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Historical fire pits were sometimes built in the floor, in caves, or in the center of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames is present on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of premature indoor flame pits was that they produced hazardous or annoying smoke within the dwelling.Fire pits grown into raised hearths in structures, but venting smoke depended on open windows or holes in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally located hearth, where an open flame burned with all the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be covered so snow and rain would not enter.

Also throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to stop smoke from spreading through a room and vent it out through a ceiling or wall. These could be put against stone walls, instead of taking up the center of the room, and this enabled smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more reliably venting smoke out. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to put fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They didn't come into general use instantly, however, since they were more 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 room for the fireplace that greatly enhanced the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting out a longer area at the very top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox that was better at drawing up the smoke and from the construction. The shallow design also improved greatly the quantity of radiant warmth projected into the room. Rumford's design is the foundation for modern fireplaces.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took to a more conventional spectra based on stone and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it relied on simple designs with small unnecessary ornamentation. From 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 have been a symbol of prosperity, which to some degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made from brick, stone or metal made to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a space. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, based upon the design.

Historically they have been utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows exhaust to escape.

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On the exterior there's often a corbeled brick crown, in which the projecting courses of brick act as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A hood, cap, or shroud serves to keep rainwater out of the outside of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much greater problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than with the standard masonry chimney, which soaks up all but the most violent rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated 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 could pose a substantial health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell great, but it's not good for you.

Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass fire boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for either wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.A couple of types are, wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electrical mantel fireplaces and fixed or free standing gas fireplaces.

Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the United States, some states and local counties have laws restricting these kinds of fireplaces. They must be suitably sized to the area to be heated. There are also air quality management issues because of the amount of moisture they discharge in the room air, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed from the place 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 cultures comprise grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, along with fire dogs, all 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 occasionally used to catch and re-radiate warmth, to protect the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames set before the fireplace to contain embers, soot and ash. For fireplace tending, tools include pokers, bellows, tongs, shovels, brushes and instrument racks.

Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits compared to modern fireplaces. They have been used for warmth on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place inside the home. These fire pits were generally centered within a space, allowing more people to collect around it.

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

From the 1800s newest fireplaces were made up of 2 parts, the surround as well as the insert. The surround consisted of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, granite or marble. The fit was fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with decorative tiles. In addition to providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were believed to bring a cozy ambiance into homes.

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Some fireplace units incorporate a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated area and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also increased with the use of a fireback, a sheet 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 complicated concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider only the effect of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, intended to warm the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a toaster, and has done so since the 15th century. The best way to gauge the output of a fireplace is if you detect you're turning the thermostat up or down.

Most older fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency score. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum requirement for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces may also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes designed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are usually 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 big glass window while the fire is burning. During this time the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This heat is then equally radiated for several hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window only provide heat radiated from its surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to two daily firings are sufficient to ensure a constant room temperature.corner electric fireplace