Wood Pellet Fire Pits: Everything You Need to Know for Fireside Perfection
As you think about which kind of fire pit to install in your backyard or even which one to take with you camping or various outdoor gatherings, you may have run across the concept of “Wood Pellet Fire Pits.” Wait… pellets in a fire pit? Aren’t pellets just for, well, pellet stoves? No - and you’ll want to learn why pellet fire pits are designed for a much more predictable, consistent, and safe experience than burning random logs. In this article, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about wood pellet fire pits so you can bring your outdoor activities to the next level.
What Is The Best Fuel For A Fire Pit?
Wood is arguably the best fuel for a fire pit and millions of people agree, because of the aroma and crackle that only wood can produce. Some fire pits use natural gas, which is much more convenient, and safer, and doesn’t generate annoying smoke, but many believe that this detracts from an authentic fireside experience since the flames usually have a bluish tint (which signals a colder fire) and no aroma. The warmth, light, smell, and cooking capabilities of wood draw people back to the fuel time and time again. Which one is better really depends on the individual. Do you love tending a fire and are you willing to put up with smoke? Do you love the convenience of an on/off switch and the clean burn of natural gas? Reader, know thyself and know what kind of a fireside experience you want. “Best” is truly in the eye of the beholder.
What Is Best To Put In The Bottom Of A Fire Pit?
The fuel you use for your fire pit has so much bearing on the outcome of your fireside experiences. There are three main types of wood fuels for fire pits: firewood, charcoal, and wood pellets. Of these, wood pellets have the most consistent levels of heat and light while still retaining the incredible aromas of a wood fire as it warms your bones or as the taste comes through in food. But whichever type you choose, your fire pit will need a base that prevents heat from coming out through the bottom and damaging the surface the fire pit is sitting on.
Great materials for dissipating any heat that spreads downward include:
Sand
Dirt
Stones
Gravel
Concrete slabs
Lava rocks and fire glass should be reserved for natural gas fire pits, because they are considered more decorative and in a wood-fueled fire pit, they’ll be covered by a layer of ash and burning embers.
What Are Wood Pellets?
Wood pellets are a type of fuel used to start and sustain controlled fires. Pellet fuels can come from a variety of sources, such as crop residues, food waste, lumber scraps, and specific energy crops.
Wood pellets are often made from the byproducts of lumber milling and include things like sawdust and ground up lumber scraps, compacted into a hard pellet that’s a small tube typically less than an inch long.
Why Are Wood Pellets Used For Fires?
The main reason for using wood pellets for a fire is the consistency of a burn you will get. Typical firewood comes from a variety of different trees, each one with a different water and sugar concentration inside the wood. Firewood may even come from trees of completely different species. For this reason, a single log of firewood may burn at a completely different temperature than the one next to it in the same pit. Logs also have inconsistent moisture content.
While wood pellets are most commonly used in pellet stoves intended to heat homes, they have a use in fire pits as well: it’s as close to a controlled burn as you can get with a wood-based fuel.
Wood pellets are manufactured using a blend of wood materials from a variety of different sources. Any fire that uses wood pellets as fuel will be easier to control whether your intent is to warm up or cook food.
Can I Use Wood Pellets In A Fire Pit?
Absolutely! Wood pellets are used in all sorts of fire features, including industrial furnaces, pottery kilns, indoor fireplaces, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor cooking appliances, fire pits, and more. Wood pellets are often chosen in fire pit applications because the temperature is much easier to control than with typical firewood logs. Wood pellets also burn for a long time despite their size since they are compacted and retain high levels of heat.
There are certain conditions for using pellets in a fire pit, however. Your typical campfire rock fire pit won’t provide a great environment for wood pellets and neither will a fire pit that isn’t specially constructed for higher levels of heat than are generated by burning logs.
If your fire pit wasn’t specially constructed with wood pellets in mind, the high temperatures may damage the fire pit and cause a destructive situation. Fire pits that burn pellets must absolutely be constructed of fire-rated materials. You should also make sure that anything surrounding your fire pit won’t be affected by high heat.
A traditional fire pit will also produce a great deal of smoke at times, even with the use of wood pellets. You should make sure that the fire pit is located in a place that can handle lots of smoke. This means avoiding overhangs of the back patio or a pavilion nearby. If you use a smokeless fire pit, however, you’ll have much greater versatility in the location of your fire pit.
How Do You Keep A Fire Pit Pellet?
For the average homeowner, keeping and storing fire pit pellets will likely not present any hazards. Despite this, everyone that uses fire pit pellets should take certain precautions when storing them. There are several main hazards of keeping wood pellets, but there are easy solutions to these problems as well.
Flammability: As a fuel source, of course wood pellets are extremely flammable. This means that they should be kept at safe distances of at least 10 feet away from any fire or other heat source. They should also be kept in cool and dry places and out of any direct sunlight, much like many types of foods that can easily spoil. The best places to store pellets are cool basements or a closed garage. If you don’t have a suitable safe place to store wood pellets, consider using a different kind of fuel for your fire pit.
Carbon Monoxide: Wood pellets emit small amounts of carbon monoxide over time. In airtight and enclosed spaces, this can provide a hazard that isn’t detectable by senses. Carbon monoxide is a gas that cannot be smelled, tasted, or seen, making it extremely dangerous when it begins to collect in enclosed spaces. Wherever you store your wood pellets, you should make sure that there is at least a small amount of ventilation. This air flow to the outside will reduce levels of carbon monoxide that would otherwise collect. Also keep a carbon monoxide detector in this location and make sure that it is located near the ground since the gas is heavier than air and will collect at the bottom of the space.
Dust Explosions: Wood pellets are tightly compacted materials that generate dust when moved (when they’re poured into a storage container, for example). Be sure to store wood pellets away from any electrical sources which may produce a spark.
Self-Ignition: Wood pellets in large quantities have also sometimes been known to self-ignite under certain conditions. When you store your wood pellets, it’s important that you keep them in cool and dry areas away from any water sources, heat sources, open electricity sources, gas or electric furnaces, or direct sunlight. Make sure that the enclosed space has some sort of ventilation. If you use pellets often, completely clean the fine dust out any storage containers.
With these precautions, you’ll safely enjoy the many benefits of wood fire pit pellets.
How Long Does A Wood Pellet Fire Burn?
The answer to this question depends on the amount of heat you’re looking for. If it’s the middle of summer and you’re trying to add a little bit of heat because the night got a little chilly, you may only run the fire for about an hour. During this time, one pound of wood pellets will burn for around 90 minutes, producing up to 12,000 BTUs. This means that one pound can easily warm an outdoor space of up to 12 feet across for an hour and a half.
The addition of more wood pellets will cause a fire to burn hotter and faster. If you add pellets slowly, you can keep a fire burning for longer. If you’re trying to quickly heat up a space during the cold of winter, you may want to burn the maximum amount in your fire pit. This can use up to five pounds of wood pellets per hour, which will produce up to 40,000 BTUs. Though this is a considerable amount of fuel, it will definitely make the same outdoor space quite warm no matter what the weather intends to do.
The typical bag of wood pellets is around forty pounds. This means that at a low burning rate in your fire pit, you can expect one bag to last about 60 hours of continuous burning. At a much higher rate of burning, that same bag will last about 8 hours of continuous burning.
The rate at which you choose to make a fire entirely depends on the demands of the situation. Even though the weather of winter demands much more energy from a fire, you will likely be spending less time outside anyway. Likewise in the summer, you will likely find many fewer instances where you need to start a fire for warmth, and fire intended for ambience can burn much cooler. Cooking doesn’t typically last for long in either situation, probably demanding only a pound of wood pellets per session.
How Do You Start A Wood Pellet Fire Pit?
Starting a fire in a fire pit is often just like any other fire ignition. Using wood pellets is slightly different than using firewood, however. Let’s cover the detailed steps of how to start a fire in a wood pellet fire pit:
Add wood pellets to the fire pit. For your fire pit to get going and have plenty of fuel to last for a while, you’ll want to add about two inches of wood pellets to the bottom of your fire pit. The amount of wood pellets you add depends on the size of your fire pit. For the INNO STAGE Smokeless Fire Pit, for instance, you’ll want about 8 pounds of wood pellets evenly lined across the bottom. This is because the fire pit is 15 inches in diameter. We recommend the Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods FB99 wood pellets for optimum heat and flavor when cooking.
Add a firestarter. Wood pellets do easily not ignite with the simple touch of a flame from a lighter or match. This is because they are thoroughly compacted for safety and longer burning times. Take a firestarter, such as the GreenSpark Natural Fire Starters, and place it in your fire pit. A simple touch of a flame from a lighter or a match should start this firestarter on a gentle burn. Allow this firestarter to rest undisturbed on top of the wood pellets for about five minutes.
Gradually add more pellets. Once the fire starts to gain intensity, you can either add more pellets or let it burn its course. If you’re trying to heat an outdoor living space, you’ll want to periodically add more pellets. If you’re cooking using skewers or other attachments, you will likely not need to add more for quite some time. Be careful to not add too many pellets at once, which could snuff the fire out. Add them slowly and spread them around the fire pit for a more even burn.
Let the fire burn out on its own. At some point, you’ll be finished with your fire. With a wood pellet fire pit, there’s no need to add water or stir the fire until the flames are gone. The wood pellets are already designed to gradually burn out as the fire spends the fuel. As long as the fire pit is at a distance of 10 feet away from any flammable materials, there is no danger of letting it burn out on its own. You can speed up the process by stirring the pellets to encourage oxygen flow, which will temporarily make the fire burn hotter, but also burn out faster.
What Is A Smokeless Pellet Fire Pit?
You may have seen the term “smokeless” thrown around when talking or reading about fire pits. It may seem improbable that a wood fire could be smokeless, but it’s actually true. Several manufacturers, such as Pit Boss and INNO STAGE, have each designed outstanding examples of smokeless fire pits. Let’s go over exactly how these smokeless fire pits work, what kind of fuels they use, and some of the best examples of smokeless pellet fire pits on the market.
Smokeless fire pits use several patented technologies that depend on each manufacturer. The general idea of creating a smokeless fire pit involves maintaining plenty of air flow through the device and burning any smoke before it leaves the fire pit. In order to burn the smoke before it leaves, a fire pit needs to burn very hot, and it needs to burn twice, burning the fuel first, and then burning any particulates that we would normally see as smoke. These fire pits manipulate air flow to bring superheated air up to the top of the device where it ignites and burns the smoke. The burned particles and gasses in the smoke are then destroyed in the fire and fall back to the bottom of the fire pit as ash.
Amazingly, you’ll still get that wonderful aroma of a wood fire without coughing or fighting back tears as long as you use a smokeless fire pit.
Smokeless fire pits are capable of using all three primary wood based fuels: firewood, charcoal, and wood pellets. Each of these materials produce smoke in a traditional fire pit arrangement where the fire is likely burning cooler and there isn’t a second burn.
In a smokeless fire pit, you can use any of these three wood based fuels or even a combination according to what you’re trying to achieve in the fire. Wood pellets will do well in a fire pit as long as the structure is designed for the high level of heat. Fortunately, smokeless fire pits are always designed to handle extremely high temperatures.
What’s The Best Pellet Fire PIt?
One great benefit of a smokeless fire pit that uses wood pellets is that it doesn’t need to be as large as smokeless fire pits that use charcoal or firewood. We recommend two incredible products from two innovative companies that build wood pellet fueled smokeless fire pits: INNO STAGE and Pit Boss.
The fabulous INNO STAGE Smokeless Fire Pit is specially designed for using wood pellets. INNO STAGE developed a patented design that eliminates smoke with a double wall and bottom ventilation system. It can create a substantial fire that heats up a surprisingly large outdoor living space with such a small fire pit. The 15 inch diameter and 16 pound weight of this smokeless fire pit enables a great portability that’s even easier with a specialized carrying bag. That way, you’ll be able to take this smokeless pellet fire pit anywhere your outdoor activities take you and your family.
The outstanding Pit Boss Smokeless Fire Pit is intended for the efficient use of wood pellets. Pit Boss constructs its fire pits with highly rated, fire-intensity treated steel. Pit Boss has improved upon the technologies of many other manufacturers to create an even more efficient system. The double walls angle inwards slightly, making the mouth of the fire pit smaller than the base. This forces the energy of the superheated air to a smaller space, increasing ignition speed and better retaining heat. This fire pit actually pushes any minimal leftover smoke out of the bottom as an exhaust. The 18 inch diameter and stunningly low 10 pound weight make it a great portable fire pit you can take to all sorts of outdoor activities.
How Does A Pit Boss Fire Pit Work?
Pit Boss has developed a great system for burning wood pellets in a smokeless fire pit. The structure of the Pit Boss Smokeless Fire Pit enables a better intensity of wood burning fuels while also eliminating smoke during a normal burn. There are no mechanical components to this fire pit and it uses no energy except for the wood pellets that you use for your fire pit. The structure itself will actually use heat to propel air around the structure, efficiently producing heat and eliminating smoke.
It all begins at the base of the Pit Boss Smokeless Fire Pit, where air is drawn inwards. Some openings in the base of the fire pit allow for some oxygen intake directly into the bottom of the fire. A series of holes in the base of the fire pit allow air to enter a hidden chamber inside the walls where it is quickly heated by the fire. It exits these chambers near the top of the inner wall through another series of holes. Once at the top of the fire pit, this superheated air ignites and burns the smoke before it ever leaves the fire pit.
A wood fire will produce some amount of toxic gasses and solid particles as well as water vapor, all the components of smoke. The hotter a fire, the less smoke there is because these compounds break down before becoming airborne. The second burn that a Pit Boss Smokeless Fire Pit produces will break down those compounds while still inside the chamber. Some aromas will come through, keeping the spirit of a wood fire alive without all the downsides to smoke.
Is Pit Boss Owned By Traeger?
No, but it’s complicated. Both the names Pit Boss and Traeger are mainstays in the fire pit and overall grilling industry, providing some of the most exciting equipment and tools to barbecue lovers across the world. For the last several years however, the names have been tightly intertwined and used in the same sentences more and more. This is because there are rumors that Traeger has bought Pit Boss.
Traeger Grills was founded in 1985 by inventor Joe Traeger after he developed the first wood pellet grill for outdoor cooking. Over the years, the company became one of the leading grill companies in the United States. In 2006, Traeger and his sons sold the company, the brand, and their likenesses in a buyout worth seven figures.
In 2018, Joe Traeger and his son Brian joined Dansons, Inc., the company that owns the Pit Boss brand. He became the Product Development manager for both Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills. While he began working at the company, he did not enter into any ownership agreement with the parent company.
Shortly after the two Traegers joined Dansons, Traeger Grills sued both the Traegers and Dansons for a breach of the 2006 agreement. They alleged that the Traegers and Dansons were illegally using the brand and their likenesses to promote a product for a rival company. The lawsuit was settled a few months later. As of 2022, the two Traegers continue to work with Dansons under the umbrella brands Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills. Both the Traegers and Dansons (and therefore Pit Boss) have no affiliation with Traeger Grills whatsoever.
Is There A Difference Between Traeger And Pit Boss Pellets?
Yes, but the difference is minimal. Different companies produce different wood pellets. While Traeger may produce wood pellets from one lumber source, Pit Boss likely does not use the same source. This ends up becoming a slight difference in the composition of the wood. While the average nose or tongue may not be able to detect the differences in smell or taste, some expert barbecue pitmasters would agree that there is a difference between the two products.
Can You Burn Traeger Pellets In A Pit Boss?
In practice, yes, but it might have unintended consequences. Since the two companies are rivals, they will not expressly endorse the use of another’s pellets in their own fire pit. There are no physical consequences to using Traeger wood pellets in a Pit Boss fire pit. In fact, you may not even notice the difference.
In some rare cases, using competing products can put you in a small amount of trouble. While both companies will not endorse each others’ products, there is a likelihood that using the rival’s wood pellets could void the warranty of a fire pit. Practically, there is no way for the company to find out about this unless they are expressly told so.
Image courtesy of Pitt Boss on Amazon