors ad popped up selling fire pits when i open your post...?

I do not believe that has to do with the poster...it has to do with the words in the post... ER uses AdSense for the ads, companies pay AdSense to show their ads when certain words are used in a Post... So, someone paid AdSense to display their ad whenever "Fire Pit" is used on a page.

The same would happen if you used gmail and used "Fire Pit" in an email.

As for fire pits... I have been considering putting in a fire pit, just not sure I want to lose the space.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I like the idea a lot. But I'd use wood, so not much help to you with the kit for propane.
I think it wouldn't be too hard to install, though, but don't blow yourself up!

 

[My Dream]

Thanks for the reply Sarah:

I considered wood burning but I have a couple issues:

I would need to store the wood in a dry place.
I believe the cost per hour would be more then let's say a 50k btu fg which is probably around 50 cents per hours.
It maybe a bit more involved in lighting if slightly intoxicated.
Wood burning takes a bit more time to put out after the evening if over.

Any suggestions or personal experience would be appreciated.

 

[RockyMtn]

I purchased an unfinished/unassembled unit and then wrapped in the same wood as my deck. There are places on line that will sell just the guts and frame and then you can wrap in wood, brick, stone, etc. Really quite simple to put together if you have basic tools. Had a pro run the gas line though.

 

[TromboneAl]

There is a reasonable chance that you would spend some serious coin on a fancy propane unit, and then find that after one season, you don't really use it a lot. I was going to go this route, but realized that it's far to foggy/misty here at night, and we'd just never use it.

A friend has built an elaborate fire pit area with seating for 15 and a pizza oven. I bet he only uses it once a year.

For that reason, I'd suggest getting something simple and cheap, like this:

and see how you like it. If it works out, sell it on craigslist and buy a fancy propane unit.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Thanks for the reply Sarah:

I considered wood burning but I have a couple issues:

It maybe a bit more involved in lighting if slightly intoxicated.

Any suggestions or personal experience would be appreciated.

Would seeing my cousin burn all the hair off his legs after starting a bonfire with gasoline (see intoxicated, above) qualify as personal experience?

 

[harley]

Would seeing my cousin burn all the hair off his legs after starting a bonfire with gasoline (see intoxicated, above) qualify as personal experience?

Pshaw! I've started any number of fires while intoxicated. It's fun!

Regarding the OP, I'd go with T-Al's suggestion. Get a cheap wood burning portable fire pit and use it for a year or so. See how much you use it, how much problem the wood is, and if then if you want to you can upgrade to a big, possibly gas, firepit.

 

[My Dream]

Thanks for the suggestions people:

We have both a wood burning and natural gas fireplace in our home and when we have company over, well normally use the wood burning before the party gets started. Once the liquid libation is flowing we'd rather press the remote and bamn, it's on. Much easier to turn off as you don't have to wait to the last bit of flame goes out before going to bed. The ng fireplace is used maybe twice per month during the winter and the novely has not worn off after about 20 years.

We would have more of an issue with the wood buring when it comes to code. Plus I'm sure sometimes DW and I wouldn't mind sitting in the backyard some evening with a glass of wine and listening to much for maybe and hour. With the ng unit, it lights easy and turns off easy, so it would get used much more often.

My budget for the ng unit would be $1000.00 if I can find one I really like in that price range then I'll present it to my better half. I would probably sit maybe 6-8 people around a 36" unit, 50-55" including stone top.

Something silimar to below would be nice.

 

[My Dream]

I came across this unit but it's about $2500.00, frikin hell!!!. That wouldn't include the brick facing surround the unit, or the glass stones. althought I think they're remote light which I don't need.

EDIT:

I just found out the remote electronics are over $1000.00 alone so that reduces the price quite a bit.

 

[Free To Canoe]

Geez. Can I hang out with you guys?
My fire pit is a bunch of rocks that I burn scrap lumber in. I look down upon my low brow neighbors who use rusty 55 gallon drums.

The pits shown look suitable for Roman gods.

 

[TromboneAl]

I came across this unit but it's about $2500.00, frikin hell!!!.

For that price you could buy four laptops, set them in a circle, and run this

Bonfire - Romance Version - YouTube

 

[pb4uski]

DS and DW gave me a "redneck" firepit for Father's Day a couple years ago. They found a tub to a topload washer and a steel wheel at the landfill and had a local guy weld the tub on top of the steel wheel and we occasionally have outdoor fires in it.

A friend a few doors down the street has a fancier one that has rebar welded to the top as handles.

I love mine but suspect that OP is looking for something a bit more fancy.

 

[Sarah in SC]

DS and DW gave me a "redneck" firepit for Father's Day a couple years ago. They found a tub to a topload washer and a steel wheel at the landfill and had a local guy weld the tub on top of the steel wheel and we occasionally have outdoor fires in it.

A friend a few doors down the street has a fancier one that has rebar welded to the top as handles.

I love mine but suspect that OP is looking for something a bit more fancy.

This post is useless without pictures! What with Father's Day coming up around the corner, I'd surely like to get some ideas!

 

[travelover]

DS and DW gave me a "redneck" firepit for Father's Day a couple years ago. ........

You just can't beat a 55 gallon steel barrel with holes slashed in the side. So cozy on a chilly night. Plus, you can get rid of the trash at the same time.

 

[pb4uski]

This post is useless without pictures! What with Father's Day coming up around the corner, I'd surely like to get some ideas!

Here you go!! Ain't she a beauty!!!

 

[pb4uski]

You just can't beat a 55 gallon steel barrel with holes slashed in the side. So cozy on a chilly night. Plus, you can get rid of the trash at the same time.

Ah, shucks.... mine is much more sophisticated than a plain ol' steel barrel.

 

[Lisa99]

This is our propane firepit from Lowe's. Retail online is $399.

As you can tell, our outdoor couch is round and eight people can easily sit around the firepit.

Lowe's also has square propane firepits in the same price range.

You can buy them online this time of year or wait until the end of the winter season and get one at the store on sale. We got ours for $299 as a floor model.

 

[pb4uski]

I wonder if you could build a base and hearth from stone and integrate into it a ng logset (like in a ng fireplace). Might be a more reasonable cost.

 

[My Dream]

This is our propane firepit from Lowe's. Retail online is $399.

You can buy them online this time of year or wait until the end of the winter season and get one at the store on sale. We got ours for $299 as a floor model.

Hey I don't mind that one and I'm sure I could work with it.


I guess it comes down to whether you want it:

In stainless steel or galvanized
Size of burners
Amount of Btu's
Match start, electronic start, remote start etc.
Stainless steel pan or curved edge pan.
Whether you want the gas to automatically turn off if the flame goes off.
Glass, or imitation logs
etc.

We dont' need the remote or anything larger than maybe a 18" wide flame. I also don't need the gas to automatically shut off but I would like the glass stones so I guess I can probably budget maybe $500.00 for the unit and maybe another couple hundred for a top and stone sides.

Now, I'l wait till DW is in a good mood before I present her with the option of having one in our "backyard patio" design.

 

[travelover]

Ah, shucks.... mine is much more sophisticated than a plain ol' steel barrel.

Yea, that truck rim base really adds a de-luxe appearance.

 

[meekie]

We have a propane one. I keep running out of propane in my grill and stealing the tank, so it doesn't get used as much as DH likes. You also have to reach underneath to turn it on, and it seems to be a real magnet for spiders, which freaks me out.
I'd love to upgrade to a natural gas one.

 

[bld999]

"Whether you want the gas to automatically turn off if the flame goes off."

I'd be wanting that feature, in fact, don't the available retail ones have that feature?

 

[TromboneAl]

This is our propane firepit from Lowe's. Retail online is $399.

As you can tell, our outdoor couch is round and eight people can easily sit around the firepit.

Lowe's also has square propane firepits in the same price range.

You can buy them online this time of year or wait until the end of the winter season and get one at the store on sale. We got ours for $299 as a floor model.

It looks like the heat would be too high for the people on the couch. True? Do the sides get warm?