Ancient fire pits were sometimes built in the ground, within caves, or at the center of a hut or home. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor fire pits was that they produced hazardous or annoying smoke within the house.Fire pits grown into raised hearths in structures, but ventilation smoke depended on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically had a centrally situated hearth, where a open fire 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 coated so rain and snow wouldn't enter.
Also throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to stop smoke from spreading through an area and vent it out via a wall or roof. These can be put against rock walls, instead of taking up the middle of the room, and this allowed smaller rooms 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 possible to give the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to place fireplaces in multiple rooms in buildings handily. They did not come into general usage instantly, however, as they were more expensive to develop and maintain.In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the airflow and venting system. Benjamin Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace which greatly improved the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, he enhanced the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting a longer area on 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 out of the building. The shallow design improved greatly the quantity of radiant heat projected into the room. Rumford's layout is the basis for modern kitchens.
The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took to a more conventional spectra based on rock and also deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it depended on simple layouts 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 idea today.A fireplace is a construction made of brick, stone or metal made to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for its relaxing ambiance that they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficacy, depending on the plan.Historically they have been used for heating a dwelling, cooking, and heating water for laundry and domestic uses.
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On the exterior there is often a corbeled brick crown, in which the projecting courses of brick act as a drip course to keep rainwater from running down the exterior walls. A hood, cap, or shroud functions to keep rainwater from the outside of the chimney; rain at the chimney is a much larger difficulty in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners compared with the standard masonry chimney, which soaks up all but the most violent rain. A few 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 different studies, fireplaces could pose a substantial health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell great, but it is not good for you.Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made with 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 gel, liquid propane, bottled gas or natural gas. In the USA, some states and local counties have laws restricting these kinds of fireplaces. There are also air quality management problems because of the amount of moisture that they discharge into the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are security essentials. Direct vent fireplaces have been fueled by either liquid propane or natural gas. They are totally sealed from the place that is heated, and port all exhaust gasses to the outside of the structure.
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As time passes, the purpose of fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of visual interest. Early ones were fire pits than contemporary fireplaces. They were 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 people to collect around it.
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Many defects were found in ancient fireplace designs. Along with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most renowned fireplace designers of this time were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design which has been used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with a emphasis on the level of the materials used in their construction, instead of their size.
From the 1800s most new fireplaces were composed of two components, the surround as well as the insert. The encircle consisted of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, usually in wood, granite or marble. The fit was fire burnt, and was constructed of cast iron often backed with ornamental tiles. As well as providing warmth, the fireplaces of the Victorian era were thought to add a cozy ambiance into houses.View larger Video
Some fireplace components incorporate a blower which transports more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated area and a lower heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be 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 made from cast iron, but can also be manufactured from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complicated notion although with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider only the effect of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace is not, and never was, designed to warm the air. The best way to estimate the output signal of a fireplace is in case you detect you are turning the thermostat up or down.
Most elderly fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency rating. Standard, contemporary, weatherproof masonry fireplaces though have an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum requirement such as in Salzburg/Austria). To boost efficiency, fireplaces may also be modified by inserting special heavy fireboxes designed to burn much cleaner and can reach efficiencies as large as 80% in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are often equipped with a large fire window, enabling an efficient heating system in two stages. During the first stage the first heat is provided through a big glass window while the flame is burning. In this time period the structure, constructed of refractory bricks, absorbs the warmth. This warmth is then evenly radiated for many hours during the next stage. Masonry fireplaces without a glass fire window just provide heat radiated from the surface. Depending on temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are sufficient to ensure a constant room temperature.amazon electric fireplace
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