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Historical fire pits were sometimes constructed in the ground, within caves, or in the center of a hut or dwelling. Evidence of prehistoric, man-made flames exists on all five inhabited continents. The disadvantage of early indoor flame pits was that they produced hazardous or irritating smoke within the dwelling.Fire pits developed into raised hearths in structures, but venting smoke relied on open windows or openings in roofs. The great hall typically needed a centrally located hearth, where an open flame burned with the smoke rising to the vent in the roof. Louvers were developed during the Middle Ages to allow the roof vents to be coated so snow and rain would not enter.

Also throughout the Middle Ages, smoke canopies were devised to prevent smoke from spreading through a room and vent it out via a ceiling or wall. 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 from the 11th or 12th centuries and largely fixed the issue of fumes, more reliably venting smoke outside. They made it possible to give the fireplace a draft, and also made it feasible to place fireplaces in numerous rooms in buildings conveniently. They didn't come into general usage immediately, however, as they were 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 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. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace using a tall, shallow firebox which was better at drawing the smoke up and from the construction. The shallow design improved greatly the quantity of radiant heat projected to the room. Rumford's layout is the foundation for modern kitchens.

The Aesthetic movement of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more traditional spectra based on stone and deflected unnecessary ornamentation. Instead it relied on simple layouts with little 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 stone. Stone fireplaces at this time have been a sign of prosperity, which to a degree remains the notion today.A fireplace is a construction made from brick, stone or metal designed to include a fire. Fireplaces are used for its relaxing ambiance they create and also for heating a room. Modern fireplaces change in heat efficiency, based upon 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 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 outside walls. A cap, hood, or shroud serves to keep rainwater from the outside of the chimney; rain in the chimney is a much greater problem in chimneys lined with impervious flue tiles or metallic liners than with the traditional masonry chimney, that divides up all but the rain. A few chimneys have a spark arrestor incorporated into the cap or crown.

Organizations like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology warn that, according to different studies, fireplaces can pose a significant health risk. The EPA writes"Smoke may smell good, but it's not good for you.

Kinds of fireplacesManufactured fireplaces are made out of sheet glass or metal flame boxes.Electric fireplaces could be built-in replacements for either gas or wood or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes.A few kinds are, wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electric 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. In the USA, several states and local counties have laws limiting these kinds of fireplaces. They need to be properly sized to the area to be heated. Additionally, there are air quality management problems because of the quantity of moisture they discharge into the room atmosphere, and oxygen sensor and carbon monoxide sensors are safety essentials. Direct vent fireplaces are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. They are completely sealed in the area that's heated, and port all exhaust gasses into the outside of the structure.

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

As time passes, the purpose of fireplaces has transformed from one of necessity to one of interest. Early ones were more fire pits compared to contemporary fireplaces. They were used for heat on cold days and nights, as well as for cooking. They also functioned as a gathering place within the home. These fire pits were generally based within a space, allowing more individuals to collect around it.

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Many flaws were found in early fireplace designs. Together with the Industrial Revolution, came large scale housing developments, requiring a standardization of fireplaces. The most famous fireplace designers of this period were the Adam Brothers. They perfected a kind of fireplace design which was used for generations. It was smaller, more brightly colored, with an emphasis on the level of the materials used in their construction, instead of their size.

By the 1800s most new fireplaces were composed of 2 parts, the surround and the add. The surround comprised of the mantlepiece and sides affirms, typically in wood, granite or marble. The fit was fire burned, and was built 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 to homes.

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Some fireplace units incorporate a blower that transports more of the fireplace's heat to the atmosphere via convection, leading to a more evenly heated space and a decrease heating load. Fireplace efficiency can also be 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 made from stainless steel. Efficiency is a complex notion though with open hearth fireplaces. Most efficiency tests consider only the effect of heating of the atmosphere. An open fireplace isn't, and never was, intended to heat the air. A fireplace with a fireback is a radiant heater, and has done so as the 15th century. The ideal way to estimate the output of a fireplace is if you notice you're turning the thermostat down or up.

Most elderly fireplaces have a relatively low efficiency score. Standard, modern, wood-burning masonry fireplaces still possess an efficiency rating of at least 80% (legal minimum necessity such as in Salzburg/Austria). To improve efficiency, fireplaces can also be altered by inserting special heavy fireboxes developed to burn much cleaner and can reach efficiencies as high as 80% in heating the air. These modified fireplaces are often equipped with a massive fire window, allowing an efficient heating system in two phases. During the first stage the first heat is offered through a large 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 many hours during the next phase. Masonry fireplaces with no glass fire window just provide heat radiated from its surface. Based on outside temperatures 1 to 2 daily firings are enough to ensure a constant room temperature.media fireplace