Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, in caves, or at the center of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames is present on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor flame pits was that they generated hazardous or irritating smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits developed into raised hearths in structures, but venting smoke depended on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally situated hearth, where an open flame burned 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 rain and snow would not enter.
Also throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to stop smoke from dispersing an area and vent it out via a wall or roof. These could be put against stone walls, rather than taking up the center of the room, and this enabled smaller chambers to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the problem of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke out. They made it feasible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it possible to place fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general use immediately, however, as they were expensive to build and maintain.Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber 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 top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which has been better at drawing the smoke up and from the construction. The shallow design also improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected to the space. Rumford's design is the foundation for modern fireplaces.
The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took to a more traditional spectra based on stone and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it relied on simple layouts with small unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was placed on supplying quality stone. Stone fireplaces at this time have been a sign of prosperity, which to some degree remains the idea today.A fireplace is a construction made from brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for its relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a space. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficacy, depending upon the plan.Historically they have been utilized for heating a dwelling, 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 projecting courses of brick function as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the outside walls. A hood, cap, or shroud functions to keep rainwater from the outside of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much greater difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than with the standard masonry chimney, that soaks up all but the most violent rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the cap or crown.
Organizations such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to different studies, fireplaces could pose a substantial health threat. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not great for you.Kinds of fireplacesArtificial fireplaces are made with sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for 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. Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by either gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, some states and local businesses have laws restricting these types of fireplaces. They need to be properly sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality control issues due to the quantity of moisture they release into the room air, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed in the area that is heated, and vent all exhaust gasses to the outside of the structure.
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As time passes, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were fire pits compared to contemporary fireplaces. They were used for heat on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place inside the house. These fire pits were usually based within a space, allowing more individuals to gather around it.
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Many flaws were found in ancient fireplace designs. Along with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most renowned fireplace performers of the time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design which was used for generations. It had been smaller, more brightly lit, with an emphasis on the level of the materials used in their construction, instead of their size.
From the 1800s newest fireplaces were made up of two components, the surround as well as the insert. The surround consisted of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, usually in wood, marble or granite. The fit was fire burnt, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with ornamental tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to bring a cozy ambiance into homes.Housewarmer Fireplace Mantel Surround with Shelf eBay Video
Some fireplace components incorporate a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated area and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also enhanced by means of a fireback, a piece of metal which sits behind the fire and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but can also be 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 is not, and never was, designed to warm the atmosphere. The best method to estimate the output signal of a fireplace is in case you detect you're turning the thermostat up or down.
Most older fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency rating. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity such as in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces can also be modified by inserting special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the atmosphere. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two phases. During the first phase the initial heat is offered through a big glass while the fire is burning. In this time the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then equally radiated for many hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window just offer heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to two daily firings are enough to guarantee a constant room temperature.fireplace mantel
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