Get To Know Your HVAC's History This Valentine's Day
Speed dating is a quick way to get to know someone. It's also a good model to learn more about history in a brief moment. One way to heat up Valentine's Day is to learn about furnace technology history. Local Malverne HVAC technicians share these quick facts.
When Was Central Heating Invented?
For thousands of years, human dwellings were heated by simple fires. As cities grew and fuel sources became harder to come by, humans had to figure out how to stay warm in different and more efficient ways. Many people think central heating is a modern invention, but it has its roots 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire.
While many historians believe that rudimentary forms of central heating have existed for even longer than 2000 years, ruins of ancient Roman baths are the first well-preserved examples of central heating. Roman baths were exclusive experiences reserved only for the rich. A typical bath house consisted of several heated rooms where bath-goers could dip in hot and cold pools of water.
The Romans heated these rooms with an ingenious design that raised the floor and hollowed out the walls. The result was a temperature-controlled room that could be heated on demand.
Who Created the First Radiator
Russian entrepreneur Franz San Galli invented the first radiator on the market for heating. He patented his design in 1855 and began working on making them available to property owners.
The radiator is so important in heating technology because it represents the first time that heat energy was transferred using a medium other than air. San Galli's design used water and steam to allow heat energy to be pumped to different locations in a dwelling. Up until that point, all heating was done by fires in each room.
When Were Thermostats First Used?
The first thermostats were used before heating and cooling technology was available. The technology that drives thermostats was discovered in 1830 by joining two dissimilar metals. When two dissimilar metals are joined, they bend when they are heated. Wealthy homeowners used the first applications of this discovery to create thermostats that strictly signaled servants to stoke furnaces used to heat large homes.
The most advanced system used a thermostat as a simple visual indicator of the room temperature. This allowed occupants to adjust the flue of a furnace using strings and pulleys several floors above the heater.
By the time electricity came on the scene, thermostats were used as rudimentary switching mechanisms to turn furnaces off and on. The technology remained fairly unchanged until the digital revolution updated thermostat technology in the early 2000s.
About Charles Krull & Son, Inc. Plumbing & Heating
Charles Krull & Son, Inc. Plumbing & Heating is a heating and cooling contractor in Malverne, NY. They respect their customers' time by only sending the most qualified technicians to show up on time for appointments. They offer extended warranties on their parts and services. Contact them to schedule expert heating service in Malverne, NY today!
