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Historical fire pits were sometimes constructed from the ground, in caves, or in the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of premature indoor fire pits was that they produced hazardous or irritating smoke inside the house.Fire pits developed into raised hearths in structures, but ventilation smoke depended on open windows or holes in roofs. The medieval great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where an open fire burned with the smoke rising to the port 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.

Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from spreading through an area and vent it outside through a wall or roof. These can be put against rock walls, instead of taking up the middle of the room, and this allowed smaller rooms to be heated.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the issue of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke outside. They made it feasible to give the fireplace a draft, and made it feasible to place fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They didn't come into general use immediately, however, as they were more expensive to develop and maintain.

The 18th century saw two important developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace which greatly enhanced the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting out a longer area on very top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing the smoke up and from the building. The shallow design improved greatly the amount of radiant warmth projected to the room. Rumford's design is the basis for modern kitchens.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more conventional spectra based on stone and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it depended on simple designs with small unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was still placed on supplying quality stone. Stone fireplaces at this time have been a sign of prosperity, which to a 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 the relaxing ambiance that they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, based upon the design.

Historically they were utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses.

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On the exterior there's frequently a corbeled brick crown, where the casting courses of brick function as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A cap, hood, or shroud functions to keep rainwater from the exterior of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a far larger problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than with the traditional 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 like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to various studies, fireplaces can pose a significant health threat. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it is not great for you.

Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for either gas or wood or retrofit with log inserts or electrical 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 either gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, several states and local businesses have laws limiting these kinds of fireplaces. There are also air quality control problems due to the amount of moisture that they release in the room air, and oxygen detector and carbon dioxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed from the place that is heated, and port all exhaust gasses into the exterior of the structure.

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AccessoriesFor the inside, common in recent Western cultures include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, and fire dogs, all which cradle gas and quicken burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to retain fuel to your fire. Heavy metal firebacks are occasionally utilized to capture and re-radiate heat, to protect the rear of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames set in front of the fireplace to include embers, soot and ash.

Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits than modern fireplaces. They were used for heat on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also served as a gathering place inside the house. These fire pits were generally centered within a space, allowing more individuals to gather around it.

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Many flaws were found in ancient fireplace designs. The most renowned fireplace designers of the period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design that was used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with a emphasis on the quality of the substances used in their construction, instead of their dimensions.

From the 1800s newest fireplaces were composed of 2 parts, the surround and the insert. The encircle consisted of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, granite or marble. The fit was fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron frequently backed with ornamental tiles. As well as providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to bring a cozy ambiance to homes.

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Some fireplace units 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 lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also enhanced with the use of a fireback, a sheet of metal that sits behind the flame and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally produced from cast iron, but are also made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complicated concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider only the impact of heating of the air. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, designed to warm the air. The ideal method to estimate the output signal of a fireplace is if you detect you are turning the thermostat down or up.

Most older fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency score. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces still possess 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 designed to burn cleaner and may reach efficiencies as large as 80 percent in heating the atmosphere. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first phase the first heat is provided through a large glass while the flame is burning. During this time period the structure, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then evenly radiated for many hours during the second stage. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window just offer heat radiated from its surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace decor