Should I cover my gas fire pit when I'm not using it?
Yes — a good cover is one of the cheapest ways to keep a gas fire pit reliable. It keeps rain, snow, leaves, and insects out of the burner ports and media, which is exactly what causes rough relights, weak flames, and no-lights after the pit sits. Just make sure the pit is fully cooled first, and use a cover made for outdoor fire features.
Why It's Worth the Small Effort
The enemy of a trouble-free gas fire pit is stuff getting into places it shouldn't — water in the bowl, leaves and pine needles across the burner, and bugs nesting in the ports over an idle stretch. Every one of those shows up later as a pit that lights unevenly, burns yellow and weak, or won't light at all. A cover is a five-second habit that heads off all of it. The burner ports on a gas pit are small, and it doesn't take much debris to disrupt a clean, even flame.
Our Weather Makes the Argument
Western NC gives a fire pit a hard life. Summer pop-up storms fill an uncovered bowl with water that later boils and spits when you light. Fall drops leaves and needles straight into the burner. Winter packs snow and ice into the media, and freeze-thaw cycles work water into places you don't want it. A pit that lives on a Fairview patio or a Cashiers deck through all of that, uncovered, is the pit that greets you with a no-light on the first cool evening you want to use it. A cover is cheap insurance against exactly that.
Do It Without Trapping Trouble
Two things make a cover help instead of hurt. First, let the pit cool completely before covering — a burner, and especially fire glass or lava rock, holds heat long after the flame's out and can scorch or melt a cover, or worse. Second, use a cover built for outdoor fire features: vented so condensation doesn't get trapped underneath, snug enough to stay put in a gust, and made for weather. A tarp bungeed down can trap moisture against the metal and actually invite rust. Cool it, cover it, and make sure water can drain rather than pool. If your pit's been sitting uncovered and won't fire up right, we service outdoor gas fire features across the mountains — call (828) 545-0525.
Related questions
- Should I leave the propane tank hooked up to my fire pit between uses?
- What's the proper way to shut down a gas fire pit after using it?
- How do I winterize my gas fire pit at the end of the season?
- What do I need to do to get my gas fire pit running again after it sat unused all winter?
- Can I use my gas fire pit in the winter?
- How do I light the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
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