Are big-box store propane fire tables any good compared to showroom or dealer-quality fire pits?
Out around Leicester, most large properties toward Sandy Mush and Turkey Creek run propane or wood — there's no main to tap. The answer still isn't a cylinder rattling inside a fire table; we bury a permanent LP line from your tank to a real pit. On cold-air-drainage nights that run colder than Asheville, a dealer-quality pit's heat output matters.
Rural fuel, done permanently
On these big rural lots there's no gas service coming up the road, but a propane cylinder crammed into a table's base isn't the answer either — you'll refill it constantly and it can run dry mid-evening. As a licensed gas contractor we bury a permanent, outdoor-rated line from your existing tank straight to a dealer-grade pit. Some remote properties out here also have limited electrical capacity, which is one more reason a clean gas connection beats a plug-in gimmick.
Cold hollows demand real heat
Cold-air drainage runs Leicester's rural valleys 5 to 8 degrees colder than Asheville on clear winter nights, so a small big-box burner just won't push warmth when you actually want to sit outside. A dealer pit with a heavier burner throws real, usable heat — and its heavier-gauge pan survives the freeze-thaw that rusts thin painted steel out here.
The bottom line for Leicester
For a few evenings a summer, a big-box table is fine and you don't need us. For a lasting centerpiece on a rural lot in propane-and-wood country, buy the quality pit and let us run the line. We pull the Buncombe County permit; we're 15 minutes west. Call (828) 545-0525 or request a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Leicester
We install and service fireplaces throughout Leicester and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- What fire pit materials hold up best outdoors — aluminum, steel, concrete, or stone?
- Should I get a built-in fire pit or a portable one?
- Do gas fire pits put out enough heat to actually keep you warm?
- Will my steel fire pit rust and how do I prevent it?
- Should my fire pit burner be stainless steel or brass?

