Rattan table with fire pit can easily turn your rustic, ordinary deck into the star attraction of your home. In the spring, summer and fall, your patio is the perfect stage for entertaining friends or relaxing with family after a long day. People love to sit by the fire and reminisce about fond memories. However, watching the beautiful fire pit glass in your fire pit table darken and discolor can be a headache. But don't worry too much about your "burnt" fire glass. In fact, fire glass is non-combustible and has not been treated with any chemicals or additives that would create a residue on the glass. At the same time, the appearance of this black residue may not be appealing, so it's important to understand why and how to fix it.
The three most common reasons for blackening:
There are several factors that can cause the fire glass in rattan furniture with fire pit to accumulate black soot. Some of the most common causes include:
Missing, improperly installed or under sized air-mixer
Unlike natural gas that is clean and light, LP gas is a denser, heavier fuel that requires the addition of air to the gas. Otherwise, it won’t burn cleanly and will produce black soot. This soot is visible as smoke rising from the flame that also leaves a black coating on your fire glass and fire pit. An LP gas air mixer will fix this problem by mixing additional air with the gas. This results in the most clean and efficient fuel source possible — and less sooting. Soot typically occurs when there is no LP air mixer present at all in a fire pit installation. Sooting can also occur when an air mixer is improperly installed or undersized for the burner.
Too much fire glass covering the burner
The fire glass covering your burner should be just enough so the burner is not visible. However, if you have too much fire glass over your burner the gas is dispersed over a greater area resulting in incomplete combustion of the gas. Also, if the glass on a rattan fire pit table is dirty, it will be difficult for the fire to generate heat. This causes the fire to burn inefficiently and leads to the formation of black soot. To fix this problem simply remove some of the fire glass until the burner is hidden just under the surface of the fire glass.
Even the slightest breeze can adversely affect the flame in the fire pit table, causing soot to appear on the rattan fire pit table and around the edges of the burner pan. If you’re seeing soot around the perimeter of your burner pan then wind is the most likely cause. When the flame is moved around the burner pan by the wind it leaves some areas where the gas doesn’t burn or burns incompletely leaving a soot deposit behind. For a clean burn, you should ensure that the flame is always above the gas source.
Tips for cleaning fire glass:
One of the best ways to prevent black soot buildup is to regularly clean the fire glass in your rattan garden furniture with fire pit. Use a soft cloth and mild soap to remove any dirt or soot buildup.
Supplies you’ll need:
- A bucket
- 1 gallon water
- 1 gallon household vinegar
- Plastic scoop for removing glass from your fire pit / fireplace
- Large wire mesh strainer (the kind used in the kitchen to drain pasta)
- Tarp or plastic trash bag
Instructions:
- In the bucket, combine all of the water and vinegar (50/50 mixture).
- Scoop the dirty fire glass from your pit and add it to the bucket (Hint: focus on the top layer and around the edges or near the burner).
- Use the scoop to stir the glass around in the solution to clean your fire glass thoroughly.
- Remove the glass from the water / vinegar solution and place in the strainer.
- Give the glass a final rinse using clean water (a garden hose makes it easy).
Particularly if you’re using the tempered variety, it’s a good idea to dry your glass completely prior to using it again. This is because leftover moisture in cracked pieces can expand when heated and produce a popping noise that might be jarring. To dry your glass, spread it out on a plastic bag or tarp. It’ll dry quickly in the sunshine, but can also be left overnight in a non-sunny area or even indoors.
Darkening or staining of fire glass can be a burden on your experience. Be sure to follow the steps above to help prevent glass discoloration to help determine the cause behind any darkening you may be experiencing. Let your fire pit table will retain its color and sparkling beauty for many years to come.
