The chimney sweep would go up the flue before fireplaces were sealed. The work was really hard, and it took a long time to climb up and down the chimneys with all of their soot and creosote build-up. The best thing about working as a chimney sweep was that there was always an open fire to sit next to when the master was not around.
After climbing up and down, sweeping out all of that soot, it is time for a cup of tea! The chimney sweep looks very smart in his top hat and has a good view from up there too.
When did people start using chimneys?
The earliest reference to a chimney can be found in the Bible, which mentions a “chimney” of bricks and mortar built inside Noah’s Ark (Genesis 8:20). Greek mathematician and engineer Hero of Alexandria (10-70 AD) invented the first practical chimney. He wrote that fires could draw air from outside into a building and up and out a chimney, if the opening were above the fireplace. Hero also invented a manual fan to force air into a fire and prevent smoke from filling the room.
How does using a chimney affect how fast wood burns?
A chimney helps speed up combustion by creating an updraft which draws in oxygen through the bottom of the chimney. This is often called draft (US English) or draught (British English). Draft is created by buoyancy in hot flue gases. The heat causes a small pressure difference at the top which creates air flow up the chimney.
The speed of combustion can be increased by increasing the rate of supply of combustion air, by increasing the rate of combustion of fuel or by raising its temperature.
How does a chimney work?
a chimney works by creating draft (US English) or draught (British English), which is air movement caused by differences in atmospheric pressure, created through buoyancy.
Air flows from areas of higher air pressure to those of lower pressure. When the pressure is high at the base of a chimney, it creates an area of low pressure above the fire, pulling air up through it.