Fire Tables

A bioethanol fire pit smells slightly, mostly when lit and when it goes out. What EcoSmart lists as causes of a lingering smell, what the vanilla e-NRG fuel does and does not promise, and why smell is a poor test of air quality.

No maker or fire authority publishes a wind limit for a bioethanol pit. The strictest published figure is the CFA's 10 km/h; how to read it at pit height, what screens change, and what to do if the wind rises.

What keeps an alfresco warm in winter, in order: wind control, cover, a zone of fire warmth, then layers. Heat figures come from EcoSmart, and an independent source explains what outdoor heaters do that a fire pit does not.

Concrete and stainless steel fire pits both hold up outdoors when cared for, so the choice comes down to shape, weight and warranty. EcoSmart's own documents cover the cracking and rust questions.

A fire pit is low and open for people to sit around, while a brazier holds burning coals or wood in a raised bowl. The bigger difference is fuel, and on a total fire ban day neither can be lit.

For a small courtyard, the clearance envelope decides the fit, not the tabletop. The Pod 30 and Mix 600 fire pits usually beat every fire table in the range.

A townhouse fire pit comes down to boundary distance, not the title type. Tight blocks usually favour a 600mm bioethanol clearance over a wood fire's 2-3m.

A fire pit belongs on level paving or concrete, never on the lawn: EcoSmart rule grass out for theirs. On a Total Fire Ban day, no surface makes it legal.

Whether a fire pit is allowed on a balcony comes down to strata approval, not the appliance itself. Certified bioethanol is the realistic ask.

Radiant heat, not surface contact, is what a timber deck railing has to clear from a fire table. EcoSmart's own figure is 1,000mm, more than a fire pit needs.

A fire pit belongs on level paving or concrete, never on artificial turf. EcoSmart rule turf out for theirs; heat and embers can melt synthetic fibres for good.

How close a fire pit can sit to a fence depends on fuel type: 600mm for certified bioethanol, several metres for wood under state fire rules.