Efficient double sided fireplaces

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theflamingchicken

New Member
Aug 2, 2024
4
Ohio
We currently have a freestanding wood stove. It's beautiful, it's a brute, and it's efficient. I love it. We are building an addition, and I've been seduced by the allure of a double-sided fire place. Well, a double-sided wood stove built-in, more specifically. I'm unsure of the exact nomenclature... I want a two-sided beautiful centerpiece to the home while still putting off a suitable amount of heat (the two adjoining rooms are combined about 1500 square feet).

It seems like nearly all of the double-sided fireplaces are strictly aesthetic, but I'm in the market for something with utility, as well. I've only found one reasonable option: the Supreme Astra Duo 38 (with some half-dozen rebrands; the Ambiance Elegance 42, the Supreme Duet, and others I've found from the EPA database).

I'm really interested in hearing from others who have gone through this search. Did you end up getting one of these? Do they put off a good amount of heat? How are they to use day-to-day? Are they as notoriously bad with backdrafts as I've read?
 
That's the only choice for a double-sided EPA fireplace that I know of. It's got a big firebox that put out a decent amount of heat in EPA testing with crib wood (up to 60k BTUs).
 
The Astra Duo 38 has almost twice the firebox size. It won't be possible to fill to capacity, but it should put out more heat than the Super.
 
That's reassuring to hear. I've done some searching here and elsewhere and read others complain of backdrafts and fickleness with similar units. I've never had a single issue with my existing stove, so that makes me apprehensive.

I'd love to hear if anyone has first hand experience firing these units for any serious amount of time. It's difficult to find anything substantitive because they are so rare and new. Does anyone around here use one of these daily?