HVAC Timeline: A History of Heating and Cooling

People have tried to keep themselves both warm and cold since time immemorial. Have you ever wondered how people gave themselves thermal comfort in the past? You’re in luck, as this article will give you a quick look at heating and cooling practices throughout human history.

1^st to 13^th Centuries

For cooling, Ancient Egyptians used large, man-powered fans (like the ones we see in movies being used by Pharaohs); Indian royalty used rope fans; and the Ancient Chinese pioneered the invention and use of rotary fans (which were essentially seven manually powered wheels). The contraption was invented by the 2^nd century Chinese inventor Ding Huan.

On the other hand, the Ancient Romans were known to use the Hypocaust for heating their homes. A Hypocaust is a kind of heating system that consisted of a furnace and flues to distribute heat in the form of hot air, and it is usually located in the basements of rich people’s homes. Despite the technology available at the time, it was rather advanced; as it was known to even direct heat into specific rooms and heat up water in baths.

14^th to 15^th Centuries

In France, ventilating machines were created for use in the mines. The machines had a series of fans with blades, used to direct fresh air into the shaft. By the time these machines were operational and useful for cooling, American homes were already being heated by chimneys (a heating method of European origin).