Table fire pit outdoor setup beside a luxury firepit dining table at sunset

June 26, 2026

How Do Fire Tables Work

Ever wondered how a fire table produces a real flame with no gas bottle, no gas line and no smoke drifting across the patio? The short answer: an EcoSmart fire table burns liquid bioethanol in a sealed stainless steel burner, lit by hand, with no gas connection anywhere in the system. Keep reading for exactly how that works, and what it means for setting one up at home.

EcoSmart Base 40 fire table in Bone with its stainless steel AB8 bioethanol burner alight and black glass charcoal set around the burner, not on top of it.

The Core Mechanics: How a Bioethanol Fire Table Works

A Fire Table looks like stylish outdoor furniture with a flame floating across the middle, but underneath it's a genuinely simple system. EcoSmart's AB8 burner is made from Grade 304 stainless steel and holds up to 8 litres of e-NRG bioethanol, the fuel EcoSmart formulate for this kind of burner. Light it, and the fuel burns cleanly straight off its own surface: no gas line, no propane tank, no regulator, and nothing to plumb in.

At full flame the AB8 burns through roughly 1.1 litres of e-NRG an hour, which gives you 7 to 9 hours from a single fill. The AB8 Efficiency Ring, which comes with the burner, stretches each fill further; EcoSmart quote a burn time of up to 11 hours for the AB8. The ring does this by lowering the flame height and heat output.

Lighting and Refuelling It

Ignition is manual: a lighting rod and a fire lighter, no electronic ignition or pilot light. Refuelling is just as straightforward, but it only happens once the burner has had at least 60 minutes to cool. Fuel goes in through a safety nozzle or bottle adaptor, never poured straight from the bottle, and e-NRG ships to you separately from your fire table because it's handled as a dangerous good.

EcoSmart Mix 850 fire pit, showing the sealed stainless-steel burner and live flame with nothing hidden underneath.

No Gas Line, No Flue, No Fitter

Because there's no gas involved, there's no flue and nothing to vent. Burning bioethanol produces heat, steam and a little carbon dioxide, and the flame itself uses a little oxygen and gives off water vapour; that's the whole combustion story, no smoke, soot or ash to manage. That's also why a bioethanol fire table doesn't need a licensed gasfitter, a compliance certificate or a yearly service the way a gas installation does.

It also means no heat is lost up a flue: EcoSmart say their ventless fireplaces typically achieve thermal efficiency above 90% for that reason. That figure describes a room; outdoors, a breeze carries some of the warmth away.

Setting One Up Outdoors or Indoors

EcoSmart fire tables are rated for both indoor and outdoor use, but the requirements are different. Outdoors, you need 2,000 mm of clearance above the unit, 600 mm from any fixed object, and a level, non-combustible base; the 360° articulating feet handle minor unevenness in decking or paving. Indoors, you'll need the Indoor Safety Tray fitted along with the included AB8 Efficiency Ring, a minimum room volume of 116 m³, and adequate ventilation. There's no installation beyond that: no gas line, no plumbing, no tradesperson required either way.

How Much Heat to Expect

Output is a fixed 6 kW (21.56 MJ/h), enough to comfortably heat up to 60 m². That's supplemental, zone-style heating and a genuine focal point, not a replacement for whole-home heating, so think of it as warming the seating area around it rather than the whole backyard.

Choosing the Right Setup for Your Space

Fire table height changes how it's used. Lower, coffee-table-height designs work best with modular lounges and deep cushioned seating, keeping the flame low and the atmosphere relaxed. Taller units suit a proper dining setup, letting the flame sit at the centre of the table while people eat. Either way, it's worth thinking about patio size, seating layout, ventilation and how the table will actually be used before you buy, rather than just how it looks in a showroom.

The Bottom Line

A bioethanol fire table gets its simplicity from what it doesn't need: no gas bottle, no gas line, no flue, no gasfitter. Once you understand that the AB8 burner is really just a sealed reservoir of liquid fuel with a lighting rod, the rest of the setup, from clearances to refuelling, makes a lot more sense.