Outdoor Fireplace (passthrough) will it throw enough heat?

3 years ago

Hello! We're working with a designer to build a fireplace outside in our backyard. The final design will be approximately 3-4' from a corner block wall in our yard.

The design looks really cool, and the designer sketched it being open on the back side of the fireplace. This is something I hadn't considered... and I really think it would be cool. There will be a dedicated gas line to start the fires, and we're planning on burning wood.

The concern I have about a passthrough fireplace is about heat. The question for you experts and people with experience is: How much heat do you loose in an outdoor passthrough fireplace, vs a traditional fireplace?

Should I be prepared for 50% loss of heat, vs a traditional fireplace with back? Or because of the wall, and the nature of fires, is it closer to 20% heat loss?

I really like the new design... but I don't want to have it just look pretty, I want it to throw enough heat to get warm and stay cozy.

thanks in advance for any help or insight you can share. :)

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Comments (2)

PRO
Hansen Wholesale
3 years ago
Don't know if there is any particular testing to say what percentage of heat you will loose by opening up the back, but I think common sense would say it is significant. I would think you would lose more than 50%. The back side of a fireplace helps to radiate heat outwards and keeps the fire burning hotter. Also, when there is the least bit of a breeze, air will blow through the fireplace and cause it to smoke and burn erratically. Most see through fireplaces outdoors are relatively useless because of this and people find they can only burn them enjoyably if they have glass doors on both sides and the doors are closed when there is any breeze. So, you loose even more heat, but don't get the smoke.

I've got 30 years in the fireplace decor business, mostly selling fireplace glass doors and accessories, not fireplaces in particular...so that's where I'm coming from.
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PRO
Big Rock Landscaping
3 years ago
The aesthetic of a fireplace with a front and back opening is nice, and you might lose some heat, but likely not enough that you will notice a significant difference. If you live in a temperate climate where the fireplace is more for ambiance then that doesn’t matter as much. If you do decide you want to keep a back on the fireplace, either to retain some of the heat or for aesthetic purposes, you can easily add beauty and interest to the back of your fireplace with patterns in the brick-like this outdoor fireplace from one of our projects:
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