Heat By The Fire
In the early days of mankind, man would stay warm by building a fire pit in their living space. They would stay warm and cook their food using these fire pits. Soon after, they learned to build hearths. In fact, hearths have been used to heat homes since about 42,000 B.C.
The Roman and Korean societies used under-floor radiant heating thousands of years ago. The Romans used a system of hypocausts, which pumped heated air into open spaces beneath raised buildings. The Koreans, on the other hand, used furnaces at one end of the home that pumped hot air under the home to a chimney on the other side.
Insulation & Chimneys & Other forms of Heating
Although homes in the Middle Ages were still heated with fires on open hearths, they needed to figure out a way to keep the heat inside. Medieval home builders used clay and straw as a home insulation technique.
Beginning in the 14th century, European homes began to have chimneys used to heat their homes, which allowed hearths to be moved from the center of the room to up against the wall. This improved living spaces, but the popularity of chimneys was slow moving and were relatively uncommon 200 years later.
In the late 17th century, the next big movement in home heating came with the invention of the stove and was very popular over the next two centuries. Coal and wood were both primarily used as fuel for those who heated their homes with stoves. However, burning coal in stoves left black stains on the walls and ceilings. In addition, coal generated an especially large amount of soot, which is bad for the environment. Sulfur dioxide, a by-product of burning coal, is largely responsible for acid rain.
Home Heating Today
In 1815, the first gas metering system for the home was invented, however, it wasn't used until 25 years later in the 1840s. Later in the 1920s, the oil burning furnace became a popular domestic heating option. Electric furnaces came along soon after and quickly became a favored option of home heating. Over half of homes in America heated with gas fired forced air furnaces. Oil fired forced air are still used in some homes. However, in warmer climates, homes are heated using electric heat pumps to supply both heating and cooling energy.
Heat Your Home With Royal Heating & Air
Heating has become an important part of society and home comfort. At Royal Heating & Air, we are experts in all things related to heating and cooling at the Lake of the Ozarks. If your furnace needs maintenance or repairing, call the best HVAC repair company at the Lake of the Ozarks at 573-480-4313 to schedule your appointment today.
