There's a neat show on the history channel tonite about the history of heating and cooling systems. Heating and cooling systems are perhaps one of the the most significant inventions that have changed our modern lives. Only recently have we been able to change the climate in the environment we live in.
I've always wondered about the nomenclature of the term "central heating (or cooling)" The term "central" is used to describe heating and cooling systems that evenly distribute the warmth throughout the structure through pipes and ducts.
This is in contrast to previous versions of heating systems, like wood stoves, that only heat a single room. I would think that the term "central" heating system would describe a heating source like a wood stove or a floor furnace much better. The term "distributed heating" more approperiatley describes modern systems with pipes & ductwork that heat and cool all the rooms of a building.
Although not as glamourous as stoves, washers, fridges, etc, HVAC systems are one of the most significant appliances in our homes. Interestingly enough, there is very little in our history books about heating and cooling systems, and people are hardly passionate about them either. Still, I find the boiler rooms of old buildings absloutely fascinating! Especially the ones heated by steam, with their big fire boxes, pipes, and other machinery. On a smaller note, I have fond memories of air conditioners in my past, like the GE zone-lines in my grandmother's home, and the old Sears Coldspot unit (RCA Whirlpool) that my parents were given in the eighties...previously we had no AC in the home until that unit came, and just the sound it made was comforting on a summer's day!
I've always wondered about the nomenclature of the term "central heating (or cooling)" The term "central" is used to describe heating and cooling systems that evenly distribute the warmth throughout the structure through pipes and ducts.
This is in contrast to previous versions of heating systems, like wood stoves, that only heat a single room. I would think that the term "central" heating system would describe a heating source like a wood stove or a floor furnace much better. The term "distributed heating" more approperiatley describes modern systems with pipes & ductwork that heat and cool all the rooms of a building.
Although not as glamourous as stoves, washers, fridges, etc, HVAC systems are one of the most significant appliances in our homes. Interestingly enough, there is very little in our history books about heating and cooling systems, and people are hardly passionate about them either. Still, I find the boiler rooms of old buildings absloutely fascinating! Especially the ones heated by steam, with their big fire boxes, pipes, and other machinery. On a smaller note, I have fond memories of air conditioners in my past, like the GE zone-lines in my grandmother's home, and the old Sears Coldspot unit (RCA Whirlpool) that my parents were given in the eighties...previously we had no AC in the home until that unit came, and just the sound it made was comforting on a summer's day!
