Fire Table Insert: Burner Kits, Sizing and Gas Setup

A finished gas fire table can cost well over a thousand dollars, yet most of what you pay for is the tabletop and base. The part that actually makes the flame is the fire table insert: a drop-in pan that holds the burner, the gas fittings and the ignition. If you already have a stone surround, a masonry pit or a sturdy outdoor table, a burner insert kit turns it into a gas fire feature for a fraction of the price.

Choosing the right one comes down to five things: the shape and size of the opening, the BTU output you need, the fuel (propane or natural gas), how the flame lights, and how much clearance the finished fire has from your house, overhangs and furniture. Gas fire tables are strictly outdoor appliances. Never install one in a garage, enclosed porch, sunroom or any space with a roof and walls, because burning gas produces carbon monoxide.

Every step that touches gas piping belongs to a licensed gas fitter or plumber. Your part is planning the size, buying the right kit and building the enclosure safely.

What a Fire Table Insert Includes

A typical kit is a stainless steel pan with a burner ring or H-shaped burner bolted inside. Kits vary, but most include:

• Drop-in pan: Stainless steel, sized to rest on a ledge or lip in your tabletop opening.
• Burner: A ring, H, cross or linear tube with small ports that spread the flame.
• Ignition and controls: A manual key valve, push-button spark igniter or electronic ignition, plus a thermocouple or flame sensor on safer models.
• Gas connection: A flex line and fittings. Propane kits add a regulator and hose for a tank. Natural gas kits connect to a fixed supply line.
• Media: Lava rock or fire glass to cover the burner. Some kits include it; others sell it separately.
• Wind guard or lid: Optional on many kits but worth having in breezy yards.

Look for a kit certified to a recognized outdoor gas appliance safety standard, with a listing label on the pan or controls. Certified kits with automatic shutoff (a thermocouple that closes the gas valve if the flame goes out) are the safer choice.

Round vs Rectangular Fire Pit Inserts

Shape follows the table or pit you are building.

Round fire pit insert

A round fire pit insert suits circular stone rings, bowls and square tables where you want a centered flame everyone faces equally. Ring burners in round pans produce a fuller, campfire-like flame. Common pan diameters run from about 19 to 37 inches.

Rectangular fire pit insert

A rectangular fire pit insert fits long dining-height or coffee-height tables and linear fire features along a seat wall. These use H-shaped or linear tube burners that spread flame along the length. They also leave more ledge space for drinks and plates on a long table.

Square inserts

Square pans with ring or cross burners fit square tables and masonry pits. Measure the opening inside to inside, then subtract enough to leave the pan lip resting fully on the support ledge.

Whatever the shape, leave at least an inch of gap between the pan’s sides and any combustible framing, and follow the kit maker’s minimum dimensions for the enclosure.

BTU Sizing: How Much Fire You Actually Need

BTU (British thermal unit) output sets flame height and heat. More is not always better. A tabletop fire with too much output can make the table edge uncomfortably hot and burns through propane quickly.

• Small tabletop or bowl, under 24 inches: around 30,000 to 50,000 BTU.
• Coffee-height table, 24 to 36 inches of burner: around 50,000 to 90,000 BTU.
• Larger built-in pits: 90,000 to 150,000 BTU or more, which almost always calls for natural gas or a large tank setup.

A standard 20-pound propane cylinder holds roughly 430,000 BTU. At 50,000 BTU on high, that is around 8 to 9 hours of burn. A 100,000 BTU burner would empty the same tank in about 4 hours, and small tanks can frost over and lose pressure at high draw.

Also check gas line sizing for natural gas. Long runs from the meter or undersized pipe starve a big burner, giving weak, lazy flames. A gas fitter sizes the line based on total BTU load and distance.

Propane vs Natural Gas Inserts

Burners are built for one fuel. Propane and natural gas run at different pressures and need different orifice sizes, so you cannot simply swap one for the other without a conversion kit approved by the maker.

Propane tables need a place to hide the tank: a ventilated cabinet beneath the table or a separate tank enclosure beside it. The tank compartment must be vented at the bottom, because propane is heavier than air and pools in low spaces. Never store a spare tank inside the table or in a garage.

Natural gas needs a supply line run from the house, a shutoff valve within reach of the table, and usually a permit. This is licensed gas fitter work.

Shoppers sometimes search for a wood fire insert or a vent free gas insert for an outdoor table. Wood inserts are a different product (steel liners for wood fire pits), and vent-free gas inserts are indoor fireplace appliances that do not belong in a patio table build. For a gas fire table, buy an insert made and certified for outdoor gas fire features.

Ignition Types Compared

• Match-lit: You turn a key valve and light the burner with a long lighter. Simple and cheap, but no automatic shutoff, so it is the least forgiving option.
• Push-button spark ignition: A piezo button sparks at the burner. Often paired with a thermocouple that cuts gas if the flame goes out.
• Electronic ignition: A battery or low-voltage module lights the burner and monitors the flame, often with remote or app control. Hardwired 120-volt modules need a GFCI-protected outdoor circuit; any new circuit is a licensed electrician’s job, and power should be turned off at the breaker and confirmed off with a non-contact voltage tester before anyone touches the wiring.

For any table where children or pets may be around, choose a system with flame-failure shutoff.

Building the Table Around the Insert

1. Pick the location first. Follow the kit’s clearances. A common guideline is at least 10 feet from the house, and keep well clear of overhangs, pergolas, tree branches, umbrellas, fences and siding. Never place a fire table under a covered patio roof unless the maker explicitly allows it.
2. Build a noncombustible enclosure. Concrete block, stone, steel or cement board on steel studs are typical. Avoid wood framing directly around the pan.
3. Provide ventilation. Add vent openings on at least two opposite sides near the bottom of the enclosure so leaked gas can escape and the burner gets combustion air.
4. Allow drainage. Drill drain holes or leave a gap so rainwater does not pool around the burner and controls.
5. Set the pan. Rest the pan lip fully on the ledge, level it, and leave access to the controls.
6. Have the gas connected. A licensed gas fitter runs and connects natural gas lines, pressure tests the system and pulls any required permit. For propane, connect the regulator and hose per the kit instructions.
7. Leak-check propane fittings. Brush soapy water on every connection with the tank valve open and the burner off. Growing bubbles mean a leak. Shut the tank, tighten or replace the fitting and test again. Never use a flame to check for leaks.
8. Add media correctly. Spread lava rock or fire glass to the depth the kit specifies, usually just covering the burner. Too much media smothers the flame.

If you smell gas, shut off the supply at the tank or the gas valve and leave the area. From a safe distance, call your gas utility or propane supplier. Do not light anything or operate switches nearby.

Fire and Gas Safety Every Time You Light It

• Use the fire table outdoors only, never indoors, in a garage or in any enclosed space, because of carbon monoxide and fire risk.
• Keep the lid off while burning and only replace it once the burner is fully off and cool.
• Keep children and pets back from the burner and from fire glass, which stays hot long after shutoff.
• Never burn wood, paper or trash in a gas insert.
• Check hoses and fittings for cracks each season, and leak-test after changing a propane tank.
• Keep any electronic ignition module and its power supply covered from rain and mounted away from the burner heat.
• Turn the gas off at the tank or shutoff valve when you are done.

Troubleshooting a Gas Fire Pit Insert

• Weak or uneven flame: Low tank, a regulator in bypass (reset by closing all valves, disconnecting and reconnecting), clogged burner ports or too much media.
• Won’t light: Empty tank, dead igniter battery, wet burner or a thermocouple that needs the knob held down longer to warm up.
• Flame goes out in wind: Add a glass wind guard and check that the thermocouple is shielded.
• Black soot on glass or rocks: Incomplete combustion from too much media, blocked air mixer or the wrong fuel orifice. Shut it down and have it checked.
• Popping noise from rocks: Damp lava rock releasing moisture. Run on low for a while after rain, keeping people back.

Cost Ranges and When to Call a Licensed Gas Fitter

Basic match-lit propane kits run roughly $150 to $400. Spark ignition kits with flame-failure shutoff run roughly $350 to $900. Large electronic ignition systems can exceed $1,500. Natural gas line installation by a pro commonly adds several hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on distance and trenching. A finished DIY build often lands well below a comparable premade table.

Call a licensed gas fitter or plumber for every natural gas line, any connection to an existing house gas system, any conversion between propane and natural gas, and pressure testing. Many areas require a permit and inspection for new gas lines. For hardwired electronic ignition, use a licensed electrician. When the enclosure is built and the professional has connected and tested the line, a well-chosen fire table insert should give years of easy, clean-burning evenings outdoors.