Our house has a large double sided fireplace right in the middle of it. It has a vent above the doors on either side to circulate the hot air, which is not all that effective. I wondered if it would help to have air forced across the firebox and decided to try an experiment. I rigged up a window fan to blow air into the vent in one room.

It actually does help. It makes the living room, on the other side, nice and toasty.

  • IMALlama@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Texas? Years and decades ago, we lived down there. It’s the only place I’ve seen a double sided fireplace.

    • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.worksOPM
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      1 month ago

      Close. Arkansas. They’re probably pretty rare which is understandable. It would be very expensive to build one like it today not to mention It’s a huge waste of space and is not an efficient heat source. I enjoy a nice fireplace but I would never install one of these.

      The only advantage is that it’s big enough for me to climb inside the firebox which is handy for chimney repairs.

    • Zeppo@sh.itjust.works
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      1 month ago

      I have seen many in New England. One was open to a living room on one side and a study on the other.

      • IMALlama@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        This makes a lot more sense. In the house I saw one in the fireplace was smack in the middle of a large living room.

    • Clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works
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      1 month ago

      I’ve seen some townhouses near me with a double sided fireplace in the exterior wall! They can enjoy their fireplace from the living room or the deck. Very odd.

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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      1 month ago

      I’ve seen them in PA and Colorado, in ski houses.

      It’s a 60’s architectural feature.