Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, in caves, or at the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made fires exists 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 holes in roofs. The medieval great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where a open flame burned with all the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be covered so rain and snow wouldn't enter.
Additionally throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from dispersing a room and vent it out via a wall or roof. These could be put against rock walls, instead of taking up the center of the space, and this enabled smaller rooms to be heated.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the issue of fumes, more reliably venting smoke out. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and made it possible to put fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general usage immediately, however, as they were expensive to build and maintain.The 18th century saw two major developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also improved the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting out a longer area at the very top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that was better at drawing the smoke up and out of the construction. The shallow design improved greatly the quantity of radiant warmth projected into the room. Rumford's design is the basis for modern fireplaces.
The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more conventional spectra based on stone and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Rather it depended on simple designs with small unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was placed on supplying quality gems. Stone fireplaces now were a symbol of prosperity, which to some degree is still the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made of brick, stone or metal made to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance that they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficiency, based on the design.Historically they were used for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for domestic and laundry uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows exhaust to escape.
Related Images with AKDY 28 in. Freestanding Electric Fireplace Insert Heater in Black with Curved Tempered Glass
SpectraFire 36 in. Contemporary Builtin Electric Fireplace Insert36EB111GRC The Home Depot
On the exterior there is often a corbeled brick crown, where the projecting courses of brick function as a drip route to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A hood, cap, or shroud functions to keep rainwater out of 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 standard masonry chimney, that soaks up all but the rain. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the cap or crown.
The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it is not great for you.Kinds of fireplacesArtificial fireplaces are made with sheet glass or metal fire boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.A few kinds are, wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electrical mantel fireplaces and fixed or free standing gas fireplaces.
Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and gas fuel sources. In the USA, some states and local counties have laws restricting these types of fireplaces. They must be properly sized to the area to be heated. There are also air quality control issues due to the quantity of moisture they discharge 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 from the place that's heated, and vent all exhaust gasses to the outside of the structure.
ClassicFlame 36in Black Electric Fireplace Insert at Lowes.com
As time passes, the intent behind fireplaces has changed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were more fire pits than modern fireplaces. They have been used for heat on cold days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also served as a gathering place inside the home. These fire pits were generally based within a room, allowing more people to gather around it.
Moda Flame Elwood 28 Inch Curved Electric Fireplace Insert
Comfort Smart Verve 24in Curved Electric Fireplace Insert CS501625
Many flaws were found in early fireplace designs. Along with the Industrial Revolution, came big scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most famous fireplace performers of this time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design that has been used for generations. It had been smaller, more brightly colored, with an emphasis on the level of the substances used in their construction, instead of their size.
From the 1800s most new fireplaces were composed of two parts, the surround as well as the insert. 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 often backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were thought to add a cozy ambiance to houses.Comfort Smart Verve 24in Curved Electric Fireplace Insert CS501625 Video
Some fireplace units include a blower that transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also increased with the use of a fireback, a piece of metal that sits behind the flame and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but are also manufactured from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex concept though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, designed to heat 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 signal of a fireplace is in case you detect you're turning the thermostat up or down.
Most elderly fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces may also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes designed to burn cleaner and can reach efficiencies as high as 80% in heating the atmosphere. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating system in two stages. During the first phase the initial heat is provided through a big glass window while the flame is burning. In this time the structure, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then equally radiated for several hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just provide heat radiated from its surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to two daily firings are sufficient to guarantee a constant room temperature.electric fireplace insert
No comments:
Post a Comment