History of Home Heating and Furnaces
American William Baldwin invented the radiator.
Furnaces have revolutionized the modern home environment, from comfort and convenience to safety. This technology continues to advance to help keep homes warm, safe, and energy efficient. As much as homeowners should stay updated with HVAC technology to know what's best for their home when they're in the market for an upgrade, it's also worth noting how far these devices have come. Below are home heating and furnaces' most important historical points to help homeowners better appreciate their modern ease and comfort.
First Home Furnace
Before modern technology, fire was used to heat homes, but central heating is not so modern, with the first central heating system dating back to ancient Greece. The Romans, however, were the true pioneers of heat engineering with their hypocaust system. This system fell out of use as time progressed, and central heating eventually came back in the early 19th century, as during the Industrial Revolution, the sizes of buildings increased for industry, residential, and service use.
Invention of the Radiator
American William Baldwin invented the radiator. By the start of the 20th century, most households in the United States had central heating thanks to Baldwin's process of making cast iron radiators, revolutionizing the indoor heating experience.
Invention of the Furnace
David Lennox helped to develop what has been described as the first riveted steel furnace in 1895. His contributions to the initial furnace designs have been described as significant improvements in durability and efficiency from the cast iron furnaces commonly used near the end of the 19th century.
Today, the air is moved through the house with electricity and fans. However, homes used to rely on natural convection, the process of heated air rising, to move warm air through the house, a much less efficient process. This process was finally replaced in 1935 when the first forced air furnace hit the market. These furnaces used coal as a heat source and an electric fan's power to distribute the heated air through ductwork within the home.
Home heating and furnaces have come a long way in the past two centuries, resulting in the modern technology that safely warms our homes during winter. With so much variety on the market today and technological advancements happening yearly, knowing what heating system is best for a particular home can be challenging. When shopping, asking an expert to examine the home in question and recommend an ideal heating system to fit the home’s unique needs can be beneficial.
Just in Case Mechanical offers residential and commercial plumbing, sewer, water softener, electrical, lighting, and HVAC services Lancaster County. Call us today at (717) 696-1511.
