How Long Does a Propane Tank Last on a Fire Pit?

By
Nora Held
Nora Held
Research Writer
Apart from being our main writer, Nora also works for a number of gardening-related sites and magazines, sharing her experience as an owner of a small farm in North Carolina read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
Expert Consultant
Bruce owns a small farm and loves to grill since his early childhood. He’s a professional cook, but hiking and enjoying the great outdoors is his no less favorite part of read more
Last updated: August 09, 2023
BackyardStyle.com is reader-supported. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. Learn more about our process here

Everyone deserves the unmatched convenience offered by propane fueled fireplace. It offers an ambience and warmth just as good as that of a wood-fueled fireplace without all the mess and labor that comes with wood burning. Even if you have the best smokeless fire pit that money could ever buy, a wood-fueled fireplace would never be as clean and less laborious as a propane-fueled fireplace.

So how long does a propane tank last on a fire pit? This is a question people tend to ask before or after purchasing a propane firepit. Well, it depends on how often you’ll use the firepit and its fuel consumption rate. For you to calculate the amount of fuel you will need, you must establish the fire pit’s consumption rate. Read on to find out how long your 20lb propane tank would last on your portable propane firepit.

How long does a 20lb propane tank last on a fire pit?

How Long Does a Propane Tank Last on a Fire Pit?The standard gas fire pit like the famous Endless Summer 30″ Outdoor Propane Gas Rock Top Fire Pit will last for about 3 to 6 hours on a 20lb propane tank. The Endless summer fire pit has a rating of 50,000 BTU.

A 20lb propane tank can last you as little as an hour or as much as 9 hours depending on your fire pit BTU. A 20lb propane tank contains 430,000 BTU. To determine how long it will last on a firepit, you divide the figure by your fire pit’s BTU rating.

For instance, the Endless summer firepit would last for; 430,000/50,000-=8.6 hours with the 20ln propane tank.

You can get more usage time from your 20lb tank by reducing or keeping the flame low this reduces the BTU rating. Wind also affects the usage time of your tank. On a windy day the BTU would be high because a higher flame setting is required.

Here is a table with an approximation of the amount of time you will get from a propane tank with different firepit sizes and consumption rates.

Size BTU Time
H-Burner Drop-In Pans 18” x 6” Drop In Pan

24” x 8” Drop In Pan

30” x 10” Drop In Pan

36” x 12” Drop In Pan

70K BTU

120K BTU

125K BTU

165K BTU

6 Hours

3.5 Hours

3.5 Hours

2.5 Hours

Linear Burner Drop-In Pans 30” x 6” Drop In Pan

36” x 6” Drop In Pan

48” x 6” Drop In Pan

 

54K BTU

65K BTU

91K BTU

8 hours

6.5 hours

5 hours

Round Drop-In Pans 13” Round Drop In Pan

19” Round Drop In Pan

48K BTU

92K BTU

9 hours

4.5 hours

Round Burner Rings 6” Round Burner Ring

12” Round Burner Ring

18” Round Burner Ring

24” Round Burner Ring

48K BTU

92 K BTU

147 K BTU

294 K BTU

  9 hours

4.5 hours

3 hours

1.5 hours

H-Burners 18” x 6” H-Burner

24” x 8” H-Burner

75K BTU

125K BTU

6 hours

3.5 hours

Calculating the fuel consumption

To get the correct fuel consumption you need to know the BTU (British Thermal Units) that your firepit uses per hour. Most fire pits come with the label. Some manufacturers include the information in a manual. If your firepit doesn’t come with the BTU information you can check with your dealer or on the manufacturer’s website.

Propane is not sold by BTU. It is sold by the gallon or by the pound. After you have established the BTU rating of your firepit, you can convert it to pounds or gallons to know how long your propane tank will last.

Final thoughts

You have gone ahead to buy the best deck fire pit or the best portable propane firepit but you have no idea how long your 20lb propane tank will keep you warm. Btw! The Outland Firebowl 893 Deluxe Outdoor Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit is the best portable propane firepit you can get your hands on. It is compact and easy to transport and it comes as a complete firepit kit.

So, how long does a propane tank last on a fire pit? This depends on the consumption rate of your firepit. You can calculate the usage of your propane tank by converting the BTU rating of your firepit into pounds then dividing it by that of your propane tank. The results you get might not be the actual amount of time the propane tank will last you but a close approximation.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *