50000 BTU Fire Pits

What does 50,000 BTU mean?

BTU stands for British thermal unit. On a fire pit it's really BTU per hour: how much heat the burner gives out when it's turned right up. 50,000 BTU works out at about 14.6kW. That's a lot for a garden fire, roughly what a standard mushroom patio heater puts out, and more than most tabletop gas fires.

The figure that matters is warmth where you sit. At this output a fire pit gives a group of four to six people proper heat on a cool evening, which is why the makers of the tables below quote that number of seats. The 40,000 BTU burners on many rattan sets still give a nice flame, but you'll sit closer to feel it.

How the outputs compare

• 40,000 (11.7kW): common on rattan fire pit tables and stone-effect bowls. Fine for two to four people.
• 50,000 (14.6kW): the usual top setting for a full-size gas fire pit table. Four to six people.
• 58,000 (17kW): what the Outland Living firebowls and the Tepro Topeka XL Deluxe are rated at. Compact pits with a lot of flame for their size.

Types of 50,000 BTU fire pit

Gas fire pit tables

Most are tables. The burner sits in a tray in the middle, surrounded by glass beads or lava rock, with a glass wind guard round the flame. The gas bottle hides in the base behind a door. Put the lid on and you have a coffee table, or a dining table on the bigger models. That's the big selling point: one piece of outdoor furniture that you use all year, not a bowl that sits under a cover from April to September.

The Outsunny 842-345V70GY is the one you'll see most in the UK. It's 109 x 56 x 63cm with a wood-effect lid, seats four to six, and comes with a rain cover, glass beads and four glass guard panels. The FansaFurn ZHJ032BK is a similar size (110 x 69.5 x 68cm, 30.9kg) but splits its output between two stainless steel burners under lava rock. If you'd like the seats in the same box, look at our fire pit table and chairs sets.

Fire pit dining sets

The Outsunny 7-piece rattan fire pit dining set puts the same size burner in the middle of a 150 x 85cm tempered glass table, with six high-back armchairs. Each chair has a 120kg weight capacity and the table 50kg. It's the one to pick if you'd like to eat round the fire rather than sit back from it with a drink. For more like it, browse our rattan fire pit tables.

Portable firebowls

Outland Living makes small propane bowls with even more output than the tables: 58,000 BTU from a 48cm outdoor bowl that weighs around 10 to 11kg. The Outland Living 823 is 48 x 48 x 28cm with a 3m hose, and the Firecube 805 is a 35.6cm square. The Werph GF1703B is lighter still at 7.48kg, with a lid that locks over the stones for the car. These sit on the ground with the bottle beside them, so they suit camping trips as well as the garden. See more in our portable fire pits.

50000 BTU fire pits compared

Real dimensions and specs from the listings in our range. Output is the maker's top rating.

Model	Type	Output (BTU)	Size	Gas bottle	Ignition
Outsunny 842-345V70GY	Table, seats 4-6	50,000	109 x 56 x 63cm	5kg, in the base	Pulse, batteries included
PHI VILLA 114cm	Table, seats 4-6	50,000	114 x 58.5 x 67.5cm	Propane, not included	Piezo push-button
FansaFurn ZHJ032BK	Table, dual burners	50,000	110 x 69.5 x 68cm	Propane, not included	One-touch
Towallmark 28 inch	Square table	50,000	77 x 77cm top	Stored in the base	Electronic pulse
Outsunny 7-piece set	Dining set, seats 6	50,000	150 x 85cm table	Propane, not included	Electronic, AAA battery
Tepro Topeka XL Deluxe	Long table	58,000 (17kW)	136 x 56 x 63.5cm	Up to 5kg, in the base	Piezo, AA battery
Outland Living 870	Portable bowl	58,000	48.3 x 27.9cm, 11.34kg	Beside it, 10ft hose	Auto-ignition
Outland Living 823	Portable bowl	58,000	48 x 48 x 28cm, 10kg	Beside it, 3m hose	Turn the valve knob
Werph GF1703B	Portable bowl	58,000	42.9 x 35.1cm, 7.48kg	Beside it	Knob control

How long does a gas bottle last on a 50,000 BTU fire pit?

Flat out, a 50,000 BTU burner uses roughly 1kg of propane an hour. So a 5kg bottle gives you about five hours on full and a 13kg bottle about 12. Turn the flame down, which you will once everyone's warm, and it lasts much longer. The Outland firebowls use a little more, around 1.2kg an hour at full.

Most of these tables hide the bottle in the base, so check the size before you buy gas. The Outsunny and Tepro tables take a 5kg bottle. In the UK, Calor sells Patio Gas (propane) in 5kg and 13kg bottles, and you'll find a refill swap at most garden centres and builders' merchants.

Check the regulator

Some of these fire pits are American designs set up for a 20lb US propane tank. Read the listing to see which regulator comes in the box, and make sure it fits the UK propane bottle you plan to use. If it doesn't, you'll need the right propane regulator for that bottle. Don't swap to butane: these burners are built for propane, which also keeps working in cold weather when butane struggles.

How to choose a 50,000 BTU gas fire pit

• Table or bowl: a table earns its space all year as a coffee or dining table. A bowl is cheaper to move about and goes in the car boot.
• Where the tank goes: a hidden compartment keeps the patio tidy. A bowl needs the bottle on a hose, out of the way of feet.
• Glass wind guard: British gardens are windy. A glass guard keeps the flame steady and stops anyone brushing against it.
• Ignition: pulse and piezo ignitions light at the press of a button, then an adjustable knob sets the flame height. Check whether the battery is included (Outsunny's table has them; the dining set needs one AAA).
• Cover: most tables come with a waterproof rain cover. Use it. Water in the burner tray and rust on the steel are the usual reasons these stop lighting.
• Size and weight: check the dimensions against your outdoor space. The PHI VILLA weighs about 41.7kg, so it's a two-person lift to move.

If you'd rather burn logs, our wood burning fire pits give a real crackle. A gas fire pit wins on clean-up though: there's no ash and no smoke drifting into the neighbours' washing. For a table you can raise to dining height, see our rising table fire pits.

Using a 50,000 BTU fire pit safely

These are outdoor gas appliances, and that's the main rule: use them in the open air. Burning gas makes carbon monoxide, which builds up in a closed space such as a garage, shed or tent. The NHS explains the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. A gazebo with open sides is fine as long as the flame is well clear of the roof.

• Keep at least a metre of clear space round the flame and nothing overhead.
• Check the hose and joints with soapy water at the start of each season. Bubbles mean a leak.
• Turn the bottle off at the valve after use, not just the burner knob.
• Store bottles upright, outside, away from drains. The HSE guidance on LPG covers storage and safe use.

Smoke control area rules are about smoke from solid fuels and chimneys, as GOV.UK explains. A propane fire pit burns gas, not wood, so it gives a smokeless flame and suits a terrace in town. Several of the tables and bowls here also carry CSA certification, an independent gas safety standard.

FAQs

Is 50,000 BTU enough for a fire pit?

Yes. It's the top rating on most full-size gas tables and warms four to six people sitting round it. For a bigger group, two smaller pits spread the heat better than one large flame.

What is 50,000 BTU in kW?

About 14.6kW. One kW is roughly 3,412 BTU per hour, so the 17kW Tepro Topeka works out at about 58,000 BTU.

Can one run on natural gas?

Not as standard. They're built for propane bottles. Outland Living sells a natural gas conversion kit for its Firebowl, and a fixed gas supply must be fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Can I use one on decking?

A gas fire pit is much kinder to decking than a wood fire, with no embers falling out. Outland says the base of its 870 Firebowl stays cool to touch after an hour of use. Still keep it level and stable, and keep the hose where no one will trip on it.

Do gas fire pits give off smoke?

No. Propane burns clean, so there's no smoke, smell or ash. You get a flame over glass beads or lava rock that you can turn up and down with a knob. Our smokeless fire pits include wood-burning designs too.

What else do I need?

A propane bottle or tank (none of these include one), a cover if yours didn't come with it, and somewhere sheltered to store it over winter, ideally an outdoor shed or garage with the bottle kept outside. If space is tight, our small fire pits are worth a look.