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history of heating and coolingIt seems hard to imagine today that at one point in our history, places like department stores, factories, and even hospitals did not have central heat and air conditioning. It was just about one hundred years ago that air conditioning was invented as we know it today, although it was not used in many homes at the time. It was considered a luxury item only the wealthy could afford until after World War II.

A Brief History of Heating and Cooling

Of course, there are still some older homes in the Northeast Ohio area and around the country that do not have central air conditioning. But in new homes, it’s pretty much a standard feature these days. There’s nothing quite like entering that cool air after a long day of working outside, and it also greatly helps relieve most symptoms of allergy sufferers.

But how did the heating and cooling industry emerge? Here are just a few home heating and cooling facts we thought were interesting:

Air Conditioning Facts

  • The first air conditioner was built in 1902 by Willis Carrier. Carrier designed a spray-driven temperature and humidity controlled system and a system that was later used in offices, apartment buildings, hospitals, etc.
  • The first a/c units were large, expensive, and highly dangerous because they used toxic ammonia as the coolant.
  • In 1917, air conditioning was installed for the first time in a movie theater, the New Empire Theater in Montgomery, Alabama.
  • Between 1928 and 1930 a/c was installed in many government buildings, such as the White House, the Executive Office Building, the Senate, etc.
  • The Great Depression, followed by World War II halted production of air conditioning units for residential purposes. But by 1953, room air conditioning sales were over a million units, with demand for more soaring.
  • Air conditioning changed the architecture of modern buildings and homes. Ceilings were lowered, window size decreased, and large front porches began to be eliminated.
  • Refrigeration technology allowed for advances in space exploration and other modern technology like computers and pharmaceuticals due to their reliance on cooled air during production and storage.

Heating System Facts

  • Early central heating was devised of fireplaces and hearths, stoves, and underfloor systems, dating as far back as 2500 B.C. in ancient Greece.
  • Chimneys weren’t invented until the 12th century- most fires took place outside the home until this time. It wasn’t until the 1400s that chimneys and inside fireplaces were a staple in almost every home for both heating and cooking.
  • The earliest metal stoves also appeared around the late 1400s, which were made of cast iron hearth firebacks connected together.
  • The Industrial Revolution brought more advances to home heating systems; in 1805 in England, William Strutt invented one of the first warm-air furnaces, consisting of a riveted, wrought iron air chamber encased in brick, with ducts feeding the heated air into rooms.
  • The first U.S. furnace manufacturer was the Richardson & Boynton Company, which began mass marketing furnaces around 1837.
  • The first patented thermostat was invented in 1885 by Professor Warren Johnson, who then created the Johnson Electric Service Company, known today as Johnson Controls.
  • By the mid-1920s, heating devices and systems were reliable, inexpensive, efficient, and were standard in homes across the world.

Do you have questions about your current HVAC system? If you’re in the Cleveland area and need some expert advice, give us a call at 216-663-6462.