When it comes to heat repair and HVAC maintenance, Warner Service of Frederick, Maryland, is a go-to source for homeowners. That being said, it’s no surprise that we know a fun fact or two about air conditioners, heating systems, and more. Check out our list of surprising facts about HVAC systems in your home:
- The first public air conditioning systems were installed in movie theaters. The first Southern movie theater to get an air conditioner was New Empire Theater in Montgomery, Alabama in 1917.
The theater was demolished in August 1997, two months before a hearing on its historical status, according to Cinema Treasures.
- In 1902, Willis Carrier of Angola, New York, became the father of modern air conditioning. He discovered the relationship between temperature, humidity, dew point, and pressure. He designed the first modern cooling unit as a solution to a moisture problem for a publishing company.
- In 1914, Charles Gates of Denver, Colorado, successfully installed the first domestic air conditioning unit in a Minneapolis mansion, but no one used it because no one ever lived in the home.
- H.H. Schultz and J.Q. Sherman filed a patent for a window A/C unit. The product hit the market in 1932, but wasn't popular due to its high cost. The unit would cost between $120,000 and $600,000 today.
- In 1992, the U.S. Department of Energy set efficiency standards for residential central A/C units and heat pumps, which resulted in saving $29 billion from 1993 to 2023.
- All heating units stemmed from the idea of Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Fireplace and Franklin Stove, which burned fuel at a much higher efficiency than similar appliances of the time.
- The first patent for the central heating system was granted to Alice Parker of Morristown, New Jersey, in 1919. A stark contrast to its predecessors, it allowed people to regulate temperature in their home more efficiently.
- According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, only 60 percent of homes in the Northeast, including Maryland, that have central air conditioning use a programmable thermostat.
- The boiler accounts for almost half of the energy bill. Energy consumption varies based on location, but the U.S. Department of Energy found that 48 percent of the average home's energy went to heating and cooling. While seasonal usage tends to move this number around throughout the year, it's primarily the boiler.
The Department also found that up to 35 percent of the heat generated in your home is wasted if the unit isn't working efficiently.
- According to Good Housekeeping, air conditioning costs an average of about $1,940 annually per household.
- Most boilers don't boil water. If your home was built after 1950, the boiler doesn't boil water to create heat. Even if your home was built before 1950, the heating unit may be upgraded to remove the steam producing boiler.
In a radiant boiler system, heated water is distributed throughout your home to keep it warm. As the water passes through tubes under the floor, it releases heat to the surrounding area and then the water is sent back to the boiler to repeat the process.
This is a highly effective form of central heating because hot air rises. The heat from the water is released from the floor, and then rises up so the entire room is evenly heated. In a steam based central heating unit, rooms are heated unevenly and the heating is much less efficient.
To learn more about HVAC systems and home heating, download Warner Service’s Heating Troubleshooting Checklist by clicking on the button below:
This checklist details solutions to common heating problems, including uneven home heating, leaky ductwork, boiler malfunctions, and drafts.