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Monday 20 August 2012

Install a Gas Fire Pit Ring Insert to Simplify Operation of Your Fire Pit

A gas fire pit ring insert can be used to create a wonderful, yet easy to use outdoor fire feature for your patio. Just arrange stones or patio blocks in a round pattern around a protruding gas line and keep adding more layers until it is 1-1/2 to 2 feet tall. Fill in the bottom of the pit with gravel and then connect the gas line to the fire pit ring insert. The insert can then be covered with pea-sized lava rock granules or small "fire glass" rocks specially designed for this purpose.

In addition to
pits made of stone or concrete block, more complicated units can also be built using poured concrete for an elaborate appearance. Whatever shape or materials you use, just make sure you design your pit to allow for proper water drainage at the bottom.

A custom
gas fire pit ring really can be any shape you like, from a traditional circle or square to even a triangle shape. Burners are available to suit most shapes and small, straight burners can be combined to fit even the strangest shapes.

A
gas fire pit ring insert is not difficult to install. Due to the many variations of designs and shapes, however, every installation is different. Because of this, many of the stainless steel inserts are sold individually rather than as kits. Make sure you purchase a ring sized properly for your application.

Your
gas line should also be the correct size. If it is too small, your fire pit will have small flames because of the lower gas pressure in the line. It may be a good idea to check with your local gas company and let them know how long your gas line will be. Ask them what size line you need to run 200,000 BTU's. The longer the length of gas line to be run, the larger diameter line you will need. If you are installing the gas line underground, use copper pipe in order to prevent corrosion.

Also, be sure to install a
gas shut off valve no farther than 3 feet from your fire pit. This is to allow for the gas to be quickly and easily shut off in the event of a fire.

After the
gas fire pit ring has been installed, cover the insert with no more than an inch of small lava rock pebbles or fire glass, just enough to visually cover the ring. If you add more than that, your flames will be restricted and the visual effect of the fire will be disappointing.

When you have your
fire pit completed, you obviously want it to last for a very long time. This is why it is strongly recommended not to use it for cooking. This is because when the salt of the dripping meat juice or barbeque sauce touches the burners, it causes them to rust.