Ancient fire pits were sometimes built from the floor, in caves, or at the center 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 within the house.Fire pits developed into elevated hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or holes in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally located hearth, where an open fire burned with the smoke rising to the port 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 throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to prevent smoke from spreading through an area and vent it out via a ceiling or wall. These could be placed against stone walls, instead of taking up the center of the space, and this enabled smaller chambers to be heated.Chimneys were devised in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the problem of fumes, more reliably venting smoke outside. They made it feasible to provide the fireplace a draft, and also made it possible to put fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They did not come into general usage immediately, however, since they were more expensive to build and maintain.In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the venting and airflow system. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection room for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficacy of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting out a lengthier area at the very top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox that has been better at drawing the smoke up and out of the building. The shallow design improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected to the room. Rumford's design is the basis for modern kitchens.
The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more traditional spectra based on rock and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Rather it relied on simple designs with small unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, in which the emphasis was still placed on providing quality gems. Stone fireplaces at this time were a symbol of prosperity, which to a degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal made to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for its relaxing ambiance that they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, depending upon the design.Historically they have been used for heating a dwelling, 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's often a corbeled brick crown, in which the projecting 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 out of the exterior of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much larger difficulty 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 incorporated 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 good, but it is not great for you.Types of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made with sheet metal or glass flame boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for gas or wood or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.A couple of 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 gas fuel sources. In the USA, some states and local businesses have laws restricting 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 amount of moisture they discharge in the room atmosphere, and oxygen detector and carbon dioxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed from the place that is heated, and vent all exhaust gasses to the outside of the structure.
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As time passes, the intent behind fireplaces has transformed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were fire pits than modern fireplaces. They have been used for warmth on chilly days and nights, in addition to for cooking. They also served as a gathering place within the house. These fire pits were generally based within a room, allowing more people to gather around it.
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Many defects were found in ancient fireplace designs. Along with the Industrial Revolution, came big scale housing developments, necessitating a standardization of fireplaces. 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 lit, with a emphasis on the quality of the materials used in their construction, as opposed to their size.
From the 1800s newest fireplaces were composed of 2 components, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle comprised of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, granite or marble. The insert was fire burnt, and was built of cast iron frequently backed with ornamental tiles. In addition to providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to bring a cozy ambiance to homes.Empire White Mountain Hearth Tahoe Premium Direct Vent Gas Fireplace 48quot; Large eBay Video
Some fireplace units include a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency is also increased with the use of a fireback, a sheet of metal that sits behind the fire and reflects heat back into the room. Firebacks are traditionally produced 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 effect of heating of the air. An open fireplace is not, and never was, designed to warm the air. A fireplace with a fireback is a toaster, and has done so as the 15th century. The ideal way to estimate the output signal of a fireplace is if you notice you're turning the thermostat up or down.
Most elderly fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency rating. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum requirement for example in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces may also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the atmosphere. These altered fireplaces are often equipped with a massive fire window, enabling an efficient heating process in two phases. During the first stage the initial heat is offered through a big glass while the flame is burning. During this time period the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the heat. This heat is then evenly radiated for several hours during the second stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just offer heat radiated from the surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are sufficient to ensure a constant room temperature.direct vent fireplace
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