Fire Pit Covers and Accessories

What to Know Before You Buy

The manuals say more about covers and wind guards than about any other accessory, so the decisions below follow them.

• Cover. A cover is the normal winter answer. HPC says a fire pit must always be covered when not in use, The Outdoor Plus makes a cover a warranty requirement, and Firegear recommends a ventilated one. The guide on how to winterize a gas fire pit has the full cover rules.
• Wind guard. Firegear calls a glass guard optional but practical in windy areas. The fire glass vs lava rock guide lists the guard sizes and warranties, and whether gas fire pits give off heat covers wind and where the heat goes.
• Regulator and hose. On propane, four of the five makers in the hidden tank guide supply the regulator and hose with the table, and Firegear sells its regulator separately. The guide compares what each manual says.
• Cylinder. Hours per fill depend on the burner's rating, which the propane tank runtime guide works out.

Sizes, Output and Fuel

Wind guards are sized to the burner. HPC lists round guards from 23 to 48 inches and square ones from 25 to 49, plus rectangle and linear shapes. Firegear's tempered glass windshields run 17 to 60 inches wide in round, stand 8 inches tall in round and 6 inches in rectangular and square, and are not designed for wood fires. The Outdoor Plus makes its guards from 1/4 inch polished tempered glass and sizes them to the burning area plus 2 inches on each side. Firegear and The Outdoor Plus each warrant a guard for 1 year, and The Outdoor Plus does not cover cracking. None of the maker pages the heat guide cites gives a figure for how much heat a guard keeps. Firegear calls a guard optional but practical in windy areas, and HPC and The Outdoor Plus list one as a fix for a flame that keeps going out. Both also want the pan recessed at least 2 inches below the top of the enclosure. Prism says never to use its fire features in windy conditions.

On propane, the five manuals in the hidden tank guide give 11 inches of water column. Do not swap in a regulator from another appliance, because the pressure is part of how the burner was sized, and The Outdoor Plus sizes its burner orifice to the pressure its regulator delivers. Firegear's Sanctuary 1 manual requires its own regulator, which is not included. Prism says to check hoses and fittings at least monthly for cracks, abrasions and leaks, and a damaged hose is replaced with the one the maker specifies.

A separate tank enclosure is an accessory too. Firegear lists an optional 20 lb enclosure, SANCTUARY-LPTE, in concrete at 20 by 21.5 inches tall, weighing 141 lb, with a removable lid. HPC's recommended specifications for a remote enclosure call for openings totaling 20 square inches within 5 inches of the top and 10 at floor level for a 20 lb cylinder. HPC also lists decorative copper and heavy-duty vinyl covers among its accessories.

Who Makes Them

Other makers publish covers and guards, and the guides cite them. This section names only makers whose own brand page lists accessories. The order is not a ranking.

Ohio Flame, of Columbiana, Ohio, lists spark screens, flat lids, log grates, blocking plates, fire tools and the Mars modular cook grate. The rain drain on its Liberty pits closes with a blocking plate. Its lifetime warranty on registered steel fire bowls does not cover screens or grates.

Firegear, of Huntington, Indiana, lists the optional SANCTUARY-LPTE tank enclosure. Its Sanctuary 1 manual says not to place a propane tank inside the enclosure, and to put it in an approved separate enclosure at least 60 inches from the unit.

Rules and Placement

Put a cover on only after the unit has cooled and the top is dry. Firegear recommends a ventilated cover, and one maker's manual says not to let water pool on it. Firegear says a combustible cover must come off before the fire pit is lit and calls it a severe safety hazard otherwise, and The Outdoor Plus start-up steps say to confirm all covers are removed. A cover is no fix for wet media either: Firegear says it can lessen spalling, but heavy rain and humidity may still cause popping.

Shut the gas off at the source when the pit is not in use. Take any propane cylinder off the unit and keep it outdoors, upright, with the valve closed. The Propane Education & Research Council says never to keep one in a garage, shed or basement, even in winter, and HPC says not to keep a spare under or near the appliance. Test connections with thick soapy water before the first use each season and each time a cylinder is connected. The propane tank runtime calculator gives hours per fill, which tells you when to swap a cylinder.

For a wood pit, the U.S. Fire Administration advises a metal screen over the fire. Check your local code in the fire code library, and follow the installation manual for the exact unit. A licensed gas fitter handles any gas line work.