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The 2 Main Causes of a Whistling Gas Fire Pit

August 6, 2020
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The 2 Main Causes of a Whistling Gas Fire Pit are the flex gas lines or the gas supply pressure to the fire pit.

We know from our customers’ feedback that the noise can be beyond annoying and very loud in extreme cases.

Most commonly found in Natural Gas installation, it is essential from a safety perspective to immediately check into the problem.

The 2 Main Causes of a Whistling Gas Fire Pit

Fortunately, the fix is relatively simple, but you may need the assistance of a Qualified Gas Technician if the issue is not the Gas Flex Lines.

1st Cause of a Whistling Gas Fire Pit – Flex Gas Lines

Starting by inspecting the gas flex lines is best because, at this stage, you will not need any professional assistance.

The first thing to look for is kinks and sharp bends in the flex line, reducing the smooth passage of the gas. This is referred to as ‘bottlenecking.’

Bottlenecking is a build-up of gas, creating significant vibrations in the gas line, which comes across as a whistling sound.

Remove any sharp bends and kinks you find in your flex line. All changes in the direction of the flex line should be via a long and smooth curve. Try to remove all possible obstructions to the free flow of the gas in the flex line to avoid bottlenecking.

If removing the kinks from the flex lines does not stop the gas line whistling, you need to question if the flex lines installed are whistle free.

Whistle Free Flex Lines have a multi-pattern series of ridges in the pipe, ensuring no build-up of pressure causing vibrations and whistling.

The Varied Ridge Pattern of a Whistle-Free Gas Line

If you are not sure that the existing gas lines are Whistle Free, it is probably best to replace them with a superior quality product that you know is whistle-free. Depending on the length of the lines, this costs about 20-30 dollars.

HPC Fire, one of the leading fire pit manufacturers, offers the HPC Tranquil Whistle Free Flex Gas Line especially designed for this purpose.

If replacing the gas lines and removing sharp bends and kinks does not resolve the issue, we must look at the gas supply pressure.

2nd Cause of a Whistling Gas Fire Pit – Gas Pressure

Whistling noises not caused by the Flex gas lines usually indicates too much gas pressure supplied to your fire pit.

For natural gas installations, your fire pit should be receiving between 3.5 and 7 water column inches.

For Propane, it should be between 8 and 11 water column inches.

To get the best flame from your fire pit, we recommend aiming for the higher end of the pressure range.

If by chance, you are a Qualified Gas Technician, then you know what to do.

For those who are not, we highly recommend that you get some professional assistance at this point.

The technician will measure the gas pressure at your fire pit and then make recommendations regarding what he needs to do to reduce it.

Dealing with gas pressure involves several variables to set it to what is required. Therefore it should be left to a professional!

Contact the Manufacturer.

If none of the above resolves the problem, it is time to contact the manufacturer.

The leading manufacturers sell hundreds, if not thousands, of units per year. Any problems in their design and manufacturing process would have come to light in their first production runs and subsequently resolved.

However, it is not impossible that a minor manufacturing fault has occurred.

The leading manufacturers will address the issue, but they will require that all the previous steps indicated in this article have been explored first.

Causes of a Whistling Gas Fire Pit – Conclusion

The problem of noisy, whistling fire pits is not uncommon, and fortunately, it is usually relatively easy to fix.

In the vast majority of cases, it is one of the two issues we have addressed here: either gas pressure or the flex lines.

Of course, we are always ready to offer some advice if you need further information. Please don’t hesitate to call us Toll-Free at 866 244 9982

 

WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including LEAD AND LEAD COMPOUNDS, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/