It’s the time of year when temperatures are dropping a little more each day and gusty winds tend to make it feel much colder than it really is. Keeping warm while outside can become a difficult task to achieve, but if you have the proper layering, then you can survive the extreme temperatures. Keeping warm while inside of your home is fairly simple; the flip of a switch will result in a constant flow of warm air getting pumped into your home until you are satisfied with the temperature in your home. We are lucky enough to live during a time when such luxuries are easily accessible and found in almost every home. Keeping warm back in the old days was not such an easy task.

Keeping Warm Before Central Heating

Keeping warm before central heating was a must to even survive. The number one source of keeping warm was fires. Back in ancient times, walls were built to retain the heat of the sun’s rays and also the heat from a fire. This would help to keep as much heat as possible for as long as possible within a home. However, without the warmth of the sun or a constant fire, temperatures drop very quickly, so staying warm was a difficult task.

Hypocaust Central Heating Systems in Early Roman Times

The Romans had a clever way to keep warm within their homes; an invention called the hypocaust. This was a very early form of central heating. A fire blazing in a furnace heated warm air which moved around the home through spaces underneath the floors and between walls. The hypocaust required a great deal of fuel to keep it burning constantly. Because it required such a high demand of fuel, only families that were extremely well off could afford to have such a luxury in their home.

Heating Fireplace Designs

During the sixteenth century fireplaces grew to be not only a necessity to have in the home, but also a sign of fashion and elaborate décor. Many old castles in England house enormous fire places in almost every room. Chimney stacks and large fire places soon became quite a status symbol in England as well as a source of warmth and retreat from the cold temperatures outside. Some of these fire places were painted in colors like red, blue and gold. They were also carved with exquisite craftsmanship that would often times include the family crest or initials.

Professional Heating & Air Conditioning Inspections, Installations, Upgrades, Replacements, Tune Ups, Emergency Repairs & Preventive Maintenance Agreements in Manhattan New York

Whether you keep your home warm with a wood burning fire, an oil furnace, a heater that uses gas or electricity, it is important to keep your home warm and your family comfortable. If the heat source for your home is experiencing problems, contact NY NJ A/C Connection. Our technicians will get your heat source working properly once again and make your home a comfortable retreat from the freezing temperatures.