FAQs
Is Fireglass Really Better than Fake Logs or Burning Wood?
Absolutely YES!! The fireglass uses less gas and gives off MUCH more heat. The glass gets hot and reflects the heat back into the room, you are not just getting the heat from the flame. The same holds true for Fire Pits. Tired of sitting around the fire pit and huddling close? Switch out that lava rock to glass and you will feel the difference! Sit back and enjoy the warmth in the area. You will not be disappointed. With Lava Rock, you get ALL your heat from the flame alone which the majority of the heat goes straight up and does nobody any good at all. Plus there is no comparison at all to burning fire wood. Soot is horrible and messy and can ruin your carpet, plus popping and flying embers can ruin your carpet. No popping or flying objects with the glass, and just turn the gas on and light it, and turn it off when you are finished.
What is the difference between Crystals, Pebbles and Recycled?
Crystals are what most people purchase, they have the jewelry brilliance and sparkle since they have flat edges that reflect the light. The Crystals that have Metallic in their name have a mirror finish on one side of the glass that makes them sparkle even more. The pebbles are smooth rounded pebbles that don't have flat edges so they don't sparkle like the crystals, but they come in some brighter colors like Red, Orange and Yellow. The recycled glass is crushed recycled glass made from many different types of glass, they have nice colors, but don't sparkle like the crystals, but are not smooth like the pebbles either. The choice is yours, if you need help choosing type of glass or colors, give us a call, we are always glad to help you with colors that will match your decor.
What do I need to purchase to use Fireglass?
You will need a burner, either an arc burner for your fireplace, or a ring burner for your firepit, the fireglass crystals or pebbles or recycled glass and a whisper quiet flex hose to connect the burner to your gas inlet. It is that simple! In order to use less glass, you can use small lava rock or sand under your glass to bring the level up if you like.
Is the Quality of all Fireglass the Same?
Absolutely not! Just look at the photos of their glass, and you will see that they are scratched and chalky and cloudy looking. This is because of their tumbling process. They tumble the glass on itself and it scratches the glass. We do not tumble our glass! You can see our glass in our photos, no trick photography, just the true look of our glass. Not tumbled, not scratched, just brilliant clean sparkling glass. This is an investment in your home meant to last a lifetime, get the best quality glass at the best price here at Fire On Glass.
What size is your glass?
All of our glass is approx. 1/4" in size. Some companies sell 1/2" glass, but the larger pieces of glass are not as brilliant and get a cloudy/hazy look. The most popular size in the industry is 1/4" because of the brilliant jewelry look of the smaller pieces of glass.
Can I use fire glass with propane?
Yes, with propane our burners require you to purchase an air mixer which you can buy in our on-line store. Just remember propane is a dirtier gas than natural gas and you might have to clean your glass more often. It can just be put in a bucket and washed with clean water. Also with propane be sure to install fire pit burners with the holes facing up. Propane is heavier than air and will settle downwards. Natural gas is lighter than air and will rise. We do not warranty glass due to propane sooting the glass. Propane is dirtier than natural gas and will soot the glass much quicker
Why do some of the colors have metallic versions?
Metallic Fire Glass has a mirror finish on one side. That mirror finish is normally a silver color except in the casino gold metallic, the casino gold metallic is a gold mirror finish. The metallic colors reflect more light and make your glass sparkle even more. We normally recommend the metallic colors in outdoor fire pits. It makes the glass sparkle even during the day when the fire is off.
Does the fire glass ever burn or discolor?
No, our glass is specially manufactured to withstand the extreme heat from a fireplace or fire pit. The glass does not burn or melt or give off any fumes or smoke, plus our glass is not tumbled so it is not scratched or chalky looking like glass that is tumbled on itself.
Do I need a custom burner for the glass or can I use the burner I already have?
You can use a standard log lighter you can buy at a local hardware store but they are made to produce a lot of flame at once to light firewood. Our burners are designed to have a dual flame pattern. Our burners will give you more flame and give you more heat and a better look and still use less gas.
How do I choose a color and does the flame match the color of the glass?
The flame is always the same color, it is the gas burning not the glass. We recommend going with brighter colors since your fireplace is normally a dark place anyways. You can match the glass to the décor in your home. You can also use clear or starfire on the bottom then sprinkle a color on the top. The brighter glass brings out the color even more.
Can I mix colors?
Yes, some colors just go well together.
Do I need a fireplace screen on my fireplace to use the fire glass?
No, the Fire Glass is manufactured for fireplace and fire pit use. It will not spark or pop or explode. Cheap recycled glass from our competitors can have air bubbles in the glass which will explode and send pieces of sharp glass flying causing a real hazard for friends and family. Our glass is manufactured exclusively for Fire Glass and will not pop explode or crack from heat. Doors are recommended if you have children or pets around since the broken pieces of glass can be a choking hazard even though they are not sharp. Even though we recommend doors to keep pets out, it has been our experience that pets don’t mess with the glass.
Is the glass sharp and is it dangerous to touch?
The glass is broken without the tumbling processes that other manufacturers use to remove the sharp edges where they scratch and scuff the glass. Our processes make our glass the most brilliant glass in the industry. It is then filtered and cleaned to remove any small debris during the manufacturing process. Our glass is not tumbled in any way, and this is why it is so brilliant and not scratched. It can have sharp edges since it is not tumbled, so be careful, we don't recommend handling the glass without protection like gloves.
Does the fire glass produce more heat than fire logs or burning wood, and will it damage my fireplace?
It does not produce more heat, it just radiates the heat back into the room. The heat is not just in the flame and going up the flue like wood or fire logs. The heat is radiated off the glass and into the room making your fireplace more efficient. It takes very little flame to heat the glass and then the glass radiates the heat back into the room. Your Family and Friends will notice a considerable difference in heat output from your Fireplace and Fire Pit.
How do I know how much glass I need?
You can use our Fireglass Caculator to help you determine how much glass to purchase. If you purchase too much glass, just give us a call and we will give you an RMA and you can ship the excess glass for a full refund minus any shipping charges.
I bought a Propane Fire Pit with Built In Igniter, Can I use glass instead of the lava or logs it comes with?
Yes, You can use the glass in your propane fire pit. There are a couple concerns though, Make sure you only put the minimum amount of glass to cover the burner. Most propane fire pits have an air mixer in the gas line and too much glass can cause back pressure and cause propane to leak out the air mixer. The other concern is the Igniter. You cannot get glass in the igniter area. If glass gets in the igniter area, it can cause the igniter to not spark and the fire pit won't light. The other issue is next to the igniter is a thermocouple which detects the flame and keeps the burner lit as long as it detects flame. This unit must stay in direct flame and if glass touches it, it will cool it just enough so that when you let go of the button to light the fire pit, it will go out. Most propane fire pits have a cover over this area, but just in case, you can use what is called "Hardware Cloth" it is a galvanized mesh and comes in a roll and you can find it at your local hardware store. You can take this Hardware Cloth and cut out a piece to make a box or cage that goes over the igniter area to keep the glass out. Pretty simple and works well.
I am constructing an outdoor fire pit, what do I use for fill and how do I construct it to hold glass?
BURNER: Choose a burner that will give you approx. 6” all the way around from the edge of the burner to the edge of the fire pit. Example, a 24" burner fits in a 36" fire pit with 6" all the way around from the edge of the burner to the edge of the fire pit. (36" inside dimension of the fire pit minus 12" which is 6" on each side of the burner equals 24" so the 24 inch burner fits best. Bigger is not alway better. a 30" burner will fit with 3" to the edge of the fire pit, but pets or children walking by might be too close. Bring the gas pipe into the fire pit and into the key valve then take the gas pipe to the center of the fire pit and install the 12” flex hose on the gas pipe going directly up the center and put some tape over the end of it so that no lava rock or pea gravel gets inside it while filling the fire pit. Then you can install the burner on the flex hose and this will allow the contractor to get it centered properly and laying on the lava rock. You can get the key valve in either chrome or brass and I would get the angled valve so that the output gas pipe goes out towards the middle of the fire pit.
https://fireonglass.com/collections/burners
https://fireonglass.com/collections/burners/products/12-whisper-quiet-stainless-steel-flex-hose
https://fireonglass.com/products/fireplace-key-angle-or-straight-valve-polished-chrome-or-brass-3-4
GLASS: Use our Fireglass Calculator to calculate how much glass you need. Normally you want between 2" and 3" of glass. https://fireonglass.com/pages/fireglass-calculator
Choose your color of glass from here: https://fireonglass.com/collections/fireglass
LAVA ROCK: Use our Fireglass Calculator to find out how much glass you need for 1" of fill. Lava Rock is exactly half the weight to fill the same space, so this will give you 2" of lava rock which is perfect. This makes a nice bed for the glass to lay on and keeps the heat from the pea gravel since any type of rock will pop or explode if it gets too hot. Do not use Sand as a filler despite what other companies tell you, they have no experience if they tell you to use sand, Sand does not drain water like pea gravel, and sand over time will compact and the glass and everything will slowly end up below the burner after a year or so.
https://fireonglass.com/products/3-8-small-black-lava-rock
To construct a fire pit, fill the fire pit with Pea Gravel up to 6” from the top of the fire pit. Pour the 3/8” lava rock on top of the Pea Gravel to keep the heat from the Pea Gravel. The burner will lay on top and be supported by the Lava Rock. This puts the burner approx. 4” from the top of the fire pit. Pour the glass over the burner and this will put the top of the glass approx. 1-2” from the top of the fire pit. Looks nicer to see the glass from around the area and not have to look down in a hole so we like the glass near the top. The only concern is if it is a really windy area, then lower everything about 2-3” to give the flame some protection from the wind. Call us if you need assistance, we are always glad to help you and make sure you get the best installation and only do it once. 888-810-3473
