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Ancient fire pits were sometimes constructed in the ground, in caves, or at the center of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of premature indoor flame pits was that they generated toxic and/or irritating smoke inside the dwelling.Fire pits grown into elevated hearths in buildings, but venting smoke relied on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally situated hearth, where an open flame burnt with the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be covered so snow and rain wouldn't enter.

Additionally during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from dispersing an area and vent it out via a ceiling or wall. These could be put against rock walls, rather than taking up the center of the room, and this allowed smaller rooms to be heated.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly fixed the issue of fumes, more reliably venting smoke out. They made it feasible to give the fireplace a draft, and made it feasible to place fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings conveniently. They didn't come into general use instantly, however, as they were expensive to build and maintain.

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, increased 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 which greatly improved the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also 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 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 heat projected to the room. Rumford's design is the basis for modern fireplaces.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took to a more traditional spectra based on rock and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it depended on simple layouts with little unnecessary ornamentation. In the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way to the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was still placed on providing quality stone. Stone fireplaces now were a symbol of wealth, which to some degree is still the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made from brick, stone or metal made to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance that they create and for heating a space. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, based upon the design.

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

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On the exterior there is often a corbeled brick crown, where 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 out of the outside of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a far larger problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metal liners than with the standard masonry chimney, that divides up all but the most violent rain. Some 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 various studies, fireplaces can pose a substantial health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell great, but it's not great for you.

Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet glass or metal flame boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for either wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.A few types 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 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 businesses have laws limiting these kinds of fireplaces. They must be suitably sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality management problems due to the quantity of moisture that they release in the room air, and oxygen sensor and carbon dioxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed in the place that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.

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

As time passes, the purpose of fireplaces has changed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were fire pits than contemporary fireplaces. They were used for heat on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were generally centered within a space, allowing more people to gather around it.

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Many defects were found in early fireplace designs. The most famous fireplace performers of the time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design which has been used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with a emphasis on the quality of the materials used in their construction, instead of their size.

By the 1800s newest fireplaces were made up of two parts, the surround and the insert. The surround comprised of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, granite or marble. The insert was fire burnt, 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 add a cozy ambiance to houses.

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Some fireplace components incorporate 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 is also increased by means of a fireback, a sheet of metal that sits behind the fire and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but are also made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider just the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, intended to heat the atmosphere. A fireplace with a fireback is a radiant heater, and has done so as the 15th century. The best 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 relatively low efficiency rating. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum necessity for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by adding special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80% in heating the atmosphere. These altered fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two stages. During the first phase the first heat is offered through a big glass while the flame is burning. In this time the construction, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This warmth is then equally radiated for many hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just provide heat radiated from the surface. Based on temperatures 1 to two daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.limestone fireplace