Square Burner Kits

Complete square pan and burner systems from The Outdoor Plus for custom square gas fire pits and fire tables. Choose your pan style, burner and ignition in one matched kit, designed so the flame fills the square shape of your fire feature.

Why a Square Burner Kit?

A round ring placed in a square opening lights the middle and leaves the four corners dark, which can make the fire look undersized. A square burner follows the lines of the fire pit, carrying the flame out toward the corners for a fuller, more balanced fire across the whole surface. Square fire pits often anchor a modern patio where the design of the fire feature came first, and a matched square kit keeps the fire in proportion with it.

Burner Styles in This Collection

• Square stainless steel burners – follow the shape of the pan for an even, symmetrical flame.
• Lotus burners – a decorative layout centered in the square pan for a more sculptural flame.
• Bullet burners – square and Triple 'S' layouts fitted with bullet-style jets for a distinct, defined flame, available in stainless steel or brass.

Sizing a Square Kit

Square kits are listed by pan and burner size, with pans from 12" x 12" up to 60" x 60" depending on the style, for example a 30" x 30" pan with a 24" burner. The burner is sized smaller than the pan so there is open space around it for the flame to draw air and stay clear of the walls. Measure the interior opening of your fire pit on both sides and choose the pan that fits.

A square burner covers more of the pan than a ring of the same size, so it typically needs more gas. If the corners of a square burner look weaker than the center, the cause is almost always the gas supply rather than the burner: the ports furthest from the inlet are the first to suffer when the line can't keep up.

Plan the Gas Supply First

The BTU rating tells you how much gas a burner needs to reach its full flame. The Outdoor Plus square stainless steel burner, for example, is rated at 80,000 BTU at 12" and 480,000 BTU at 36". Every product page lists the BTU rating and gas inlet size wherever The Outdoor Plus publishes them.

A burner can only perform as well as the gas line feeding it. Pipe diameter sets how much gas can reach the burner, a long run from the meter or tank reduces pressure, and every fitting and elbow adds restriction. An undersized line is the most common reason a burner never reaches its full flame height. Share the BTU rating with your gas professional so they can confirm the pipe size, regulator and supply before installation.

Flat Pan or Drop-in Pan?

The pan is the platform that holds the burner and the weight of your fire glass or lava rock, and it closes off the opening so leaves, debris and most of the rain stay out of the cavity below. The Outdoor Plus offers several pan styles:

• Flat pan – a flat pan with drain holes that rests on a support or ledge inside your enclosure. The most flexible choice for masonry and custom builds.
• Drop-in pan – sets into the opening of the fire feature for a clean, finished edge.
• Lipless drop-in pan – sits flush inside the fire feature for a frameless, minimal look.
• Raised lip drop-in pan – a drop-in pan with a raised edge that helps keep fire media in place.

Measure the actual interior opening of your fire pit, not the outside of the enclosure. Gas fittings and ignition components are attached below the pan, so check that there is room for them inside the cavity as well.

Choosing Your Ignition

How often you plan to use the fire pit, and how you want to light it, should guide your choice more than the price difference. Every kit is offered with up to five ignition systems:

• Match Lit – the simplest system, with no electrical requirement: open the key valve and light with a long lighter.
• Match Lit w/ Flame Sense – manually lit, with a thermocouple safety valve that shuts off the gas if the flame goes out.
• Flame Sense w/ Spark Ignition – push-button spark ignition with flame sensing, so no matches are needed.
• 30DC Electronic Ignition – low-voltage electronic ignition that can be operated from a wall switch, timer, pool controller or home automation system. The 30DC transformer is included with the kit.
• Plug & Play – electronic ignition with a 3-prong plug for a standard 110V outlet. The 110V transformer is included.

The flame sense options are generally offered on the smaller sizes, and each product page shows exactly which ignition systems are available for each size.

Natural Gas or Propane

Natural gas and liquid propane are not interchangeable. Propane is supplied at a different pressure and burns differently, so the gas components are set up for the fuel you choose when you order. Propane installations typically use an air mixer at the burner inlet to burn cleanly; without the right setup, propane can produce a lazy yellow flame and soot on the media. If you are not sure which setup your project needs, contact us before ordering.

Ventilation and Drainage

A fire pit enclosure needs ventilation so that gas cannot collect inside the cavity. Place vents on opposite sides of the enclosure so air can flow through. Propane is heavier than air and settles at the bottom, so propane installations need vents low on the enclosure; natural gas is lighter than air and rises, so vents belong near the top. Follow the vent requirements in The Outdoor Plus installation instructions and your local code.

Water is the other thing to plan for. Rain filters down through the fire glass or lava rock, so the pan's drain holes and the base of your enclosure need a path for water to escape. Standing water around the burner and gas components can cause corrosion and uneven lighting. Clearing media dust from the drain holes is a quick seasonal check.

Finishing With Fire Glass or Lava Rock

Fire media hides the burner, spreads the gas for a natural-looking flame and gives the fire pit its finished appearance. Cover the burner evenly, following the depth in the installation instructions: too little media leaves the burner visible, while too much restricts the flame and can turn it yellow. With a square burner, check the depth at the outer parts of the burner as well as the center, so the flame stays even all the way to the corners. Shop our fire glass and lava rock to finish your build. Fire media is sold separately.

Professional Installation

All gas fire features must be installed by a qualified, locally licensed gas professional, following The Outdoor Plus installation instructions and your local building codes. Keep the clearances to combustible materials listed in the instructions, and do not build a gas fire pit directly under an awning, pergola or other overhead structure.

Need Help Choosing?

A square fire pit is often designed around the rest of the patio, so it pays to confirm the size and gas supply before the enclosure is finished. Send us your interior opening dimensions, fuel type and gas line size, and we'll help you confirm the right size, burner and ignition before you order. Simply contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions