Author: Thomas Pears
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The History of Janitrol Heating and HVAC Systems
The Janitrol brand traces its roots back to the late 1920s, when it was originally developed by the Surface Combustion Company of Toledo, Ohio. Founded in 1915, Surface Combustion was a pioneer in industrial heating equipment, and in 1927, it launched the Janitrol division to focus on small-scale heating systems. The name “Janitrol” itself was…
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HVAC History: The History of Stewart-Warner Furnaces
When most people hear “Stewart-Warner,” they think of classic cars and dashboard gauges, but the company also had a surprising role in heating American homes. Starting in the 1920s and ’30s, Stewart-Warner expanded into HVAC, producing oil and gas furnaces under names like “Heatmaster.” These units were modern for their time: compact, automatic, and built…
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Bryant Furnace History: The Story of “Let the Pup Be Your Furnace Man”
Back in 1904, a man named Charles Bryant started a company in Cleveland, Ohio, with a simple goal: to make home heating more reliable and efficient. At a time when many people were still using wood or coal to stay warm, Bryant saw a better way: gas-powered heating that was cleaner, safer, and easier to…
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Electric Furnace Man: Masters of Automatic Heat
Our story of one of the oldest furnace makers begins in 1922, when the General Machine Company produced an innovative Automatic Electric Furnace-Man Coal Stoker. (Fig. A) shows one of their earlier badges used during that time and (Fig B) shows what a furnace of theirs would look like from 1970. Before, homeowners would have…
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Carrier: The Birthplace of Modern Air Conditioning
Carrier changed the world with a cool idea. In 1902, Carrier invented modern air conditioning to solve a printing problem, but little did he know, he’d spark a revolution in comfort that would transform everything from movie theaters to skyscrapers. From foggy factory floors to sleek, whisper-quiet systems in today’s homes, Carrier’s legacy is one…
HVAC History 