The average gas fire pit will last from 3 to 6 hours on a 20 lb. propane tank. Depending on your fire pit BTU rating a tank can last you as long as 9 hours, or as little as 1-1/2 hours. A 20 pound propane tank contains approximately 430,000 BTU’s. To determine how long the tank will last with your fire pit divide 430,000 by the BTU rating of your fire pit. Below we have a table where you can determine how long your gas fire pit will last on a 20 pound propane tank.
The times in the table below are an approximation, the actual time you get from your propane tank will be greatly affected by how high you set your flame. The BTU ratings below can be significantly reduced by keeping the flame low and enabling you to get more usage time from your tank. Wind will also affect how long your propane tank lasts. Windy days usually require a higher flame setting to keep it burning nicely.
H-Burner Drop-In Pans
18” x 6” Drop In Pan 70K BTU 6 hours
24” x 8” Drop In Pan 90K BTU 4.5 hours
30” x 10” Drop In Pan 125K BTU 3.5 hours
36” x 12” Drop In Pan 165K BTU 2.5 hours
Linear Burner Drop-In Pans
30” x 6” Drop In Pan 54K BTU 8 hours
36” x 6” Drop In Pan 65K BTU 6.5 hours
48” x 6” Drop In Pan 91K BTU 5 hours
Round Drop-In Pans
13” Round Drop In Pan 48K BTU 9 hours
19” Round Drop In Pan 92K BTU 4.5 hours
Round Burner Rings
6” Round Burner Ring 48K BTU 9 hours
12” Round Burner Ring 92 K BTU 4.5 hours
18” Round Burner Ring 147 K BTU 3 hours
24” Round Burner Ring 294 K BTU 1.5 hours
H-Burners
18” x 6” H-Burner 75K BTU 6 hours
24” x 8” H-Burner 125K BTU 3.5 hours
CSA Certified Burner Kits
10” Square CSA Burner Kit 37K BTU 11.5 hours
12” Round CSA Burner Kit 37K BTU 11.5 hours
18” Square CSA Burner Kit 55K BTU 7.75 hours
18” x 6” CSA Burner Kit 65K BTU 6.5 hours
19” Round CSA Burner Kit 55K BTU 7.75 hours
24” x 8” CSA Burner Kit 65K BTU 6.5 hours
30” x 6” CSA Burner Kit 55K BTU 7.75 hours
30” x 10” CSA Burner Kit 65K BTU 6.5 hours
36” x 6” CSA Burner Kit 65K BTU 6.5 hours
36” x 12” CSA Burner Kit 65K BTU 6.5 hours
48” x 6” CSA Burner Kit 145K BTU 3 hours
How do I get more time from a tank of propane?
The obvious answer is to turn the gas down lower. While this isn’t the answer you wanted we do have something to offer which will help you to burn less propane. By adding a glass wind guard you’ll be able to burn less propane and still have an enjoyable flame. This is because the wind guard (also called flame guard) will protect the flame from the wind which will enable more of the propane to burn. In windy conditions, without a flame guard, the flame is blown back and forth across the table. This constant blowing of the flame results in a significant amount of gas not being burned. By protecting your flame from the wind you’ll burn 100% of the propane resulting in more burn time from a tank of propane.
