So, you visited friends and you enjoyed sitting around their fire pit or you noticed your neighbours enjoying a fire pit while listening to music. You want that too and why not? Enjoying the outdoors (city or country) with a fire going, is nice…real nice. So now you’re thinking “what do I need to consider when buying a fire pit?”
Now what? What do you want? What do you choose?
Here are a few questions to take with you to the local hardware store before deciding on the perfect pit for your needs.
A Few Questions To Take With You When Shopping For A Fire Pit
Fire: How big, how warm, how convenient to turn on/off?
Design: Basic, modern, use on wood base or cement. Do you want ambiance or function or both? Where do you want your fire-pit to be? On a covered deck or in the middle of the yard? Do you want to roast weinys and marshmallows? (This is very important to S’more enthusiasts.)
B.T.U’S or British Thermal Units is something to consider when purchasing your fire pit. Here’s the official explanation of a BTU…
The British thermal unit (Btu or BTU) is a traditional unit of heat; it is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. … Heat is now known to be equivalent to energy, for which the SI unit is the joule; one BTU is about 1055 joules.
Whether it’s a fire pit or a BBQ it’s good to know just how much heat you’re dealing with.
Always read the manufacturers directions before operating for the first time. Safety first!
Smaller, Less Expensive Propane Fire Pits
Smaller, less expensive propane fire pits like the one on the top left give off a lot of heat while being easy to transport if you want to bring it camping or to a friends backyard bbq. This basic fire pit (approx. 20” in diameter) retails for approximately $119.
Larger, More Visually Appealing
Larger, more visually appealing pits can give off a good amount of heat as well but depending on where you are sitting, heat rises and it may not give you the warmth you are expecting. These range in price from $149 to $1500 and higher depending on function and design.
Mongolian Fire Pits
Mongolian Fire Pits are a good way to get that “real fire” feeling. Varying in price and size these types of firepits are definitely meant for the yard and not your deck as heat will be given off of the bottom of the unit. Make sure you keep it on a tiled yard space or buy a cement sidewalk square to operate this safely. Prices vary but I found a very nice one at Walmart for $150.00.
Fire Bans & Other Bylaws
N.B. In this part of the country we almost always have fire bans in the summer. Please contact your local fire department (non emergency) to confirm if the unit that you are interested in is compliant during a ban or if there are any bylaws in your city. It’s always nice to be one step ahead of the neighbours.
