Fireplace Chimney – Home Systems Data, Inc.

Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, within caves, or at the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made fires exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of premature indoor flame pits was that they produced toxic and/or annoying smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits developed into elevated hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or openings in roofs. The medieval great hall typically needed a centrally located hearth, where a open fire burned 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 snow and rain would not enter.

Also during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to stop smoke from dispersing 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 allowed smaller chambers to be heated.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the problem of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke out. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it possible to put fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings handily. They did not come into general use instantly, however, as they were expensive to build and maintain.

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the venting and airflow system. 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. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting a lengthier place at the top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing the smoke up and out of the construction. The shallow design also improved greatly the amount of radiant warmth projected into the space. Rumford's design is the foundation for modern fireplaces.

Rather it depended on simple designs with small unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was placed on providing quality gems. Stone fireplaces now have been a symbol of prosperity, which to a degree is still the idea today.A fireplace is a structure made from brick, stone or metal made to include a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for the relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, depending on the plan.

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

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On the exterior there's often a corbeled brick crown, in which 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 at the chimney is a much larger problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners compared with the standard masonry chimney, that divides up all but the rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the cap or crown.

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 could be built-in replacements for either wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.

In the USA, several states and local businesses have laws restricting these kinds of fireplaces. Additionally, there are air quality management issues due to the amount of moisture that they discharge into the room air, and oxygen detector and carbon dioxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the area that is heated, and vent all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.

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AccessoriesFor the inside, common in current Western civilizations include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, and fire dogs, all which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or flame grate) is a frame, usually of iron bars, to maintain fuel for a fire. Heavy metal firebacks are occasionally used to catch and re-radiate heat, to safeguard the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames placed before the fireplace to contain embers, soot and ash. Other wider accessories may consist of log baskets, companion sets, coal buckets, cabinet accessories and much more.

Over time, 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 cold days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also served as a gathering place inside the house. These fire pits were generally based within a space, allowing more people to collect around it.

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Many flaws were found in ancient fireplace designs. The most renowned fireplace performers 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 lit, 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 made up of two components, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle comprised of the mantlepiece and sides supports, usually in wood, granite or marble. The insert was where the fire burnt, and was built of cast iron often backed with ornamental tiles. In addition to providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were thought to add a cozy ambiance to homes.

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Some fireplace components incorporate a blower that transports more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be enhanced 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 complex concept though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the impact of heating of the air. An open fireplace is not, and never was, intended to heat the air. A fireplace with a fireback is a toaster, and has done so as the 15th century. The ideal method to gauge the output of a fireplace is if you detect you're turning the thermostat up or down.

Most elderly fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum necessity such as in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes designed to burn cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the air. These altered fireplaces are often equipped with a large fire window, enabling an efficient heating process in two stages. During the first stage the initial heat is offered through a large glass while the flame is burning. During this time the construction, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This heat is then evenly radiated for many hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just provide heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are sufficient to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace parts