This Valentine’s Day, Learn More About the History of Central Heating
Whether it takes the form of a furnace, boiler, or heat pump, central heating is an integral part of modern life. And yet, many homeowners don’t know much about them beyond the basics of daily operation. This is understandable, as the complexity of these systems makes them seem intimidating and unapproachable. Here are a few fun facts to break the ice and help homeowners better understand and appreciate the marvel of their central heating systems.
Were the Romans the First To Develop Central Heating?
Systems resembling modern central heating date back as far as thousands of years. In ancient Korea, possibly as early as 1000 BC (or even earlier), a system was used to spread smoke from a cookfire under a room’s flooring and out a chimney on the other side, thereby heating the floor. A few thousand years later, the Romans devised a similar system called a hypocaust, whereby the heat from a furnace would be channeled through a crawlspace beneath a raised floor and up through masonry pipes in the walls.
While the early Korean version could only heat the floor, the Roman hypocaust could heat an entire room and even the upper levels of a building due to the vertical heating vents built into the walls. Due to the expense and labor involved in constructing a hypocaust system, they were typically only found in public bathhouses or homes of very wealthy Romans.
Who Invented the Radiator?
Franz San Galli is widely credited with the invention of the modern radiator. Though he was not the first to conceive of the idea, his 1855 design is the closest to today’s radiators. Before San Galli, numerous inventors and entrepreneurs devised systems to carry steam or hot water from one central boiler to a coil or other configuration of pipes to radiate heat into a given space.
From the first instances of steam heating in the late 1700s, the idea was revised and improved upon several times over by French, British, and American inventors and engineers. The materials went from steel to cast iron and back again, and the mid-19th century saw the mass production of radiators for residential implementation. Finally, Franz San Galli came along with a superior design that became the basis for the radiators found in homes today.
When Was the First Thermostat Invented?
Dutch inventor Cornelis Drebbel created the first-known mercury thermostat around the year 1620 to control the temperature of a chicken incubation chamber. About two hundred years later, Scottish chemist Andrew Ure devised the first mechanical bi-metallic thermostat, variations of which are still used today. Finally, everything changed when a Swiss inventor named Albert Butz patented the first electric thermostat in 1886.
Central heating and thermostats have come a long way, especially with the recent advent of digital technology, but the principles largely remain the same. Fortunately, they are no longer out-of-reach luxuries or restricted to industrial applications but are a part of everyday life - and certainly not one to be taken for granted. HVAC manufacturers are continually making improvements and innovations, but in the meantime, homeowners can simply make sure their current systems are happy and healthy with proper care and maintenance.
About The Meridian Company
The Meridian Company is a full-service home maintenance contractor serving Lansing, Michigan. Since their founding in 1984, their passion for customer service and community care has earned them numerous awards and consistent 5-star ratings across the board. Meridian provides 24-hour emergency service, flexible scheduling, upfront pricing, and a full guarantee on all work performed.
