Rumford Fireplaces - THEN and NOW, Part II, The Dynamics of the Rumford Fireplace

Rumford Fireplaces - THEN and NOW, Part II

The Dynamics Of The Rumford Fireplace


In conventional fireplaces, most of the air heated by the fire mixes with smoke and is drawn up the chimney, making them inefficient, wasteful, and unclean burning.

In the late 1700s, Count Rumford conducted a serious study of fireplaces. Count Rumford was the first to understand that the only effective and useful heat generated by a fireplace was radiant heat. So, to radiate as much heat out into the room as possible, he utilized the knowledge gained from his studies and experiments to make a very shallow fireplace with a tall and wide opening. He designed it with widely splayed sides, also referred to as copings or jambs. This reflected a much greater amount of radiant heat into the room in a larger arc than a conventional fireplace.

Conventional .................................................Rumford





Although Rumford’s new fireplace design generated much more radiant heat, it also produced a large amount of smoke. To eliminate this smoking problem, Rumford turned his attention from thermodynamics to aerodynamics. He developed a radical new smooth, streamlined throat that would become a vital component of his new Rumford fireplace design. This Rumford throat captures all the products produced by combustion and guides them smoothly and without turbulence up the chimney. Also, because of its streamlined design and efficiency, it also greatly reduces the amount of warm air lost up the chimney.



The tall firebox and streamlined throat have an additional beneficial effect which Count Rumford probably never realized. By keeping the smoke at a higher temperature for a longer time, more polluting particulate is burned, making Rumford fireplaces one of the few clean-burning masonry fireplaces. Rumfords have been laboratory tested and meet wood-burning appliance emission regulations


I hope that this article has led to a better understanding of how and why the Rumford fireplace works so efficiently.


Please visit my website at http://oldeworldebuilders.com/ for more information on Rumford Fireplaces.

Also, learn more about the Rumford fireplace from the expert’s expert, Jim Buckley at http://rumford.com/


Thank you for reading this blog. I guess it’s pretty obvious that I am passionate about the heating efficiency and environmental friendliness of the Rumford fireplace.


I would appreciate hearing about your experiences as well as your opinions regarding Rumford fireplaces.


Please leave a post with any questions you may have about Rumford fireplaces and I will do my best to answer them.


Builder Man (Tony)

Rumford Fireplaces - THEN and NOW

Rumford Fireplaces - THEN and NOW
Part I

Rumford fireplaces are more popular now than at any time since 1850. With the high cost of heating fuel, the legendary and proven heating efficiency of the Rumford fireplace is extremely attractive to those who are building, remodeling, or restoring their homes and are concerned about rising heating costs.

Also, with global warming and the environment of great concern to everyone, it is important to note that Rumford fireplaces are one of the very few clean-burning masonry fireplaces. Rumfords have been laboratory tested and meet or exceed wood burning appliance emission standards and regulations making them vastly more environmentally friendly than standard fireplaces

The Rumford fireplace was named for its creator Count Rumford who was born Benjamin Thompson in Woburn, Massachusetts. (The Rumford Museum is located in Woburn, Massachusetts). Because he was a British loyalist, he left (abruptly) with the British in 1776. He spent part of his adult life as an employee of the Bavarian government where he received his title, “Count of the Holy Roman Empire”. Count Rumford is known primarily for the work he did on the nature of heat. Count Rumford wrote two essays detailing his improvements on fireplaces in 1796 and 1798. He was well known and widely recognized during his lifetime. So much so that in the 1790s his “Rumford Fireplace” became state-of-the-art throughout the world.

Rumford fireplaces were very popular in this country when people heated their homes with fireplaces. Thomas Jefferson liked Count Rumford’s efficient fireplace design so much that he converted the fireplaces Monticello to Rumfords. George Renick, who introduced shorthorn cattle to Ohio in the 1790s (creating Route 22 in the process) built Rumford fireplaces in Chillicothe, Ohio.

In 1854, Henry David Thoreau, in Walden, listed Rumford fireplaces, along with plaster walls and Venetion blinds, among the comforts taken for granted by civilized man. Author Jane Austen speaks of the Rumford fireplace in her novel, Northanger Abbey. In Jane Austen’s time, the Rumford fireplace was the height of state-of-the-art heating efficiency, style, and décor.
By the mid 1800s, most homes had Rumford fireplaces and the word “Rumford” was synonymous with fireplace.

As people began heating their homes with sources other than fireplaces, i. e., coal, oil, and natural gas, the efficiency of the fireplace became secondary to style and décor. However, with the ever increasing costs and uncertainty of heating fuels in today’s world, as well as concerns about the environment, the Rumford fireplace is making an impressive comeback as an efficient, cost effective, and clean source of heat.

As a Contractor and Mason in New England, I have built and restored many Rumford fireplaces, as well as converting many standard fireplaces to Rumfords. I believe strongly in building and living ‘GREEN” and I can personally attest to superior heating efficiency and environmental friendliness of the Rumford fireplace.

In Part II of this article, coming soon, I will attempt to explain the dynamics of the Rumford fireplace and why it works so efficiently.

In the meantime, please visit my website at http://oldeworldebuilders.com/

Also, learn more about the Rumford fireplace from the expert’s expert, Jim Buckley at
http://rumford.com/

Thank you for reading this blog. I guess it’s pretty obvious that I am passionate about the heating efficiency and environmental friendliness of the Rumford fireplace.

I would appreciate hearing about your experiences as well as your opinions regarding Rumford fireplaces.

Please contact me with any questions you may have about Rumford fireplaces and I will do my best to answer them.

Builder Man (Tony)

About Rumford Fireplaces

ABOUT RUMFORD FIREPLACES

Rumford fireplaces are more popular now than at any time since 1850. With the high cost of heating fuel, the legendary heating efficiency of the Rumford fireplace is extremely attractive to those who are building, restoring, or remodeling their homes and are concerned about heating costs. Also, Rumford fireplaces are one of the only clean-burning masonry fireplaces. Rumfords have been laboratory tested and meet or exceed all wood-burning appliance emission regulations making them vastly more environmentally friendly than your standard fireplace.

The Rumford fireplace was named for its creator Count Rumford who was born Benjamin Thompson in Woburn, Massachusetts in 1753. (The Rumford Museum is located in Woburn, Massachusetts). Because he was a loyalist, he left (abruptly) with the British in 1776. He spent part of his life as an employee of the Bavarian government where he received his title, "Count of the Holy Roman Empire." Rumford is known primarily for the work he did on the nature of heat.

Rumford wrote two papers detailing his improvements on fireplaces in 1796 and in 1798. He was well known and widely recognized during his lifetime -- so much so that in the 1790s his "Rumford fireplace" became state-of-the-art worldwide.

Rumfords were very popular in this country when people heated their homes with fireplaces. Thomas Jefferson built Rumfords at Monticello, and George Renick , who introduced shorthorn cattle to Ohio in the 1790s (creating Route 22 in the process), built them in Chillicothe, Ohio.
In 1854 Henry David Thoreau, in Walden, listed Rumford fireplaces, along with plaster walls and Venetian blinds, among the comforts taken for granted by civilized man. By mid-century everyone had Rumford fireplaces and the word "Rumford" was synonymous with "fireplace."

As homes homes began being heated by sources other than fireplaces, i.e. coal, oil, and natural gas, the efficiency of the Rumford fireplace became secondary to style and decor.

However, with the ever increasing costs and uncertainty of heating fuels in today's world, as well as concerns about the environment and global warming, the Rumford fireplace is making an impressive comeback.

As a mason who has build many Rumford fireplaces in New England, I can attest to their superior heating efficiency and envonmental friendliness.

Learn more about Rumford fireplaces from the expert’s expert Jim Buckley at
http://www.rumford.com

Thanks for reading this Blog. A guess it's pretty obvious that I am passionate about the efficient and clean burning Rumford fireplace.

I would appreciate hearing about your opinion and experiences with Rumford fireplaces.

Builder Man (Tony)

Rumford Fireplaces