Indoor fire pit

[allseason]

Holy s--t, this takes the prize. It's an indoor fire pit in a basement with its own chimney along with draft assist from a kitchen exhaust fan. It shows signs of being used. Now I know why it was an estate sale.

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[Terence McCann]

I've seen a few of those in the basements of homes around here. I state not to use them.

Not too long ago one of the local news stations had a report of a couple that performed the procedure known as Death by Hibachi.

Wouldn't be cool to put your family to sleep while char-broiling mutton in your basement.

[allseason]

Here's how I reported it.

Remove this. It is a hazard.

[Bain]

The house I grew up in had a brick grill, with a big ass fan above it, just off the kitchen. My parents used it all the time. It was one of those '70s, Brady Bunch things that were all the rage for a while.

No one expired but, of course, I DID turn out the way I did. I wonder if low-grade CO exposure is responsible?

[caryseidner]

The house I grew up in had a brick grill, with a big ass fan above it, just off the kitchen. My parents used it all the time. It was one of those '70s, Brady Bunch things that were all the rage for a while.

No one expired but, of course, I DID turn out the way I did. I wonder if low-grade CO exposure is responsible?

There's gotta be some reason! I would have guessed lead service entry pipe...but maybe I'm just projecting.[]

[John Kogel]

The house I grew up in had a brick grill, with a big ass fan above it, just off the kitchen. My parents used it all the time. It was one of those '70s, Brady Bunch things that were all the rage for a while.

No one expired but, of course, I DID turn out the way I did. I wonder if low-grade CO exposure is responsible?

There's gotta be some reason! I would have guessed lead service entry pipe...but maybe I'm just projecting.[]

Nope, it was the electric frying pan, the one with all the pits and scratches in it.

[Inspectorjoe]

I've seen a few indoor charcoal grills, but nothing like that brick structure. It looks like somebody built it from plans meant for an outdoor BBQ.

When I see one, of course, I tell people not to use it. Even if when in use, every bit of the combustion gases gets sucked away, you'd be SOL if the power went out and the fan stopped working.

In the town I grew up in, there was a neighborhood bar/restaurant that had an indoor charcoal grill. It was huge, about 6 X 5 feet, and it was right in the dining area. Frinzi's Charcoal Pit had the best steak sandwiches I've ever had. It was a single piece of steak on a hard roll, smothered with chunks of onions.

It just might be worth the risk of asphyxiation if I could recreate that sandwich at home.

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