Ancient fire pits were sometimes constructed in the floor, within caves, or in the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of ancient, man-made flames is present on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor fire pits was that they produced hazardous or irritating smoke inside the house.Fire pits developed into elevated hearths in buildings, but ventilation smoke relied on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where an open flame burnt with the smoke rising to the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be covered so rain and snow would not enter.
Also during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to stop smoke from dispersing a room and vent it outside via a ceiling or wall. These could be put against rock walls, rather than taking up the middle of the room, and this enabled smaller rooms to be heated.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke out. They made it possible to give the fireplace a draft, and made it possible to put fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings handily. They didn't come into general use instantly, however, as they were more expensive to build and maintain.In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the airflow and venting system. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a lengthier area at the top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox which has been better at drawing the smoke up and out of the building. The shallow design improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected into the room. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern kitchens.
Instead it depended on simple layouts 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 providing quality stone. Stone fireplaces now were a sign of wealth, which to some degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made from brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for its relaxing ambiance that they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficacy, based on the design.Historically they were used 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 alternative flue allows exhaust to escape.
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On the exterior there is frequently a corbeled brick crown, where the casting 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 from the exterior of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much greater difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners compared with the standard masonry chimney, that soaks up all but the rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the crown or cap.
Organizations like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to different studies, fireplaces can pose a substantial health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not good for you.Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet glass or metal flame 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 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 limiting these kinds of fireplaces. They need to be properly sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality control problems due to the amount of moisture that they release into the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed in the area that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.
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Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of visual interest. Early ones were fire pits than contemporary fireplaces. They were used for heat on cold days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place inside the house. These fire pits were generally centered within a room, allowing more individuals to gather around it.
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Many flaws were found in early fireplace designs. The most renowned fireplace designers of the period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design which was used for generations. It had been smaller, more brightly colored, with an emphasis on the level of the materials used in their construction, as opposed to their dimensions.
From the 1800s most new fireplaces were made up of two parts, the surround and the add. The encircle consisted of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, granite or marble. The insert was where the fire burnt, and was constructed of cast iron frequently backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were thought to bring a cozy ambiance to houses.Aspen Fireplace Insert, Wood Stove Insert by Kuma Stoves Video
Some fireplace components incorporate a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also enhanced with the use of a fireback, a sheet of metal which sits behind the flame and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but can also be manufactured from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, intended to warm the air. The best way to estimate the output of a fireplace is in case you notice you are turning the thermostat down or up.
Most older fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency score. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum requirement for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces may also be modified by adding special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first phase the initial heat is provided through a big glass window while the flame is burning. In this time period the construction, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then equally radiated for many hours during the next stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window only provide heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace insert wood
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