Ancient fire pits were sometimes constructed from the floor, within caves, or at the middle of a hut or home. Evidence of ancient, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor fire pits was that they produced toxic and/or annoying smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits developed into elevated hearths in buildings, but venting smoke depended on open windows or holes in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally situated hearth, where a open fire burnt with all the smoke rising to the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be coated so snow and rain wouldn't enter.
Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from dispersing a room and vent it out via a wall or roof. These can be put against stone walls, rather than taking up the middle of the space, and this allowed smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more faithfully venting smoke out. They made it feasible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it possible to place fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings conveniently. They didn't come into general use immediately, however, as they were more expensive to build 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 improved the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a lengthier place on top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox which has been better at drawing up the smoke and out of the building. The shallow design improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected to the space. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern fireplaces.
Rather it relied 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 placed on providing quality gems. Stone fireplaces now were a symbol of wealth, which to some degree remains the idea today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal made to contain a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for the relaxing ambiance that they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficacy, depending on the design.Historically they were utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows exhaust to escape.
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On the exterior there is often a corbeled brick crown, in which the projecting courses of brick function as a drip course to keep rainwater from running down the outside walls. A hood, cap, or shroud functions to keep rainwater from the outside 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 traditional masonry chimney, that soaks up all but the most violent rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor integrated into the cap or crown.
Organizations like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to various studies, fireplaces can pose a substantial health threat. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it is not good for you.Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet metal or glass fire 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 either gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the United States, some states and local counties have laws limiting these types of fireplaces. They need to be suitably sized to the area to be heated. There are also air quality control issues due to the quantity of moisture that they discharge into the room air, and oxygen detector and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed in the place that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses into the exterior of the structure.
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Over time, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits than contemporary fireplaces. They have been used for heat on cold days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also served as a gathering place inside the home. These fire pits were generally centered within a space, allowing more individuals to gather around it.
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Many defects were found in ancient fireplace designs. Together with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most famous fireplace performers of the period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design which was used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly lit, with a emphasis on the level of the materials used in their construction, as opposed to their size.
By the 1800s newest fireplaces were composed of two parts, the surround as well as the add. The surround consisted of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, usually in wood, granite or marble. The insert was where the fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron frequently backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing heat, the fireplaces of the Victorian age were thought to bring a cozy ambiance to homes.CFM Corp. Recalls Sequoia Wood Burning Fireplaces for Fire Hazard CPSC.gov Video
Some fireplace units incorporate a blower that transfers 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 is also enhanced with the use of a fireback, a piece of metal which sits behind the flame 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 efficiency tests consider just the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, designed to warm the air. The ideal method to gauge the output of a fireplace is if you notice you are turning the thermostat down or up.
Most elderly fireplaces have a comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum requirement such as in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes designed to burn much cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the air. 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 offered through a big glass while the fire is burning. During this time the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This heat is then evenly radiated for many hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just offer heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to guarantee a constant room temperature.fireplace wood
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