Home Heating History is an interesting subject!
As in air conditioning, home heating history is interesting to review. It was not that long ago our forefathers chopped a lot of wood to heat the home and cook the meals.
it is certainly much easier now, cleaner and safer as well as being much more comfortable. I have had to get up and get a fire going for heat on a frigid morning and can tell you it is bracing at best!
Let’s look at how the art of heating has progressed.
The Romans were the first to use a heating system called a hypocaust. Some sort of heat was sent through the floors and walls of the homes of rich Romans. The early Koreans also had a similar system, except they used excess heat from cooking stoves to heat the air. Some of the early Muslim architects are also known to have constructed pipes under floors to keep the entire building warm.
By the end of the 19th century, steam from boilers was passing through radiators to heat whole buildings and homes. In 1895 Dave Lennox (now Lennox International) made an affordable steel coal furnace. But without electricity to move the air around, heating was still inefficient. By 1935, with electricity becoming more common, wall heaters began making their appearance and a method of easily heating a whole house became readily available. (At a cost of course!)
Today, forced air gas furnaces are the most common method to heat a home or building. Gas is inexpensive, readily available, and burns hot and clean. Natural gas is odorless but a smell is added so that it could be easily detected for health and safety purposes. The life span of a furnace is anywhere from 15-40 years depending on the type of furnace.
Natural gas wasn’t originally used for heat; it was used for light. Natural gas was used in both indoor and outdoor lighting during the 1800s. Gas lights can be seen in the historic districts of Boston and Cincinnati.
To learn more about the fascinating history of heating see this link.
Although home heating history is fascinating, today we are just grateful to be able to get up and adjust a thermostat to be warmer or cooler at any time! Don’t forget to call us every now and then to be sure your system works when you call for it!