Historical fire pits were sometimes constructed in the floor, in caves, or at the center of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames is present on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of premature indoor flame pits was that they generated toxic and/or irritating smoke within the house.Fire pits developed into raised hearths in buildings, but ventilation smoke relied on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally located hearth, where a open flame burnt with the smoke climbing into the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed throughout the Middle Ages to enable the roof vents to be covered so snow and rain would not enter.
Additionally throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were invented to stop smoke from dispersing an area and vent it outside via a wall or roof. These could be placed against stone walls, instead of taking up the middle of the room, and this enabled smaller rooms to be warmed.Chimneys were invented in northern Europe from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more reliably 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 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. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a cellar and venting a longer area on top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford made a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox which has been better at drawing up the smoke and from the building. The shallow design also improved greatly the amount of radiant warmth projected to the room. Rumford's design is the basis for modern kitchens.
Rather it relied on simple designs with small unnecessary ornamentation. From the 1890s the Aesthetic movement gave way into the Arts and Crafts movement, where the emphasis was still placed on supplying quality stone. Stone fireplaces now have been a sign of prosperity, which to a degree remains the idea today.A fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal made to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a space. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficacy, depending upon the design.Historically they have been utilized for heating a home, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses. A fireplace might have the following: a foundation, a hearth, a firebox, a mantelpiece; a chimney crane (used in laundry and kitchen fireplaces), a grate, a lintel, a lintel bar, home overmantel, a damper, a smoke room, a throat, a flue, and a chimney filter or afterburner.
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On the exterior there's frequently a corbeled brick crown, in which the casting courses of brick act as a drip course to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A hood, cap, or shroud serves to keep rainwater from the exterior of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a far larger difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metal liners compared with the traditional masonry chimney, that soaks up all but the rain. Some chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the cap or crown.
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 significant health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not great for you.Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made with sheet glass or metal flame boxes.Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for either wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electrical fireboxes.
Masonry and prefabricated fireplaces can be fueled by wood, natural gas, biomass and gas fuel sources. Ventless Fireplaces (duct free/room-venting fireplaces) are fueled by either gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, some states and local counties have laws restricting these types of fireplaces. Additionally, there are air quality management issues due to the quantity of moisture they discharge in the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon dioxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed from the area that is heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the exterior of the structure.
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As time passes, the purpose of fireplaces has transformed from one of requirement to one of visual interest. Early ones were more fire pits compared to modern fireplaces. They have been used for heat on chilly days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also served as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were generally based within a space, allowing more individuals to gather around it.
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Many defects were found in early fireplace designs. Along with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most renowned fireplace designers of the time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design that has been used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly lit, with an emphasis on the level of the substances used in their construction, instead of their dimensions.
By the 1800s newest fireplaces were composed of 2 components, the surround and the add. The encircle consisted of the mantlepiece and sides supports, typically in wood, marble or granite. The fit was fire burned, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with decorative tiles. In addition to providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were believed to bring a cozy ambiance to houses.Shop ClassicFlame 36in Black Electric Fireplace Insert at Lowes.com Video
Some fireplace units incorporate a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, resulting in a more evenly heated space and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be increased by means of a fireback, a piece 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 made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complicated notion though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficacy tests consider just the effect of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, designed to warm the air. 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 comparatively low efficiency rating. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of 80% (legal minimum necessity such as in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be modified by inserting special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and may reach efficiencies as high as 80 percent in heating the atmosphere. These modified fireplaces are usually equipped with a large fire window, allowing an efficient heating process in two stages. During the first stage the first heat is provided through a large glass while the flame is burning. During this time the structure, built of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then equally radiated for several hours during the second stage. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window only offer heat radiated from its surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.electric fireplace inserts
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