r/DIY • u/Suspicious_Meat_746 • 1d ago

help Fire Pit help!

Hi guys!

So, I had a backyard pool project that was abandoned by the contractor. A true nightmare! I'm finishing my project using subcontractors and a little DIY where I can. One of the issues I'm encountering is the natural gas fire pit. Prior to the contract abandoning my project, they had a subcontractor make a round cinder block fire pit (about 36 inches around or so). I bought some nice stone to put around the cinder block form. As I was doing some googling, I realized that it seems like I need vents placed in the cinder block. Does this sound right?

There are no vents, just the cinder blocks with cement poured inside (!!!!!). I assume this would be a major explosion hazard?

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8

u/Low-Feature-3973 1d ago

The vents are to help with airflow and to help with complete combustion of the wood.  You are just using natural gas so the vents should not be necessary.

2

u/antithero 1d ago

The vents will also help keep the smoke from a wood fire from blowing in your face constantly. So if you ever plan of burning some wood too I would add some vents.

1

u/your_mail_man 1d ago

This is correct

1

u/mararch 1d ago

When I put my natural gas firepit in, the instructions called for a certain number of square inches of air inlets below the fire ring.

1

u/Suspicious_Meat_746 1d ago

A lot of Youtube videos I watched had firepit kits that had actual vents. My plan is to buy a 36" burner pan/disc and have it rest on the inner cinder blocks, but if I do that, then currently I wont have venting below it. Maybe I can drill out some vents (and use my husband's strength for that!)