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Historical fire pits were sometimes constructed in the floor, in caves, or in the center of a hut or home. Evidence of ancient, man-made fires exists on all five inhabited continents. The drawback of early indoor flame pits was that they generated toxic and/or annoying smoke inside the house.Fire pits developed into elevated hearths in buildings, but venting smoke relied on open windows or holes in roofs. The medieval great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where an open fire burnt with the smoke climbing into the port 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 during the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to stop smoke from dispersing an area and vent it out via a ceiling or wall. These could be placed against rock walls, instead of taking up the center of the space, and this enabled smaller chambers to be warmed.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries and mostly 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 numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They didn't come into general use instantly, however, as they were expensive to develop and maintain.

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, increased the grate of the fireplace, improving the venting and airflow system. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace which greatly enhanced the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting a lengthier place at the very top. At 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 also improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected to the space. Rumford's layout is the foundation for modern kitchens.

Instead it relied 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 supplying quality stone. Stone fireplaces at this time were a sign of prosperity, which to a degree is still the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made from brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are utilized for its relaxing ambiance that they create and also for heating a space. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficiency, based on the design.

Historically they were utilized for heating a dwelling, cooking, and heating water for domestic and laundry uses.

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On the exterior there's frequently 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 cap, hood, or shroud functions to keep rainwater from the outside of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a much greater problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners compared with the traditional masonry chimney, which soaks up all but the rain. A few 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 fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet glass or metal flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.A few kinds are, wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electrical mantel fireplaces and fixed or free standing gas fireplaces.

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 must be properly sized to the area to be heated. There are also air quality management issues due to the amount of moisture that they discharge into the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the area that's heated, and vent all exhaust gasses into the outside of the structure.

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AccessoriesFor the inside, common in recent Western cultures comprise grates, fireguards, log boxes, andirons, bark baskets, along with fire puppies, all of which cradle fuel and accelerate burning. A grate (or fire grate) is a frame, usually of iron bars, to retain fuel to your fire. Heavy metal firebacks are sometimes utilized to capture and re-radiate warmth, to protect the rear of the fireplace, and as decoration. Fenders are low metal frames placed before the fireplace to include embers, soot and ash. For fireplace tending, tools include pokers, bellows, tongs, shovels, brushes and instrument stands.

Over time, the purpose of fireplaces has changed from one of necessity to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits compared to 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 house. These fire pits were generally based within a room, allowing more people to collect around it.

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Many defects were found in early fireplace designs. Together with the Industrial Revolution, came big scale housing developments, necessitating a standardization of fireplaces. The most famous fireplace performers of this time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a style of fireplace design which has been used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly lit, with an emphasis on the quality of the materials used in their construction, instead of their size.

By the 1800s most new fireplaces were made up of 2 parts, the surround and the add. The encircle comprised of the mantlepiece and sides supports, usually in wood, marble or granite. The insert was fire burnt, and was constructed of cast iron frequently backed with decorative tiles. As well as providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were thought to bring a cozy ambiance into homes.

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Some fireplace components include a blower which transfers more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated space and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also enhanced with the use of a fireback, a sheet of metal that sits behind the flame and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally made from cast iron, but can also be manufactured from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complicated concept although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider only the impact of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, designed to heat the atmosphere. The ideal method to gauge the output signal of a fireplace is if 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 at least 80% (legal minimum requirement for example in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be modified by adding special heavy fireboxes developed to burn cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80 percent in heating the air. These altered fireplaces are often equipped with a large fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two phases. During the first stage the initial heat is provided through a big glass window while the flame is burning. During this time the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then equally radiated for several hours during the second phase. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window just offer heat radiated from its surface. Depending on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to guarantee a constant room temperature.fireplace surrounds