10 Fun Facts About Heating

Well it’s officially cold outside and many of you have probably turned on your heat by now. In the spirit of the upcoming long winter months, our heating service experts decided to gather up some interesting facts about heating.

1. Philadelphia Gas Works

Philadelphia was home to the very first municipally-owned natural gas company. Philadelphia Gas Works opened in 1836 and is the largest and longest-operating public gas system in the country.

2. Home heating

Natural gas and electricity are the two most popular ways to heat homes in the Northeast. While other sources like kerosene, propane, wood, and more can be used, these houses only make up about 15% of the homes.

3. Rotten eggs, anyone?

If you ever smelled natural gas in your home, you probably thought it smelled like rotten eggs. In reality, natural gas is odorless, so energy companies add an odorant (before it’s distributed through pipelines) to it in order for it to be detectable.

4. V-8s

In 1933, the Ford Motor Company developed the very first dash-mounted exhaust gas heater for its V-8 cars. The heater was built like a boiler with 24 13-inch flues.

5. What a scorcher

On July 10, 1913 the hottest temperature on earth was recorded. Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California got to be a blistering 134 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. When in Rome

One of the first civilizations to use central heating was the Roman civilization. Some buildings in the Roman Empire used the “hypocaust” system, where furnace-heated air traveled through empty spaces under floors and out of pipes in the walls.

7. Caution

Space heaters are one of the top-10 causes of home fires. When using one, make sure that you keep at least three feet clear around the heater to avoid overheating anything in the area. Also, never use heaters near water sources and don’t leave a heater unattended.

8. Energy costs

Home heating accounts for about 30% of the energy you use.

9. Going green

Did you know that you can use your back yard to heat your home? With a geothermal HVAC system, you can enjoy heat in your home via the Earth’s consistent underground temperature. This allows you to save on your heating bills and leave a smaller carbon footprint.

10. To the moon

If we were to weld every U.S. gas pipeline together, the new pipeline could reach from here to the moon (and beyond). There are over 300,000 miles of natural gas pipelines.