Heat: Yesterday and Today
Are you familiar with the saying "Appreciate what you have before it turns into what you had"? Those who are waiting for a heating repair in Denver this winter will be keenly aware of the sentiment! If your HVAC system has left you feeling the chill of winter, then you should be especially grateful for the advances in technology that keep our homes and businesses warm.
When you think about the history of heating and what previous generations had, it's easy to appreciate what we have today!
Fire was the original method of heat and it provided an excellent source of direct heat. Fire pits were eventually created so that flames could be contained and people could gather around a central area for warmth. Eventually, these fire pits evolved into hearths. A hearth was typically lined with stones or bricks and had a flat area that was helpful when cooking.
Hearths were a multipurpose addition to the home, used for both direct heat and cooking. The first hearths were usually located in the center of a room, which directed smoke upwards and out a hole in the roof. Around the 14th century, chimneys were developed to funnel smoke, allowing hearths to be moved to any location in the home.
History has shown that in 600 B.C., the Chinese were the first to use a type of enclosed stove. The concept slowly spread across the globe, and when it reached America, Benjamin Franklin took the idea, made some changes, and developed the Franklin Stove. With its first appearance in 1744, the Franklin Stove soon became very popular and widely used.
Stoves were effective for both cooking and heating, but depending on the type of fuel that was burned, they could also produce a great deal of pollution. Stoves eventually gave way to gas metering systems, a method of heating that became widely used in the 1840s. Decades later, in the 1920s, oil burning furnaces were developed, and they were soon followed by electric versions.
Direct heat from the burning of fire, coal, and gas for fuel was not the only method used to heat homes and buildings. Thousands of years ago, Korean and Roman civilizations developed heating systems that functioned like modern radiant heat, warming up the floor of entire buildings. In medieval times, many dwellings were built from a clay-and-straw mixture that dried and created a type of insulation, which trapped warmth inside the buildings.
The ancient Romans created their own version of a central heating system, known as the hypocaust system. Mosaic floors were supported from below by columns, creating empty air spaces. A central location in the building was chosen, a fire was lit, and warm gasses traveled up through the air spaces, warming the floors above. This hypocaust system disappeared with the Romans, but central heating eventually made a comeback.
During the Industrial Revolution, the size of buildings increased, and it became necessary to find an efficient way to heat large rooms and keep workers warm. A basic central heating system was developed using coal-powered boilers, water, steam, pipes, and radiators that released heat into individual rooms. Around this time, central heating systems using air also began to appear. The Industrial Revolution was a time of great advancement for central heating!
Modern advancements in heating can all be traced back to the discovery of fire. This original source of heat is one that you can always count on should your modern system fail and you find yourself looking for heating repair in Denver.
When you think about the history of heating and what previous generations had, it's easy to appreciate what we have today!
Direct Heating Methods
Fire was the original method of heat and it provided an excellent source of direct heat. Fire pits were eventually created so that flames could be contained and people could gather around a central area for warmth. Eventually, these fire pits evolved into hearths. A hearth was typically lined with stones or bricks and had a flat area that was helpful when cooking.
Hearths were a multipurpose addition to the home, used for both direct heat and cooking. The first hearths were usually located in the center of a room, which directed smoke upwards and out a hole in the roof. Around the 14th century, chimneys were developed to funnel smoke, allowing hearths to be moved to any location in the home.
History has shown that in 600 B.C., the Chinese were the first to use a type of enclosed stove. The concept slowly spread across the globe, and when it reached America, Benjamin Franklin took the idea, made some changes, and developed the Franklin Stove. With its first appearance in 1744, the Franklin Stove soon became very popular and widely used.
Stoves were effective for both cooking and heating, but depending on the type of fuel that was burned, they could also produce a great deal of pollution. Stoves eventually gave way to gas metering systems, a method of heating that became widely used in the 1840s. Decades later, in the 1920s, oil burning furnaces were developed, and they were soon followed by electric versions.
Alternatives and Central Heating
Direct heat from the burning of fire, coal, and gas for fuel was not the only method used to heat homes and buildings. Thousands of years ago, Korean and Roman civilizations developed heating systems that functioned like modern radiant heat, warming up the floor of entire buildings. In medieval times, many dwellings were built from a clay-and-straw mixture that dried and created a type of insulation, which trapped warmth inside the buildings.
The ancient Romans created their own version of a central heating system, known as the hypocaust system. Mosaic floors were supported from below by columns, creating empty air spaces. A central location in the building was chosen, a fire was lit, and warm gasses traveled up through the air spaces, warming the floors above. This hypocaust system disappeared with the Romans, but central heating eventually made a comeback.
During the Industrial Revolution, the size of buildings increased, and it became necessary to find an efficient way to heat large rooms and keep workers warm. A basic central heating system was developed using coal-powered boilers, water, steam, pipes, and radiators that released heat into individual rooms. Around this time, central heating systems using air also began to appear. The Industrial Revolution was a time of great advancement for central heating!
Warm Today Thanks to Yesterday
Modern advancements in heating can all be traced back to the discovery of fire. This original source of heat is one that you can always count on should your modern system fail and you find yourself looking for heating repair in Denver.
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