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Historical fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, within caves, or in the center of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of premature indoor flame pits was that they produced toxic and/or annoying smoke within the dwelling.Fire pits grown into raised hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or holes in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally situated hearth, where an open flame burnt with all the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be coated so snow and rain wouldn't enter.

Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to prevent smoke from dispersing an area and vent it outside through a ceiling or wall. These could be put against stone walls, rather than taking up the middle of the space, and this allowed smaller chambers to be heated.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke outside. They made it possible to give the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to put fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general usage instantly, however, since they were more expensive to build and maintain.

The 18th century saw two major developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace which greatly enhanced the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a lengthier area at the top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing the smoke up and from the construction. The shallow design improved greatly the amount of radiant warmth projected to the room. Rumford's design is the foundation for modern fireplaces.

Rather it depended on simple designs with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was placed on supplying quality gems. Stone fireplaces now have been a sign of prosperity, which to a degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made from brick, stone or metal designed to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficacy, depending on the design.

Historically they were used for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for domestic and laundry uses.

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On the exterior there is frequently a corbeled brick crown, where the casting courses of brick act as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A cap, hood, or shroud serves to keep rainwater from the outside of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a far greater problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than with the traditional masonry chimney, which soaks up all but the most violent rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the crown or cap.

The EPA writes"Smoke may smell great, but it is not good for you.

Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass fire boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for either gas or wood or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.

Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and gas fuel sources. In the United States, some states and local counties have laws limiting these kinds of fireplaces. There are also air quality control problems due to the amount of moisture they discharge in the room air, and oxygen detector and carbon dioxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed from the area that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses into the exterior of the structure.

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AccessoriesA wide assortment of accessories are used with fireplaces, ranging between countries, regions, and historical periods. For the inside, common in recent Western civilizations comprise grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, pellet baskets, and fire dogs, all of which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or flame grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to maintain fuel for a fire. Heavy metal firebacks are sometimes used to capture and re-radiate heat, to protect the rear of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames placed before the fireplace to include embers, soot and ashes.

As time passes, the purpose of fireplaces has transformed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits compared to contemporary fireplaces. They have been used for heat on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were generally based within a space, allowing more people to gather around it.

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Many defects were found in ancient fireplace designs. Along with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most famous fireplace designers of this period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design that has been used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with an emphasis on the quality of the substances used in their construction, as opposed to their dimensions.

By the 1800s most new fireplaces were composed of 2 parts, the surround and the add. The surround comprised of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, usually in wood, marble or granite. The insert was fire burnt, and was built of cast iron often backed with ornamental tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were thought to add a cozy ambiance to homes.

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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 space and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be increased by means of a fireback, a piece 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 notion although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the impact of heating of the air. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, intended to warm the atmosphere. The best way to gauge the output of a fireplace is if you notice you're turning the thermostat up or down.

Most older fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency score. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces may 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 often equipped with a large fire window, enabling an efficient heating process in two phases. During the first stage the first heat is provided through a big glass window while the flame is burning. During this time the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then evenly radiated for several hours during the next phase. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just provide heat radiated from its surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.wood fireplace