Outdoor propane fire table on a rain-soaked patio with water droplets and a partially fitted protective cover under an overcast sky.

May 24, 2026

Can A Fire Table Get Wet

Wondering if your shiny new fire table can handle a little rain? The short answer: yes, an EcoSmart bioethanol fire table's stainless-steel burner handles a light shower fine, but the fuel reservoir and any pooled water need drying out before you light it again, and the finish still benefits from a cover over time. Here's how moisture actually affects it.

Hands placing a weatherproof cover over a bioethanol fire table on a wet outdoor deck during light rain.

What Rain Actually Does to the Burner

The AB8 burner is Grade 304 stainless steel, which resists corrosion well but isn't entirely immune to it; prolonged rain exposure, salty coastal air and general grime can dull the finish over time, so a cover and a regular wipe-down are worth the small effort even on stainless. If rainwater sits in the fuel trough, it floats on top of the bioethanol and can leave you with a weaker or uneven flame, so the fix is straightforward: tip out any pooled water and let the trough dry fully before your next fill.

If you like glass media around the flame, EcoSmart's tempered glass (rated to 700°C) is genuinely low-maintenance in wet weather, since it's non-porous and doesn't retain water the way porous stone can. There's no lava rock anywhere in the range, so there's nothing to dry out for days after a storm before it's safe to use again.

Materials and Finish in Wet Weather

The Fire Base 40 comes in concrete (67.7 kg) or teak (54.9 kg); both are built for outdoor life, but concrete benefits from sealing to keep moisture from working into the surface over years of exposure, while teak weathers naturally and can be oiled if you want to keep the original tone. The compact Pod 30 (38.04 kg) is built the same way at a smaller scale. Coastal properties should factor in salt air on top of ordinary rain, since it accelerates wear on most outdoor materials, and a cold Melbourne or Hobart winter is worth planning storage around too, particularly for concrete pieces left out through repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

Close-up of an EcoSmart stainless-steel burner, the sealed design that copes with light rain.

Weatherproofing in Practice

A cover over the burner when it's not in use is the single most useful habit; it keeps rain out of the fuel trough and dust off the glass media between sessions. If wind is more of an issue than rain where the table sits, EcoSmart's glass wind guard and fire screen accessories do double duty, steadying the flame and giving the burner some shelter from driving rain at the same time. Look for a stable, well-draining spot underneath the unit too, so water doesn't pool around the base after heavy weather.

Storing Fuel and Managing Humidity

e-NRG bioethanol fuel arrives in sealed 5 L bottles and ships separately from the fireplace itself as a dangerous-goods item, so the bottles are built to sit outside without letting moisture in while they're unopened. Once you're refuelling, use the safety nozzle rather than pouring straight from the bottle, both for a cleaner fill and to keep water out of the fuel supply on a wet day. Coastal humidity affects the burner's finish and the concrete or teak base long before it does anything to sealed fuel, so a cover and dry storage do more work here than worrying about the bottles themselves.

After the Rain: Drying Out and Lighting Again

Before lighting the burner again, wipe the trough dry, check the glass media is clean, and confirm the lighting rod hasn't picked up any moisture. Heat output is a genuine 6 kW (21.56 MJ/h), enough for supplemental zone heating across roughly 60 m², so there's no need to overcompensate on flame size just because the evening feels damp and cold. If the weather turns properly foul and you want a flame indoors instead, EcoSmart's tables are rated for that too, with the Indoor Safety Tray and Efficiency Ring fitted, in a room of at least 116 m³ with good ventilation.