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Ancient fire pits were sometimes built from the floor, within caves, or in the middle of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of ancient, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor flame pits was that they generated toxic and/or irritating smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits developed into raised hearths in buildings, but venting smoke depended 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 port in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be covered so snow and rain wouldn't enter.

Also throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to stop smoke from spreading through an area and vent it outside via a ceiling or wall. These could be placed against stone walls, rather than taking up the middle of the room, and this allowed smaller rooms to be heated.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the issue of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke outside. They made it possible to give the fireplace a draft, and made it feasible to place fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general usage immediately, however, since they were expensive to build 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 chamber for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a lengthier place on top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that was better at drawing the smoke up and from the building. The shallow design also improved greatly the quantity of radiant warmth projected to the space. Rumford's design is the basis for modern kitchens.

Instead it relied on simple layouts with small unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was still placed on supplying quality gems. Stone fireplaces now were a sign of prosperity, which to some degree is still the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made of brick, stone or metal made to include a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for the relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a space. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending upon the design.

Historically they were used 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.

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

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

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

Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and propane fuel sources. In the United States, several states and local businesses have laws limiting these types of fireplaces. Additionally, there are air quality management problems due to the quantity of moisture that they discharge into the room air, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the place that is heated, and vent all exhaust gasses into the outside of the structure.

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AccessoriesFor the inside, common in recent Western cultures include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, pellet baskets, and fire puppies, all of which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to maintain fuel for a fire. Heavy metal firebacks are sometimes used to catch and re-radiate heat, to protect the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metal frames set in front of the fireplace to include embers, soot and ashes. For fireplace tending, tools include pokers, bellows, tongs, shovels, brushes and tool racks. Other wider accessories can consist of log baskets, companion sets, coal buckets, cabinet accessories and more.

Over time, the purpose of fireplaces has changed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were fire pits compared to contemporary fireplaces. They have been used for warmth on cold days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were usually centered within a room, allowing more individuals to gather around it.

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Many defects were found in early fireplace designs. The most renowned fireplace performers of this period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design which has been used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly lit, with a emphasis on the level of the substances used in their construction, as opposed to their size.

From the 1800s most new fireplaces were made up of two parts, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle comprised of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, granite or marble. The insert was where the fire burned, and was built of cast iron frequently backed with ornamental tiles. In addition to providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were believed to add a cozy ambiance to houses.

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Some fireplace units include a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated space and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also increased by means of a fireback, a piece of metal that sits behind the fire and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally produced from cast iron, but can also be made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex notion 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 air. The ideal method to estimate the output of a fireplace is if you detect you're turning the thermostat down or up.

Most older fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum requirement for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be modified by adding special heavy fireboxes developed to burn cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the atmosphere. These altered fireplaces are often equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first stage the first heat is offered through a large glass window while the fire is burning. During this time period the construction, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This heat is then equally radiated for several hours during the next phase. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just offer heat radiated from the surface. Based on temperatures 1 to two daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.wood fireplace mantels