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Ancient fire pits were sometimes constructed in the floor, within caves, or in the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of early indoor flame pits was that they produced toxic and/or annoying smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits grown into raised hearths in buildings, but ventilation smoke depended on open windows or holes in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where an open fire burnt with the smoke rising to the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be covered so snow and rain wouldn't enter.

Also during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to stop smoke from dispersing a room and vent it outside through a ceiling or wall. These could be placed against rock walls, rather than taking up the center of the space, and this allowed smaller chambers to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the problem of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke out. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it possible to put fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings handily. They didn't come into general usage immediately, however, since they were more expensive to develop and maintain.

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, increased the grate of the fireplace, improving the airflow and venting system. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace which greatly enhanced the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a lengthier place at the top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that has been better at drawing the smoke up and from the construction. The shallow design also improved greatly the quantity of radiant heat projected into the space. Rumford's layout is the foundation for modern kitchens.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took to a more conventional spectra based on rock and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it relied on simple designs with little unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was still placed on supplying quality gems. Stone fireplaces now have been a sign of prosperity, which to a degree is still the idea today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for its relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficacy, depending on the plan.

Historically they were utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for domestic and laundry uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or alternative flue allows exhaust to escape. A fireplace may have the following: a base, a hearth, a firebox, a mantelpiece; a chimney crane (used in laundry and kitchen fireplaces), a grate, a lintel, a lintel bar, house overmantel, a damper, a smoke room, a neck, a flue, and a chimney filter or afterburner.

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On the exterior there's often a corbeled brick crown, where the projecting courses of brick act as a drip course to keep rainwater from running down the outside walls. A cap, hood, or shroud functions to keep rainwater out of the exterior of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much larger difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metal liners than with the standard masonry chimney, which divides up all but the rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor integrated into the crown or cap.

Organizations such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to various studies, fireplaces can pose a substantial health threat. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not great for you.

Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for gas or wood or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.

Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and gas fuel sources. Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by either gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, several states and local counties have laws limiting these types of fireplaces. There are also air quality control problems due to the amount of moisture that they release in the room air, and oxygen detector and carbon dioxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed from the area that is heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.

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AccessoriesFor the inside, common in recent Western civilizations include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, and fire puppies, all of which cradle fuel and accelerate burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to retain fuel to your fire. Heavy metallic firebacks are sometimes utilized to catch and re-radiate heat, to protect the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames set in front of the fireplace to contain embers, soot and ashes.

Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were fire pits than modern fireplaces. They were used for warmth on chilly days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were usually based within a room, allowing more individuals to collect around it.

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Many flaws were found in early fireplace designs. The most famous fireplace designers of this time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design that was used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with a emphasis on the quality of the materials used in their construction, as opposed to their size.

By the 1800s newest fireplaces were composed of 2 parts, the surround and the add. The surround consisted of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, granite or marble. The insert was where the fire burnt, and was built of cast iron often backed with decorative tiles. In addition to providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were believed to add a cozy ambiance to houses.

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Some fireplace components include a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also increased by means of a fireback, a sheet of metal which sits behind the fire and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally produced from cast iron, but are also made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex concept though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider only the effect of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, designed to warm the atmosphere. The best method to gauge the output signal of a fireplace is in case you notice you are turning the thermostat up or down.

Most elderly fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency score. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum requirement for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by adding special heavy fireboxes developed to burn cleaner and can reach efficiencies as high as 80 percent in heating the air. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two stages. During the first phase the initial heat is provided through a large glass window while the fire is burning. During this time the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then evenly radiated for many hours during the second stage. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window only offer heat radiated from the surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace tile