A fire pit table can be considered as an essential piece for outdoor entertainment whether you are setting a romantic scene or a bonfire environment. The main hassle is to prepare a smoke free fire pit table. But one might wonder, what to burn in fire pit table?
Natural Gas, charcoal propane, untreated woods, bio-ethanol, alcohol gel – these are some of the safest things to burn in your fire pit table.
A fire pit table is a perfect arrangement for your outdoor lounge. This article deals with the good fuels for a fire pit table in detail. To know more about your fire pit table and ensure a great entertainment segment, feel free to read the article till the end.
What To Burn In A Fire Pit Table?
Here are some safe suggestions on adding fuel to your fire pit table. These will ensure your fire pit is alive for the longest and provide you the best smoke free experience.
- Natural Gas
Often people consider using built-in fire pit tables. Here, a natural gas line is connected with your fire pit table. As it works like a burner, lighting up the fire pit table is not a great concern then.
It needs safety precautions to set the natural gas line. Perhaps, you can ask for professional help to install one. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is cleaner than wood and charcoal. It produces 45% less carbon dioxide than charcoal.
- Charcoal
Charcoal can also turn out to be a good method of fueling your fire pit table. It helps to create a controlled heat and light flame. The charcoal smell also prevents the buzzing of mosquitoes and poisonous pests. On top of that it’s great for having a barbecue as the charcoal smell can enhance flavors.
The Charcoal technique is fast and convenient enough for fueling a fire pit table. However, if the heat is not controlled then excessive smoke can endanger your lungs.
- Propane
Propane provides a clean-burning flame without much smoke. It is usually attached to the fire pit table concealed with a propane tank. Although it can outperform other fuels, propane is more expensive than others.
Moreover, propane is easy to use without any maintenance. However, the flame will never arise like a wood flame.
- Untreated Woods
Burning untreated woods can be another source of fuel for your fire pit table. They do not emit any kind of toxic gas into the atmosphere.
Wood is more cost-effective than propane tanks. Nonetheless, burning green or softwoods create a high flame with a mass amount of smoke which is disastrous for the environment.
- Bio-Ethanol
According to Forbes, bio-ethanol fuel is gaining popularity as a cleaner option compared to wood. It is an eco-friendly fuel source created from plants. This fuel emits no smoke, soot, ash, or any harmful toxins.
Bio-ethanol fuel emits a vibrant orange flame with a light odor promoting long burning hours. This is an example of clean-burning which is safe and super affordable. Thus, bio-ethanol is preferable for heating a fire pit table.
- Alcohol Gel
Alcohol Gel can be another alternative fuel for your fire pit table. It emits no smoke and odor. Additionally, it produces no toxic or poisonous gas in the environment.
Alcohol gel is a mixed fuel that brings out the yellow flame which lasts up to 3 hours with 3000 BTUs. Whilst Ethanol produces an orange flame lasting up to 5 hours with 4000-5000 BTUs.
What Not To Burn In A Fire Pit Table?
Certain materials like chemically preserved wood, paper, poison ivy, plastics and other trash
produce toxins which are harmful to burn in a fire pit table.
Learning about them can help you avoid them during future backyard fire pit parties. So, let’s get right to it.
- Chemically Preserved Woods
Old lumbers are often chemically preserved to avoid rotting. These treated ply-woods are usually preserved for outdoor construction. Henceforth, burning off the wood stacks is hazardous to inhale.
Old lumber can contain arsenic too. Oftentimes treated woods are marked with a green tint which can fade over time. Hence, you should avoid railroad woods, lumber decks, painted woods, shipping ply-woods, old lumbers, driftwoods, etc. concerning your family’s safety.
- Paper
It is not a good idea to burn newspaper in your fire pit table. Cardboard or paper can light up the flame. Kids especially do that to see the flame work.
Paper burning produces lots of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is harmful to the human body. Moreover, using paper as fuel can produce a gross amount of ash that can be troublesome to clean.
- Poison Ivy
It is way more dangerous to use an oak coated with poison ivy vines. One way to identify the poisonous oak is by the leaves. Unfortunately in the winter season, the leaves start to fall off and become hard to identify.
However, the poisonous oil remains fine with the bark grip. When exposed to your skin, these oils might cause rash, skin irritation, and allergic reaction to your body.
- Trash
Usually, responsible adults are sensible enough to not trash out their garbage in their fire pit. Exceptions are teenagers and kids. Often teenagers make attempts for new adventures and experiments risking their precious life. It is hazardous to throw even deactivated batteries or empty aerosol cans into your fire pit.
Moreover, burning rubber, plastics, old newspapers or even trash bags is harmful to our environment. Because these items emit toxic gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, etc. with a gross smell.
Why You Should Add Rocks To A Fire Pit Table?
To evenly distribute the heat while protecting your propane and natural gas fire from heat damage, rocks are essential for a fire pit table. Moreover, it shields the gas burner from direct exposure to the surface flame of the fire pit. You should use rocks like lava glass, lava rocks, and fire-rated bricks for the fire pit’s safety.
Among rocks, lava rocks or basalt contain natural heat retention power. Being good at handling the heat, I can recommend lava rocks as more conducive to heat production than any other rock. So, without wasting any time, let’s dig in!
Wet and porous rocks have the potentiality to explode. When you put wet rocks on a fire pit, the trapped air and water result in exploding. Thus, you should avoid wet, porous, and large river rocks.
But you can use the tiny ones. The smaller the rocks are, the less explosive they will be. Additionally, you should avoid rocks like sandstone, pumice, gravel, limestone for their explosive nature.
Lava rocks are made out of magma so there is no chance of them exploding. The price tag of the lava rocks might leave you with a jaw-dropping situation. But, the required quantity for raising the flame is not so much. So, rest assured.
Obsidians are man-made fire pit glass rocks. It comes off with different colors and patterns which reflects through the flame vibrantly. However, it does not radiate much heat like lava rocks. Nonetheless, people still use fire pit glass rocks for the magnificent scenery of colorful dancing flames. An aesthetic feeling!
With a convenient flame, warmth, and table surface a fire pit table creates a mind-blowing environment for a beautiful night. Swaying away from the weekends’ tiredness, it helps you to provide a chilled and cozy pleasure. After going through this article, you now understand what to burn in fire pit table and what you should not. Thanks for reading till the end. Take care and have a good day.
