What happens if rain gets into my gas fire pit?
Rain won't ruin a properly built gas fire pit — the burners are outdoor-rated for weather — but standing water will. Water pooling in the burner pan and gas line leads to rust, clogged gas ports, and a corroded igniter, which is exactly why good pits are built to drain and why you cover yours between uses.
Rain is fine — pooling is the problem
The burner, valve, and igniter on a quality gas fire pit are made to live outdoors and get rained on. What they're not made to do is sit submerged. When water can't escape, it collects in the burner pan and works its way into the gas line, and that's where the damage starts: rust on steel components, mineral scale and gunk plugging the tiny burner ports, and corrosion on the igniter and its wiring. The result is a pit that lights hard, burns weak, or won't fire at all.
How a good pit sheds water
This is a big part of why professional installation matters. A properly built-in pit is designed to drain — weep holes or a drain fitting in the burner pan, a gravel base or drain line under the enclosure, and media set at a depth that lets water run through rather than dam up. A pit built without drainage traps every storm. If yours holds water after a rain, that's a design flaw worth correcting before it eats the burner.
Covers and our wet climate
Western NC gets real rainfall, and after a wet stretch a fitted cover is the cheapest insurance you can buy — it keeps the burner and glass dry between uses and cuts down on debris. In the off-season, cover the pit and, for propane setups, follow proper winterizing. If your pit already has water sitting in it, don't just relight it and hope; call (828) 545-0525 and we'll clear and service it so moisture damage doesn't compound.
Related questions
- How do you drain water out of a built-in fire pit?
- Do I need to cover my gas fire pit when I'm not using it?
- Can a gas fire pit stay outside uncovered all year?
- Should I cover the burner or shut off the gas to winterize my fire pit?
- Why is my fire glass turning black or cloudy?
- How much does it cost to install a gas fire pit?
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