DIY drop-in burner pans are a great way to bring a fire pit to your backyard. However, the bare-bones nature of these burners can be daunting for some people, particularly when it comes to lighting the burner.
While it is safe to light the flames with a handheld butane lighter, the idea of placing one’s hand near a flame (especially since the flames often tend to “jump to life” when first lit) can be a bit scary. But, with the proper lighting technique a stick lighter can be a safe and reliable option.
Celestial Fire Glass has a simple solution for those who don’t want to use a stick lighter. Our fire pit “Spark Igniter” is a great way to stay clear of the flames while igniting your fire pit. Connecting one of our spark igniters to our DIY fire pit burner pans won’t take long, and after reading this article, you’ll be ready to install yours in no time!
Note: Spark igniters are not recommended for use with propane gas. Propane is heavier than air, so it will take longer for the gas to reach the height of the igniter than it will for natural gas. This second or two of time allows a significant amount of gas to pool in the burner before ignition. If you would like a spark igniter with your propane fire pit we recommend going with a CSA-certified burner kit. The CSA kit is built to start safely and has other safety features built in.
Parts You Will Need
1. Fire pit burner pan with an option for the igniter. All of the Celestial Fire Glass burner pans we sell are compatible with our igniter. If you have a different type of device (flat pan, burner only, etc.), then the igniter will not be readily compatible.
You may be able to install a spark igniter to other fire features that don’t come pre-built with the option for a spark igniter, but it will require some DIY ingenuity on your part. This article will focus on how to attach our spark igniters to compatible burner pan units.
2. Spark igniter.
3. Phillips head screwdriver.
4. AAA battery
Installing the Igniter
Step 1: Remove the flat plate.
Most fire pit burner pans have a completely smooth and solid bottom to the pan except for a few weep holes. However, if you look closely, you will notice a rectangular plate with two screws in it. This flat plate can be removed and will be the location for mounting the igniter. Keep those screws! You will need them later.
Step 2: Feed the spark igniter through the mounting plate.
You may notice the mounting plate has 3 holes in the center, yet our spark igniter only has two prongs, but don’t worry, this is by design. Feed the straight prong of your spark igniter through one of the two smaller holes in the center of the mounting plate while feeding the prong that is angled through the larger hole in the center of the mounting plate.
Celestial Fire Glass burner pans come with a mounting plate to attach our spark igniter to the burner pan. These mounting plates are included in the plastic wrapping and packaging of our DIY Burner pans.
Sometimes the bag that the mounting plate is placed in may open or detach from the burner’s packaging and it gets stuck to the inside of the shipping box. If you are missing a mounting plate, we recommend checking the box and packaging first!
If further inspection reveals that you do not have a mounting plate included in your order, please contact Celestial Fire Glass, and we’ll be happy to send you one.
Step 3: Ground the spark igniter.
This step is a “two-for-one” as you will be grounding the spark igniter while also securing the igniter to the mounting plate.
Our spark igniter comes with a mounting screw and nut. Feed the screw through the top of the mounting plate in the third open hole. But before you secure the screw with the nut, grab the grounding wire of your spark igniter. This will be the thinner of the two wires, and it features a metal ring on the end of it. This ring should be located under the mounting plate. So, place the ring over the screw, so that when you screw the nut on, the ring will fit snugly against the bottom of the plate.
This line and its fitting are included to ground the electricity coming from the igniter. If the igniter is not properly grounded, it will not generate the spark you need!
Step 4: Attach the mounting plate and wire to the burner pan.
Now that the sparking apparatus of your spark igniter has been attached to the mounting plate, you are ready to secure the plate to your burner pan. Feed the wires through the opening in the bottom of the burner pan before lining up the mounting plate where the flat plate was. Insert the screws (you held on to from Step 1) and secure them with the nuts on the bottom side of the burner pan.
Step 5: Connect the Push Button
Next, you will need to attach the two wires to the back of the spark igniter. Firmly push each wire into an available opening in the backside of the igniter button’s housing. Both wires will connect properly in either opening, so there is no need to fret about which wire goes into which opening.
To add your battery, unscrew the push button from the rest of the igniter (see above left photo). Carefully insert your AAA battery into the opening with the positive (+) side facing out. Screw on the push button back on, and you are ready to go!
You may be wondering, “How do I mount the push button part of this thing to my feature?”
This is entirely up to you and your DIY creative juices. The most common ways we have seen the spark igniter installed are by either using a command strip (or some other double-sided adhesive) or by hanging the button and excess wire around a hook located on the underside of your fire feature. But there may be even better ways, and we encourage your creativity.
Let There be Fire!
And just like that, your fire pit now has a spark igniter. Gone are the days of leaning over your burner with a lighter to start the flames and fearing that first leap of flames. Now the gas from your burner will ignite with the push of a button.
By Your Side
Still feeling a little unsure? Just want to make sure you are on the right track? Gotten completely lost? No problem. We are always happy to answer your questions and walk you through the process. Simply reach out, we’ve got your back!
