Amazon.com Real Flame Mt. Vernon Corner Electric Fireplace in Dark Walnut Gel Fuel Fireplaces

Ancient fire pits were sometimes constructed in the ground, within caves, or at the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of ancient, man-made fires is present on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of premature indoor fire pits was that they generated toxic and/or irritating smoke inside the house.Fire pits developed into elevated hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or openings in roofs. The medieval great hall typically had a centrally situated hearth, where a open fire burned with all the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be coated so rain and snow would not enter.

Also during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from spreading through a room and vent it out via a ceiling or wall. These could be put against stone walls, instead of taking up the middle of the room, and this enabled smaller chambers to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the issue of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke outside. They made it possible to provide the fireplace a draft, and made it feasible to place fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general usage instantly, however, since they were expensive to develop and maintain.

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the airflow and venting system. The 18th century saw two major developments in the history of fireplaces. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace that 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 lengthier area on top. At the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing up the smoke and out of the construction. The shallow design improved greatly the quantity of radiant heat projected to the space. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern fireplaces.

Instead it relied on simple layouts with small unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was placed on supplying quality gems. Stone fireplaces at this time were a symbol of wealth, which to a degree is still the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal made to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a space. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending upon the design.

Historically they have been utilized 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. A fireplace may have the following: a base, a hearth, a firebox, a mantelpiece; a chimney crane (utilized in laundry and kitchen fireplaces), a grate, a lintel, a lintel pub, house overmantel, a damper, a smoke room, a neck, a flue, and a chimney filter or afterburner.

Related Images with Amazon.com Real Flame Mt. Vernon Corner Electric Fireplace in Dark Walnut Gel Fuel Fireplaces

Amazon.com: Duraflame Infrared Rolling Mantel Electric Fireplace 1500 Watts, Model 23I

On the exterior there's often 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 hood, cap, or shroud functions to keep rainwater out of the outside of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a much greater difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than with the standard masonry chimney, which 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 great, but it is not great for you.

Types of fireplacesArtificial fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for either wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electric 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 gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the United States, some states and local counties have laws restricting these types of fireplaces. They need to be properly sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality management issues because of the amount of moisture they discharge in the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed in the area that is heated, and vent all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.

Amazon.com: SEI Calvert Electric Fireplace, Ivory: Kitchen Dining

AccessoriesFor the inside, common in recent Western civilizations comprise grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, and fire puppies, all which cradle fuel and accelerate burning. A grate (or flame grate) is a frame, usually of iron bars, to retain fuel to your fire. Heavy metallic firebacks are occasionally used 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 contain embers, soot and ash.

As time passes, the purpose of fireplaces has transformed from one of requirement to one of interest. Early ones were more fire pits than contemporary fireplaces. They have been used for heat on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also served as a gathering place inside the home. These fire pits were generally centered within a room, allowing more individuals to collect around it.

Amazon.com SEI Carrington Convertible Electric Fireplace, Slate/ Black Gel Fuel Fireplaces

Amazon.com Pleasant Hearth Colby Mahogany Electric Fireplace Ventless Fireplaces

Many defects were found in early fireplace designs. The most famous fireplace performers of the 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 an emphasis on the level of the substances used in their construction, as opposed to their size.

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 affirms, typically in wood, granite or marble. The insert was where the fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were believed to bring a cozy ambiance to houses.

Amazon.com Pleasant Hearth Colby Mahogany Electric Fireplace Ventless Fireplaces Video

Some fireplace units include a blower which transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the air via convection, leading to a more evenly heated space and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be increased with the use of a fireback, a piece 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 complex notion though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the effect of heating of the air. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, intended to warm the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a toaster, and has done so as the 15th century. The best method to gauge the output of a fireplace is in case you detect you're turning the thermostat up or down.

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 for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces may also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80 percent in heating the atmosphere. These altered fireplaces are often equipped with a large fire window, allowing an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first phase the first heat is offered through a large glass while the flame is burning. During this time the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then evenly radiated for several hours during the next stage. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window only provide heat radiated from its surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to two daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.amazon electric fireplace