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Manufactured fireplaces are made with sheet metal or glass fire boxes. Electric fireplaces can be built-in replacements for wood or gas or retrofit with log inserts or electric fireboxes. A few types are wall mounted electric fireplaces, electric fireplace stoves, electric mantel fireplaces, and fixed or free standing electric fireplaces.
The fireplace insert was invented in 1742 by Benjamin Franklin, which he called 'The Pennsylvania Fireplace' (also known as the Franklin Stove), in the United States.He came upon the idea as a means of using coke (a smokeless fuel made by the destructive distillation of certain types of coal) and incorporated the use of an electric blower to improve efficiency.
Rumford fireplaces were common from 1796, when Count Rumford first wrote about them, until about 1850. Jefferson had them built at Monticello, [6] and Thoreau listed them among the modern conveniences that everyone took for granted. Existing fireplaces could be rebuilt to the Rumford design ("Rumfordized"). [7]
Direct vent fireplaces are extremely efficient compared to a traditional fireplace and can operate at about 85% efficiency. Even a very efficient traditional fireplace only operates at about 15% efficiency. This is because most of the hot air generated by the fire travels up the chimney due to convection.
The firebox normally sits on a masonry base at the floor level of the room. Some fireboxes are large in proportion so that a person could actually walk inside, or in extreme cases have a small meeting using built-in benches inside. An example of the latter oversize construction can be found in the great hall of Muchalls Castle in Scotland.
Because the air going up the shaft was cooler, these could be made of less fireproof materials. Another step in the development of chimneys was the use of built-in ovens which allowed the household to bake at home. Industrial chimneys became common in the late 18th century. Chimneys in ordinary dwellings were first built of wood and plaster or mud.