Fire Pit Burner Kits, Drop-In Pans and Inserts: Types, Sizes and Fit

A fire pit burner kit is a burner with a valve and flex line, and a pan only if the kit says so. An insert adds the pan and the controls in one assembly, and a drop-in pan is a pan with a lip that sits in an opening in the enclosure. Choose the one that fits your enclosure, matches your fuel and carries the listing your building department asks for, then have a licensed gas fitter connect it.

This guide compares the published documents of HPC Fire Inspired, Firegear and The Outdoor Plus. Every size, output and warranty term comes from a maker's manual, drawing or product page, linked where it appears.

What Is in a Burner Kit, an Insert and a Drop-In Pan?

The names overlap between makers, so read the parts list.

A pan does two jobs. Firegear describes it as sitting directly under the burner to isolate it from the open cavity below and to hold the media in place. Firegear's Pro burner kits come without one, and its manuals tell you to supply a non-combustible pan, recommending 304 stainless steel at 16 gauge with 1/4 inch drain holes. They also bar stiff screen or perforated metal as a pan, because gas heavier than air could flow down into the enclosure and cause delayed ignition or an explosion.

Burner Shapes: Ring, H, Linear and Bullet-Style

Makers publish sizes and a rated or recommended output for each shape.

"Bullet" is a product family at The Outdoor Plus, sold in round, H, linear and other shapes. Its pages do not define the word, so treat it as a name and not a shape.

Shape does not set output. HPC lists a 24 inch round burner at 150,000 BTU and a 24 inch high-capacity round at 300,000, and offers a Torpedo version of its H-burner, linear and Penta burners at a higher recommended output, such as 150,000 against 90,000 for the 24 inch H-burner. The BTU ratings guide covers what the number means. If you want warmth rather than flame, the BTU calculator sizes patio heaters instead.

Sizing a Pan to Your Enclosure

No code gives pan sizes. The maker's drawing does, so get the cut sheet for the exact kit before you build.

• Firegear gives a minimum. A Pro Spur needs a pan opening of at least 12 inches for the 10 inch burner, 16 for the 14 inch and 23 for the 21 inch. A Pro H needs 26 x 10 inches for the 24 inch burner and 62 x 10 for the 60 inch. Pan depth is 2 1/2 to 3 inches.
• HPC points to cut sheets. Its manuals send you to the dimensional drawings for each insert and offer an optional installation collar that is mortared into the enclosure. It splits round and square inserts into bowl and flat versions (round bowl 13 to 43 in., round flat 14 to 54 in.) without defining their depth on its pages.
• The same six round sizes. HPC's round bowl inserts and The Outdoor Plus round drop-in pans both come in 13, 19, 25, 31, 37 and 43 inches. That says nothing about whether the openings match, so compare drawings.
• Recess and support the pan. HPC and The Outdoor Plus both say the pan and burner should sit at least 2 inches below the top of the enclosure, to keep the flame from blowing out, and that the weight rests on the pan and not on the valve box. The Outdoor Plus shows a drop-in pan recessed 4 inches and a flat pan 2 inches, and says 4 to 6 inches is not uncommon.

The Outdoor Plus makes drop-in pans in raised-lip and lipless styles, and its raised-lip rectangular pan has a standard 1 inch flange and a 2 inch depth. The fire glass calculator works out how much media a pan holds.

Ventilation Openings the Enclosure Needs

Every manual requires vents so heat and leaked gas can leave the enclosure.

HPC, The Outdoor Plus and Firegear all say not to fill the enclosure's interior cavity with gravel, rock or concrete, and to build from non-combustible materials. HPC says propane makes vents critical because it is heavier than air, and the natural gas vs propane guide covers why.

Ignition: Match-Lit, Flame-Sensing or Electronic

• HPC: match lit, push-button flame sensing, electronic on/off and electronic hi/lo with a Bluetooth app. Small-tank versions exist for the first two. The electronic series is not for small LP tanks.
• The Outdoor Plus: match lit, match lit with flame sense, flame sense with spark, 12 V low voltage and 110 V plug and play.
• Firegear: match throw with a key valve, the AWS electronic system and the TPSI thermopile system.

HPC puts electronic units on a GFCI-protected circuit and leaves hardwiring to a certified electrician working to the National Electrical Code. The match-lit vs electronic ignition guide covers the tradeoffs.

Does a Burner Kit Need a Listing?

The International Fuel Gas Code says permanently fixed-in-place outdoor decorative appliances must be listed to ANSI Z21.97 and installed per the manufacturer's instructions (Section 635.1, quoted on our Colorado code page). Intertek, a testing and certification body, says certification to the standard is typically needed for gas fire features designed for outdoor installation. Your jurisdiction adopts its own edition, so check your local code and the appliance's installation manual.

What the makers say about their own kits:

• HPC. Its insert manuals mark select models as certified to ANSI Z21.97-2014 and CSA 2.41-2014. Its round bowl inserts offer a "Non-Certified" option. Its burner kit manual shows no listing mark. HPC's own article says a listed package can simplify code review and that field modification can invalidate the listing.
• Firegear. Its Pro H, Pro Spur and match-throw manuals state no listing. Its AWS manual says the valve and control system are certified by Lab Test to ANSI Z21.97-2014. That covers a component, not the whole appliance.
• The Outdoor Plus. It labels individual ignition options "CSA Certified" or "LC Certified" on its pages, and its warranty says certified models cannot be altered.

A component certificate is not a listing for the finished appliance. Ask your building department what it will accept, and get the listing label for the exact configuration you plan to install.

HPC and Firegear Burner Lines Compared

This compares published specs and documents, not tested products, and it does not rank either maker.

The documents are not always consistent. Firegear's Pro H manual gives the 30 inch natural gas model as 90,000 BTU on its cover and 95,000 in its specification table. HPC's burner kit manual (5/21) lists five years for a stainless burner and pan, where HPC's warranty page lists a lifetime term for stainless burners. HPC's drawings give a recommended BTU, and its manuals send the installer to the product label for the rating, so a listed unit's rating plate is the figure to design to. Firegear's warranty applies to products made after January 1, 2026, and says claims go through the dealer or distributor account.

Natural Gas and Propane Kits

HPC and The Outdoor Plus list a natural gas supply of 3.5 to 7.0 inches of water column and a propane supply of 8.0 to 11.0. Firegear's Pro burner manuals set a minimum inlet of 5.0 on natural gas and 10.5 on propane. Either way the line has to carry the burner's full load, so a licensed gas fitter sizes it. The gas line sizing calculator shows what to ask for.

Converting a Wood Fire Pit to Gas

A burner kit does not turn a wood pit into a gas appliance by itself. The makers' manuals set conditions the pit has to meet first, so check each against yours:

• Non-combustible construction for the enclosure, the gas supply and the power (The Outdoor Plus, HPC, Firegear).
• Above grade, with drainage. HPC wants the enclosure above grade. Firegear says not to place its pit directly on grass, dirt or rocks.
• Vent openings as in the table above, and an unfilled cavity.
• Room to recess the pan at least 2 inches below the rim.
• A gas shutoff outside the enclosure that is not used to adjust the flame, and access for service.
• No wood afterward. The Outdoor Plus, HPC and Firegear all say not to burn solid fuels in the gas appliance.

Ohio Flame, which makes steel wood-burning pits, says it does not make or sell gas pits or conversion kits, sells its pits for wood only, and suggests that any modification be done by a licensed professional. A gas pit built for masonry is a different product. Firegear's block burner systems cover segmental retaining wall and paver pits, with paver vent kits and control panels, and The Outdoor Plus makes paver kits in round, square and rectangular styles.

Why a licensed gas fitter. The Outdoor Plus and HPC make the installer responsible for sizing the fuel line to the burner's maximum input, and Firegear's pipe chart says to consult a licensed plumber or gas fitter. HPC recommends, and The Outdoor Plus suggests, installers locally licensed in gas piping. Firegear says gas installation should be done by a qualified installer, service agency or gas supplier. The manuals call for leak tests at every connection, with the appliance unhooked for pressure tests. HPC says a permanent gas supply typically needs a permit and that unauthorized modification can invalidate a listing. The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association tells owners to hire a certified professional for fireplaces, stoves and heaters. Who may legally do gas work is set by your state and city, so ask your building department before anything is cut.

What to Check Before You Choose a Kit

• Measure the enclosure opening and compare it with the cut sheet for the exact pan.
• Confirm the fuel and the supply pressure, then size the line with a licensed gas fitter.
• Count your vent area against the maker's table, including the larger rule above 200,000 BTU.
• Ask for the listing label or certificate for your exact configuration, and ask your building department what it accepts. See the fire code library for state rules.
• Choose the ignition you will use, and plan a circuit and a licensed electrician if it is electronic.
• Read the warranty for who files the claim, who is covered, and what it excludes.