Gas Fire Pit Trouble Shooting 101

Gas Fire Pit Trouble Shooting 101 is a quick guide to discovering the cause of the most common issues with gas fire pits.

Setting aside highly sophisticated Electronic Ignition systems, gas fire pits are very straightforward machines, with practically no moving parts. Therefore there is very little that can go wrong with them.

However, like all gas appliances, gas fire pits do have manufactures specifications that need to be adhered to, for them to function correctly.

For example, all domestic alliances, both propane and natural gas, are designed to work within a specific gas pressure range. If the gas pressure is too high or too low, then it will cause performance issues.

Gas Fire Pit Trouble Shooting 101 – Typical Fire Pit Gas Supply Pressures:

Always check manufacturers specifications.

Natural Gas Fire Pit: Supply Pressure: Minimum: 6.0 inches W.C.;
Maximum: 7.0 inches W.C.

LP Gas: Supply Pressure: Minimum: 8.0 inches W.C.;
Maximum: 11.0 inches W.C.

A too-high gas supply pressure is the most common cause of whistling fire pits!

We strongly recommend that you contract a gas technician’s services to perform the following checks on your behalf.

Gas Fire Pit Trouble Shooting 101- Our Quick Check Guide

 

Issue	Potential Cause	Solution
Low Flame Height	Miss-matched components	Check that the burners BTU rating matches the BTU rating of  the amount of gas you have available for the fire pit. If the Burners rating is greater, replace with a lower rated burner that matches the available gas. Bigger burners do not make taller flames!
	Incorrect gas feed hard pipe size	Check the Hard Gas Feed Pipe against the chart and ensure enough gas ( BTUs ) is getting to the fire pit.( See Feed Pipe Size Chart ). If not, increase hard pipe diameter ,or reduce the size of burner to match the amount of gas delivered to the fire pit via the hard pipe.
	Blockage or gas leak restricting gas flow.	Check all gas pipes for partial blockages. Use compressed air to clean the pipes. Check all connections for leaks.
Whistling Noise	Flex lines with sharp bends in them	Ensure the flex lines are whistle free design. Remove any sharp curves or bends in the lines. Flex lines should follow the most gentle curve possible from point A to B
	Gas supply pressure is too high	The gas supply pressure should within the range specified by the fire pit manufacturers specification. Measure the gas supply pressure, if it is too high have it reduced to comply with appliances specifications.
Soot deposits	Incorrect air/propane mixture ratio	Ensure the correct size Air Mixture Valve is fitted to the base of the burner. Make sure there is sufficient ventilation in the fire pit structure to establish a constant replenishment of air to the air mixer valve. Clear any blockages in the air inlets of the air mixer valve. ( Spiders )
Flame keeps going out	Blockage or gas leak restricting gas flow.	Check all gas pipes for partial blockages. Use compressed air to clean the pipes. Check all connections for leaks.