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Historical fire pits were sometimes constructed from the ground, within caves, or in the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of ancient, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of premature indoor flame pits was that they generated toxic and/or irritating smoke within the house.Fire pits grown into elevated hearths in structures, but ventilation smoke depended on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally situated hearth, where a open flame burned with the smoke rising to the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be coated so snow and rain wouldn't enter.

Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to stop smoke from spreading through an area and vent it outside via a wall or roof. These can be placed against stone walls, instead of taking up the middle of the space, and this allowed smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the problem of fumes, more reliably venting smoke outside. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it possible to place fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings handily. They did not come into general use immediately, however, since 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 chamber for the fireplace that greatly enhanced the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting out a lengthier place at the very top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that has been better at drawing the smoke up and out of the building. The shallow design also improved greatly the quantity of radiant warmth projected into the space. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern fireplaces.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more conventional spectra based on rock and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Rather it depended on simple designs with little unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was placed on providing quality gems. Stone fireplaces now were a sign of prosperity, which to some degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to include a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for its relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending upon the design.

Historically they have been used for heating a dwelling, 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's often a corbeled brick crown, in which the casting courses of brick function as a drip course to keep rainwater from running down the outside walls. A cap, hood, or shroud functions to keep rainwater from the outside of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much larger 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 integrated into the crown or cap.

Organizations such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to different studies, fireplaces can pose a significant health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell great, but it's not good for you.

Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.

Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and gas fuel sources. 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 types of fireplaces. They must be suitably sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality management issues due to the quantity of moisture that they release in the room atmosphere, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed in the area that's heated, and vent all exhaust gasses into the outside of the structure.

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AccessoriesA vast assortment of accessories are used with fireplaces, which range between states, regions, and historical periods. For the inside, common in current Western civilizations include grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, and fire dogs, all of which cradle fuel and accelerate burning. A grate (or flame grate) is a framework, usually of iron bars, to retain fuel for a fire. Heavy metal firebacks are sometimes utilized to catch and re-radiate warmth, to safeguard the back of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metallic frames set before the fireplace to contain embers, soot and ashes.

Over time, the purpose of fireplaces has changed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were fire pits than contemporary fireplaces. They have been used for heat on cold 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 room, allowing more people to collect around it.

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Many flaws were found in ancient fireplace designs. Along with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, necessitating a standardization of fireplaces. 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 had been smaller, more brightly lit, with a emphasis on the level of the materials used in their construction, instead of their size.

By the 1800s most new fireplaces were composed of two parts, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle comprised of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, typically in wood, granite or marble. The insert was fire burned, 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 into houses.

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Some fireplace units include a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated space and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be enhanced by means of a fireback, a sheet of metal which sits behind the fire and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but are also manufactured from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complicated concept though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the effect of heating of the air. An open fireplace is not, and never was, intended to warm the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a radiant heater, and has done so as the 15th century. The ideal way to gauge the output of a fireplace is in case you notice you're turning the thermostat up or down.

Most older fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency score. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and can reach efficiencies as high as 80% in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, allowing an efficient heating system in two stages. During the first phase the initial heat is offered through a big glass while the fire is burning. In this time period the construction, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then evenly radiated for several hours during the second stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just offer heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to two daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.fireplace shelf