Gas Powered Fire Pits UK – This Summer’s Hot Topic

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Gas powered fire pits, fire bowls and fire tables are warming up gardens all over the UK this summer. Spending time outside in the summer months and making the most of our outside space, has become an essential part of living, even after the sun goes down.

Unhappily June and July are the only months in the UK that give us warm evenings until late but what about the rest of the summer months? May, August, September and even October can be fantastic days and provide warm evenings until 9.00 pm at the latest.

Turning your outside space into a lounge area where you can eat, chat and relax in a perfect heat is now a viable alternative to the standard patio heaters on the market, with a range of propane gas-powered fire pits, bowls and tables with real heat-producing flames

Lets look at the options available to suit every garden and most importantly your budget.

Designs

Both small and large, most fire pits and bowls are constructed from a premium concrete which is cast into contemporary and rustic designs. Yep, I know, concrete sounds grey and drab, but these bowls and pits look like they have been cast and polished from a premium stone!

gas powered fire pit table

The fires use a layer of lava rock to simulate hot coals and you can add ceramic logs to give that real wood fire effect.

The designs are endless, from tabletop fire bowls that can sit on any countertop or garden table to gas-powered Pompeii pots, that can be strategically placed in garden borders or on patios.

There are a number of accessories that you can buy separately like propane tank covers, wind screens and winter covers.

Gas Fire Bowls

Gas fire bowls have become super popular, making great patio heaters for balconies and small courtyard gardens, adding a cosy warm atmosphere. The bowls are usually 24″ in diameter with a height of around 12″. Perfect for placing on the floor in front of chairs or loungers. Producing heat low down where it’s needed. The fires run from gas bottles and use approximately 2.5 litres of gas every 4 hours.

There are small gas fire bowls for tables too. However, fire bowls can weigh around 20 kg. So, Make sure your table can support the weight.

If you are looking for a really good tabletop fire, consider Bioethanol Tabletop Fires. They are super light, have real flames and can sit on any stable surface. They don’t need a gas supply, so there is no gas hose to drape over the table which could become a hazard.

bioethanol tabletop fire

Fire Pit Tables

We LOVE fire pit tables at TheHeatChief.com! A cosy warm fire in the middle of the table where you and your guests can all enjoy the heat and relaxing glow has got to be the ultimate in outside dining.

The Gas Powered Fire Pit Tables come in two forms:

  • Tables with built-in fire bowls used solely to provide heat.
  • BBQ tables which have fire pits built into the table that can be filled with charcoal. A grill then sits on top where you and your guests can cook your favourite food, right in the centre of the table.

Are Gas Fire Pits Worth It?

Real flames flickering in the dark can be mesmerising and with the added warmth, will give extra hours enjoying time outside. The fires can be on the pricey side depending on the models but what price can you put on relaxing warm enjoyment! Winters in the UK can be long and cold and fire pits can really extend the summer season or even kick start it early!

Do Fire Pits Keep you Warm?

Gas fire pits and bowls definitely do keep you warm and produce similar heat to standard patio heaters.

Fire pits can produce heats of between 30,000 (8 kW) and 50,000 BTUs (14 kW). What does this mean in real terms? Well, that’s the equivalent to 3 double radiators that you might have heating your living room.

This might sound a lot but don’t forget, there are no walls and ceilings to keep the heat in and the wind will happily whisk the heat away. All that said, the heat produced is considerable and should definitely keep you warm into the early hours.

Can you Cook on Gas Powered Fire Pits?

You can only cook on gas fire pits if they are specifically set up for cooking. This means that they will have special burners and lava rock charcoal similar to those built into BBQs. The fires will also be supplied with a grill for cooking the food.

table with built in bbq

Adding fire pits to wooden tables is not advisable unless they are specifically designed to be cool to the touch. Cobb BBQs are a great way to add a cooking grill to a table. Cobb BBQs have a stainless steel mesh base that stays cool throughout firing and can be placed on any stable surface.

How much do Gas Fire Pits Cost to Run? (2021)

A 40,000 Btu gas-powered fire pit, on full power, will cost £2.80 per hour. This cost is based on a refilled 13 Kg bottle of gas costing £42. Many factors will determine how much a fire pit costs to run, for example, heat output rating (Btu), the environment and the desired heat setting. Read our article on the running costs of fire pits here.

If you are buying gas for the first time, you will need to buy (rent) the gas bottle. You will only need to do this once. The price will vary depending on where you buy the gas. A 13 kg gas bottle will cost approximately £42 to buy and the same again to fill with gas. Once bought, the bottle can then either be refilled or exchanged for a full bottle depending on the retailer.

There are many different sizes of bottles and the weight on the side of the bottle is the amount of gas in the bottle, not the weight of the bottle or the weight of the gas and the bottle.

Use the data below to work out which bottle would best suit you. 1kg of gas contains 47,770 Btus of heat energy.

Gas Bottle size in kgBtukWMJBurning Hours for 40,000 Btu Fire Pit
147,77014501 hour
3143,310421513.5 hours
5238,850702526 hours
7334,390983528 hours
13621,01018265515.5 hours
15716,55021075618 hours
heat energy per kg of gas and approximate burn time for a fire pit with heat output rating of 40,000 Btu
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