Young Brunette Girl Posing At Home In Front Of The Fireplace

In 1678 Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, raised the grate of the fireplace, improving the airflow and venting system. The 18th century saw two important developments in the history of fireplaces. Ben Franklin developed a convection chamber for the fireplace that greatly improved the efficiency of fireplaces and wood stoves. He also improved the airflow by pulling air from a basement and venting out a longer area at the top. In the later 18th century, Count Rumford designed a fireplace with a tall, shallow firebox that was better at drawing the smoke up and out of the building. The shallow design also improved greatly the amount of radiant heat projected into the room. Rumford's design is the foundation for modern fireplaces.
One famous tradition in the United States during the Great Depression was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "fireside chats", weekly radio addresses in which he made use of the family gathering time to state his views.
Many homes no longer have open fireplaces, they are often replaced by what is considered to be more efficient ways of heating, such as central heating, or electric heaters. The social function of the fireplace is often substituted by the home entertainment center. Some fireplaces have been closed off not allowing them to be used. Some have been made unable to be used by feeding a telephone, television antenna, cable TV or satellite TV wire down them. For homeowners that want the ambiance of a fireplace without the fire, there are several alternatives. One is to install a 'fake fire' or gas fireplace, which offers the fireplace effect. For people with existing fireplaces, the alternative to simply closing them up is to install a gas, wood or biomass fireplace insert. Some governments have a partial ban on solid fuel burning fireplaces due to air pollution. Ventless fireplaces have received attention recently: they are free standing, requiring no chimney and no hearth. Prefabricated fireplaces are popular because of their lower construction cost and some considered them to be safer and more reliable. Brick or stone fireplaces can be designed to meet exact specifications for opening size, depth, and facing material. The open brick or stone fireplaces can cost more to build and usually require regular cleaning or maintenance.