The Crossfire ignition system

The Crossfire is a relative new product on the market. Handmade and thoroughly tested, this match lit or remote operated unit is unique. Burners, until now, were simply bent perforated pipes with a central manifold. Gas entering the manifold is distributed throughout the rest of the burner via the cross pieces or spokes. The burners are called fire rings regardless of the burner's shape.

The Crossfire uses a unique port system to produce flame for either natural gas or propane, as you can see in the above photo, Each port is shaped, tuned, and positioned to produce a different overall look. By shaping, tuning and adding additional air to the gas, the manufacturer, Warming Trends, causes the resulting yellow flame to swirl. Standard systems are 24", 30", and 36". Like the traditional electronic ignition kit, the Crossfire is built to be a single unit supported by the pan. The pan itself can also be either flat or bowl style. The pan itself can be ordered with variations in diameter to fit your design. Since pan sizes can vary, the main difference between the three systems are the number of ports. There are five ports in the 24", twelve ports in the 30", and 15 ports in the 36" systems. The maximum gas required for each system is 60k BTU, 108k BTU, and 180k BTU respectively. This is a significant, economic saving when it comes to operating the Crossfires over the electronic ignition systems of 150k BTU for the 24" and the 30", and 300k BTU for the 36".

There is significant heat transfer between the fire ring and the pan and, thus, between the pan and the valve box below for the electronic ignition systems. If the valve box overheats the valve will shut down and the pit flame will go out. Therefore, the warranty on the electronic ignition kits require 18 square inches (36 sq in total) of ventilation on opposite sides of the fire pit below the unit to help dissipated heat. There is very little heat transfer to the Crossfire pan, so ventilation is unnecessary.

The Crossfire has another distinct advantage when it comes to powering the system. The smaller system (the 24 inch) can be run from two D cell batteries. There is no need to run a separate 115 volt electrical circuit. I am told the batteries will last one to two years. I'll accept that it is possible for the batteries to last more than one year, but I can't quite accept two. In any case, just leave enough slack in the flex connector and all you have to do is lift the unit out of the pit, replace the batteries, put the unit back in, rearrange the lava rock, and you are back in business. Cool point #2: The manufacturer will customize a double unit just for you. It is possible to place two systems on one pan and control it from one remote control, and do it from a 120k BTU gas supply. That will give you 10 ports of swirling 18 inch flame in your fire pit.

The Crossfire is a sturdy device to consider when you want remote control of your fire pit ignition. Legend has it that the manufacturer uses a leaf blower to snuff out the flame in order to test the unit's ability to reignite. The Crossfire also comes in a match lit option. You can have the Crossfire's unique flame without having to pay for the sophisticated electronics. This is great for residential use because, usually, the only time the pit will be lit is when the homeowners are actually with it.

For more information about the Crossfire, visit Fire Pit Outfitter.

Photos curtesy of Warming Trends

Next post: Kool furniture!

The Burner Ring Style Electronic Ignition Kit

Hearth Products Controls electronic ignition kit

Electronic ignition kits are the ultimate in elegance. Just imagine starting your fire pit with just a flip of a wall switch or squeeze the remote control. The unit consists of a burner, a pan, sensor assembly, and a valve box containing the valve and the control electronics. Configured for either natural gas or propane, a choice of valves will deliver either 150k BTU or 300k BTU to the burner. The 150k valve is suitable for burners up to 24 inches in diameter. The 30 inch burner can use either. Burners larger than 30 inches produce better flames with a 300k BTU valve. (The bigger the fire ring the smaller the flame at the same pressure.) The pan that supports the fire ring can be either flat or bowl style depending on you design.

Built as a single unit, the electronic ignition kit is designed to be suspended from the pan lip. The manufacturer requires a 2 inch gap between the bottom of the valve box and the bottom of the fire pit. This is to keep the valve box above possible standing water. The valve box is water resistant, not water proof.

There is heat transfer between the fire ring and the valve box. If the valve box overheats, the valve will shut down and your flame will go out. The manufacturer insists (for warranty purposes) on 36 square inches of ventilation space (18 sq. in. on opposite sides of the pit) in the walls of the fire pit to avoid heat build up around the valve box. You can split up the ventilation space so that it fits the look of you fire pit, as long as the total is still 36 sq. in.

The electronic ignition kit operates on 115vac regular commercial house voltage. That is how the wall switch would work. Just install a wall switch in a convenient place and run the electrical wire out to the pit. The electronic ignition kit comes with a 3-prong plug. Some people cut that off and wire the unit directly. That saves on making an outlet type connect for the plug. Either way work just fine.

Remote operation uses a receiver in the pit. Its sole purpose is to interrupt or cut through power to the electronic ignition kit. The 3-prong plug goes into the receiver and the receiver has its own 3-prong plug. Again this can be cut off and wired directly to the electrical wire.

Another serious benefit is the unit's fail safe. If the flame goes out, the sensor will detect this condition and signal the valve to close and stop delivery of gas to the burner. This is especially important in any commercial use. Raw natural gas or propane uncontrollably flowing into the air is extremely dangerous.

As always, I highly recommend the addition of a manual shut off valve at the fire pit in the gas line before the electronic ignition device for safety. I have never heard of one of these units flowing gas out of control, but anything can happen. Saving $30-$40 by skipping the valve is just not worth the risk. One drawback to using a valve in this case is that you cannot use the valve to control the height of the flame. Restricting gas flow to this electronic ignition system also starves the pilot, and it will seem that the flame will go out inexplicably.

The ability to turn your fire pit on and off remotely is the ultimate in coolness. Aside from minor problems; ventilation and mounting the unit, the electronic ignition kit delivers an excellent flame for the appropriate burner for your fire pit.

Update: The manufacturer, Hearth Products Controls, has redesigned this device. The sensor module is subject to intense heat positioned inside the outer ring. The bowl pan is now one size larger so that the sensor module can be mounted on the outside of the fire ring. This will reduce the amount of heat and extend the life of the module. When considering the electronic ignition kit's size for your pit you must check to see if the larger bowl will fit. That should not be a problem if you have observed the 4 inch rule (the minimum distance between the fire ring and the inner edge of the capstones. Using an 18 inch fire ring as an example, the bowl pan is now 25 inches (for the next sized ring plus one inch, 25 inches in diameter). The 4 inch rule is 4" + 4" + 18" = 26". You have an inch to spare to place the unit within you fire pit.

Next post - The Crossfire

The Push Button Ignition System

Match lit is the simplest approach to initiating fire in the fire pit. Flick a grill lighter and turn on the gas. There is no fail safe though. If the flame goes out, gas will continue to pour from the fire ring. This is a concern to a lesser degree for a residential installation because there is usually supervision nearby. It would be a waste of personnel at a commercial site (hotel, spa, golf course, etc.) to assign someone just to watch a fire pit. Local building codes probably require a fail safe system at a commercial site anyway. Not using a flame fail safe system would be irresponsible endangerment of life and property, and then there is the consequential liability.

The push button ignition kit uses a 9 volt battery to provide power to the spark which ignites the gas to the burner. A sensor is positioned in the flame from of the burner holes. The sensor will signal the valve to close when it detects a loss of heat and the gas will cease to flow. Standard sizes are 18” (12” burner), 24” (18” burner), and 30” a (24” burner).

The push button assembly is the silver box on the right of this picture. This must be mounted on the inside with an opening in the side of the fire pit to access the ignition button. The push button box has no bottom. To replace the battery, lift the burner assembly and reach under the box from the inside. This requires a flex line connection between the push button ignition kit and the emergency shut off valve with reasonable slack.

For a fail safe burner system, the push button ignition kit is reliable and comparatively cheap. The sensor will detect the loss of heat if the flame goes out and will close the valve, thereby preventing gas (LP or NG) from being wildly released into the fire pit area.

Next blog: The Burner Ring Style Electronic Ignition Kit