How long does a propane tank last on a tabletop fire pit?

A standard 1-lb disposable propane canister lasts roughly 1–2 hours on a tabletop fire pit at full output, while a 20-lb tank connected via hose adapter runs 8–12 hours at the same setting.

Burn time depends almost entirely on BTU output and throttle setting. A tabletop fire pit running at 10,000–15,000 BTU burns through propane considerably faster than a full-size patio fire pit table rated at 60,000 BTU — but also draws from a much smaller tank. Dialing the flame down to 50% can nearly double run time on any tank size, which makes throttle control the most practical way to extend a tabletop fire pit session.

• A 1-lb propane canister holds approximately 0.24 gallons of propane and lasts 1–2 hours on a tabletop fire pit at full flame.
• A 20-lb propane tank (roughly 4.7 gallons) extends tabletop fire pit run time to 8–12 hours at full output via hose adapter.
• Typical tabletop fire pit BTU range: 10,000–15,000 BTU, compared to 50,000–65,000 BTU for full-size patio fire pit tables.
• Reducing flame output to 50% of maximum can approximately double propane burn time on a tabletop fire pit.
• Propane burn rate benchmark: 1 lb of propane yields roughly 21,500 BTU of usable heat energy.