Which are the best fire pit burners currently on the market?
Fire Pit Burners are a very straightforward piece of equipment from a technological standpoint. So it is pretty surprising that there is so much misinformation about them.
This article will provide the lowdown on how fire pit burners work, the different kinds available, and which are the best for you.
Putting aside the shape of the burners, which we will address a little later, currently there are two types on the market: conventional or standard burners and burners with ‘nozzles’.
It might surprise you to learn that neither option is universally considered the “best fire pit burner.” Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and which flame pattern appeals to you most.
What is a Nozzle Burner?
On our website, the ‘nozzle’ burner options are the Bullet Burners manufactured by The Outdoor Plus, the Torpedo Burners manufactured by HPC Fire, and finally the Crossfire Burners by Warming Trends.
Burners with nozzles or tips create a bigger flame, and for ‘bigger,’ you should read ‘taller.’ However, the flame style or shape is very different from that of a conventional burner.
The nozzles work similarly to squeezing the end of your garden hose to create a more powerful water jet; the nozzles generate a jet of flame.
What size flame can you expect from a Torpedo, Bullet Burner, or Crossfire Burner?
HPC’s marketing tells us that we can reasonably expect a flame of between 22 and 26 inches. The Outdoor Plus states that you can expect the minimum flame height of a correctly installed Bullet Burner to be 18 to 20 inches.
Key Differences between Conventional & Nozzled Burners
- Installation: Nozzles or Tips should protrude above the gas ring; they must not be covered by lava rock or fire glass. In contrast, a properly installed standard burner is buried beneath the lava rock or fire glass.
- Flame: The nozzle burner projects individual jets of flame that shoot up from the fire pit surface. With a conventional Burner, the gas rises and is dispersed through the fire media where it ignites, producing a very different flame style.
We are regularly asked, ‘Should I use a nozzled burner?’ as if there were some technical reason to choose one. There isn’t; it is purely a matter of which flame style you prefer.
Gas Consumption
The second most-often-asked question is “Don’t they use less gas?” ‘More flame, less gas’ is a marketing slogan attached to nozzle burners, but it must be interpreted correctly.
The answer lies in the BTU ratings. If you replace a 100,000 BTU-rated standard burner with a 100,000 BTU-rated nozzle burner, both would use the same amount of gas per hour if the gas valves were fully open. However, the nozzle technology would generate a much taller, more impressive flame.
The gas consumption advantage of the nozzles becomes apparent when the gas flow is reduced, enabling it to achieve a similar flame height to that of a standard burner while using less gas.
Common Misconception
Customers often turn to nozzle burners to improve the poor flame size produced by their current standard burner. However, 90% of poor flame performance is due to a mismatch between the available gas flow and the burner’s BTU rating. Given this, replacing a poorly performing standard burner with a nozzled burner of equal BTU rating is unlikely to solve the problem.
If you only have 100,000 BTUs available to your burner and install one rated at 200,000 BTU, the result will be disappointing, to say the least!
For greater detail on matching BTUs and Gas Supply, please see the following article for a more in-depth look at this concept: How to successfully build a gas fire pit – Part 1.
Conventional Burners
Conventional Burners operate differently from nozzle burners.
The burner is designed to be covered with lava rock or fire glass, through which the gas must percolate via the small nooks and crannies to reach the surface. This ensures more even distribution and helps create a consistent, visually appealing flame.
The gas ignites close to or on the surface of the lava rock or fire glass, creating the mesmerizing “fire dancing on glass” effect. The diffused flame footprint provides a realistic alternative to a real campfire.
Fire Media
The drop-in fire pit pans and inserts here at The Magic of Fire are about 2 inches deep, requiring approximately two inches of fire glass or lava rock to cover the Burner and finish flush with the top of the pan.
On larger-sized fire pit inserts, this can require a lot of fire glass and becomes quite expensive.
Using lava rock as a filler to cover the Burner and topping it off with a layer of your favorite fire glass is perfectly acceptable. Lava rock is cheaper and lighter than fire glass, so you get better coverage per pound.
Important Note If Using Propane:
Propane is a heavier gas than air; therefore, it is less eager to rise through the lava rock or fire glass.
HPC recommends using a minimum size of 3/4-inch lava rock or fire glass to improve propane’s flow to the fire media surface, ensuring better combustion and flame performance.
If, when lighting your current propane fire pit, you find it does not ignite immediately, then suddenly ignites with a ‘whomp’ of flame, this may be caused by the propane struggling to rise to the surface of the fire media.
Increasing the size of your lava rock or fire glass or reducing its depth may reduce the ignition flash.
Shapes of Fire Pit Burners
Burners are available in an extensive range of standard shapes.
Round or circular-shaped burners are ideal for both circular and square fire pits. They also fit into hexagonal, octagonal, and triangular-shaped fire pits.
Square burners are perfect for square fire pits and reach a little deeper into the corners of the fire pit than a round burner.
Linear Burners produce a single line of fire in narrow fire pits and are often used to delineate areas.
Rectangular-shaped fire pits can utilize either a Rectangular Burner or an ‘H’ burner, depending on your personal preference. Remember that a Rectangular Burner will usually have a higher BTU rating than an equivalent-sized ‘H’ burner and thus will require more gas.
S-shaped Burners are produced as standard by HPC Fire and The Outdoor Plus and must be fitted on a rectangular pan or insert.
If none of the standard sizes and shapes of burners fit your fire pit design, then HPC Fire or The Outdoor Plus company manufactures custom-built fire pit burners. Please send us your requirements via the Contact Us form.
Selecting the Best Fire Pit Burners
Selecting the best fire pit burners is not at all complicated. Burners have a harsh working environment, so first and foremost, we are looking for quality materials and construction.
We recommend using only fire pit burners manufactured from high-quality Stainless Steel or Brass (Bullet or Crossfire). Fire Pit Burners have a very tough life and need to be fit for purpose.
We also recommend that you select a burner with a Lifetime Warranty. All fire pit burners featured here on The Magic Of Fire have the manufacturer’s Lifetime Warranty.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our Contact Form or call toll-free at the number at the top of the page.