The Outdoor Plus · Troubleshooting
TOP Fire Pit Uneven Flame + Low Flame Height Troubleshooting
A uniform ring of flame across the burner is the TOP design intent. If it's patchy, short, yellow, or all on one side, the cause is almost always one of five things: too much media, plugged burner ports, wrong air-mix for gas type, undersized gas line, or a tired regulator. Diagnose in that order — they go from zero-cost to call-the-plumber.
By Ash · Updated November 8, 2026
What you need
- Paper clip or burner-port brush
- Compressed air
- Measuring tape
- Pressure test gauge (for advanced diagnosis)
Step by step
Step 1: Pull the media and check depth
If media is deeper than 1 inch over the burner, that alone chokes flame. Pull half of it, spread outward. Re-light. If flame returns to full height, that was the issue.
Step 2: Inspect every burner port for blockage
With media removed, look at each flame hole along the burner ring or burner bars. A paper-clip wire clears single ports. Compressed air blows out dust and media residue from the inside. Don't enlarge ports — only clear.
Step 3: Verify air-mix fixture matches gas type
LP needs the air-mix CLOSED over its six holes. NG needs it OPEN. If someone converted gas type and forgot this step, flame will be yellow and weak on LP, or slow and lazy on NG. Reset the fixture to match your gas.
Step 4: Check gas line sizing for NG runs
Long NG runs with undersized pipe deliver inadequate pressure at the pit. TOP supply pressure needs 7.0" W.C. nominal. Measure at the pit with a gauge if one is available — if you read below 5" W.C. under load, the line is undersized and a plumber needs to upsize.
Step 5: Swap the LP regulator
Regulators stiffen with age and under-deliver. If LP flame is consistently low across ALL the prior steps, swap the regulator with the OPT-1300 replacement. Aging is usually 5-7 years.
Common mistakes
- Blaming the burner when the issue is upstream pressure. A plugged port drops ONE flame section. Low pressure drops the WHOLE flame uniformly. Diagnose the pattern before you pull the pit apart.
Hands-on tips
- Take a photo of the normal flame pattern after install — it's your baseline for every future diagnosis.
- Keep a spare LP regulator on hand. Outdoor regulators die faster than people expect.
Questions people ask
What's the normal flame height on a 65,000 BTU TOP pit?
Varies by burner size and pan geometry, but a well-running burner shows a uniform 4-8 inch flame ring in still air. Wind drops the apparent height.
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