Questions about a fire pit or water feature

With proper care our fire pits should last a life time. We use simple, high quality materials such as high performance, fibre reinforced concrete, non corrosive metals (brass, aluminum, stainless steel) and high strength plastic. Our warranties on craftsmanship and performance are as follows:

• All concrete vessels – 5 years with the use of a Solus All-Weather cover.
• Natural gas and propane manual burners – 25 years with the use of a Solus All-Weather cover.
• Electronic Start Components – 3 years with the purchase and use of a Solus All-Weather cover.
• Ethanol burners – 3 years with the use of a Solus All-Weather cover.

Yes, all Solus natural gas and propane fire pits are fully certified as full CE certification as EN 509:2000 – Decorative Fuel Effects Gas Appliances and EN 60335-1:2001 Household and Similar Electrical Appliances. Certification means that our fire pits have gone through extensive third party testing to ensure that they are safe and meet or exceed the quality and performance standards of the governing bodies. As a producer of certified fire pits we are required to test each burner and to maintain the highest quality control standards. Our production facility is regularly inspected by the certification body to ensure the continued high quality of our craftsmanship, parts and testing practices.

If you have purchased a Solus product and require additional stones or an additional cover we are happy to make them available to you. We do not sell burners, covers or fire stones without the purchase of one of our fire pits or water features.

We offer Natural Gas, Propane and Ethanol ( bio fuel )models.

Our fire pits do not accommodate internally stored propane tanks for safety and technical reasons. Our Tanktable houses a 13 kg propane tank and is available in the same finish and colour assortment as our fire pits. Most clients incorporate their propane tank into a bench, behind a planting or a small distance from the fire pit.

Fuel consumption costs vary depending on a few factors including:

• the cost of fuel in your area
• the exposure of your site to wind and sun
• the kW’s of the fire pit model that you are running

Generally Natural Gas is the most cost efficient fuel choice with propane second and ethanol third.

Ethanol consumes approximately 1/2 litre per half hour depending on wind and how full your fuel receptacle is.

Fire pits output is measured in kilowatts. Firepits will usually fall into the range of 12 -24 kW. One might think that a more powerful 24 kW provides better heat than a 12 kW burner. Not necessarily. The efficiency of the burner and design of the firepit is more important than how many kW’s it produces. There are many pan style burners that produce heat inside the vessel and below the surface which is a total waste of energy and heat. In fact many of these units come with a disclaimer to NOT put the fire pit onto a wooden surface – too much heat created below the burner and it becomes a fire hazard. Solus burners are top side burners – which means no loss of heat or energy into the bottom of the fire pit. Less kW wasted into the bottom of the firepit also translates into less costs of running.

Natural gas: Depends on where you live and your tariff but on average 6 pence per kW therefore a 12 kW burner costs approximately 72 pence per hour.Liquid propane: Again it depends on where you pick up your tank or autofill. In a 13 kg tank there is 169 kW of energy at approximately £ 2 per kg ( tank fills are between £ 22 – 25 ). Therefore a 12 kW burner will cost about

£2.50 per hour with a tank last about 12 – 14 hours.

Natural Gas is appropriate where it is hard piped into the location.Propane is appropriate if your project is fitted for propane or if you want the portable convenience of using propane tanks.

Ethanol is a good choice if you want a clean burning fuel or you do not have access to Natural Gas or Propane.

All Solus fire pits are safe. Being housed in a totally non combustible concrete vessel is a great start. As with all gas appliance children and pets should be monitored when your Solus fire pit is lit and they should never be left burning unattended. The concrete tables can get warm to the touch but not hot. Both the natural gas and propane versions have a flame safety supervision device ( manual and electronic ) and will automatically cut out if the flame is blown out. Please note that the metal burner plates on our ethanol models do get very hot and should not be touched until they are allowed to fully cool. Please see our user manuals for model specific safety instructions

Although you can certainly roast the odd marshmallow over our fire pits we do not recommend cooking over them. The concrete surfaces are sealed but are not designed for exposure to hot grease or highly acidic substances.

The use of ethanol burners indoors is very specific to the space available. Ethanol although clean burning still requires ample ventilation.

Concrete is as strong and stable and is an excellent medium for fire pits and water features. Concrete can develop small fissures or veins which add to the character and beauty of the product not unlike other stone. Concrete can get warm to the touch but will not be adversely effected and will not produce any harmful fumes or vapours from off gassing.

For all Solus fire pits you will need a level location with access to a fuel source and help to lift the fire feature into place. If you plan to use ethanol or propane tanks you will need to unpack your fire pit and assemble the parts.Ethanol burners assemble quickly and require no tools. Propane that will be fed from a tank will require a propane hose or hard pipe depending on the unit with a regulator attached to connect the tank to the burner.

For hard pipped gas line you will require a certified gas fitter to create the gas connection.

Auto start models also require a certified electrician to connect the burner electronics. Your electrician will need to supply you with a wall timer or switch from which to control the auto start mechanism.

More installation information specific to your product is available here.

We ship throughout the UK on a two day turnaround should we have stock in the our UK warehouse. Shipping within Europe generally takes from 2 – 7 days. World wide – we have not found a location yet that we could not deliver to. You may be surprised by how reasonable the shipping charges are. Please contact our sales staff to find out how we can get our products to your location.

In stock products generally ship within 2 – 7 days. . Products coming from our Canadian manufacturing facility are dependant on the shipping of the next container and the time of year. The ship time varies between 6 – 12 weeks. Please call for information. Shipping times will vary depending on the season due to high or lower demand. If you have a project or installation that you know is going ahead you can order any colour or model you see on our web site or our sister site ( solusdecor.com ). Oftentimes the fire pit is the last element to be installed. If you are hard piping in either gas or propane talk to us first so we can save you money in the installation.

Shipping costs are included in the cost of the product. This is for kerbside delivery within the UK. ( Please note that this is not white glove delivery). Shipments to Europe require a quote and range from £ 200 – £ 400 depending on location and country.

They will delivered to the kerbside in front of your project location. All orders are individually wrapped, foamed in place and packed in museum quality crates. The top and sides of the crates can be removed using a cordless drill with a square bit. Once unwrapped from the pallet or crate your individually wrapped pieces can be carried to the installation location. Please note that for our largest pieces ( fire table and elevated halo 48 ) you may need 5 – 6 people for moving into place. All of our fire pits and water features require some assembly. Please see our product specific user guides for detailed information.

Installation cost and duration will vary depending on the scope of work involved and the prep required on site. Talking with your contractor or your gas fitter is the best way to determine an estimated cost for installation. We use the gassaferegister.co.uk to access qualified gas engineers in the UK ( for natural gas and liquid propane ). To be cost effective talk to us when you are contemplating a fire pit and we can make suggestions as to installation.

Concrete is similar to limestone or marble and will stain if exposed to highly acidic or alkali substances, when left in prolonged contact with moisture and if oil or wax is allowed to soak into the surface. Regular resealing, using coasters under drinks and wiping up food spills right away should keep your concrete free of stains.

An occasional wipe with a clean damp cloth. A small amount of neutral cleanser can be used for heavily soiled areas. We also recommend a yearly reseal with a concrete specific penetrating sealer to maintain the sheen and stain resistance.

List of commercial clients

Solus provides quality commercial grade firepits for hotels, restaurants, resorts and other commercial locations. We regularly assist architects, designers and developers in specifying a Solus firepit for  commercial projects.  Contact us to discuss your project.

• We have the best warranty in the business
• Full certification of all Solus Fire Features
• Shipping is consistent, timely and reliable We ship in museum quality containers almost anywhere in the world.
• Outstanding hands on support and after product care provided in house
• We have CAD drawings for all of our design

More information, spec sheets and pictures of commercial projects List of commercial clients Reviews from Designers

Again we think our clients do a better job answering this than we can…