Tag: furnace
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Flo-Co Furnaces: The Vintage History of Floral City Heater Company
In the golden era of American home heating, Flo-Co stood out as a trusted and innovative brand. Manufactured by the Floral City Heater Company, Flo-Co specialized in oil, gas, and coal furnaces, offering homeowners a reliable path through the evolution of domestic heating in the mid-20th century. Based in Monroe, Michigan, Flo-Co designed products built…
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The History of Bethlehem Dynatherm Boilers and Heating Systems
The roots of Bethlehem’s heating legacy go all the way back to 1832, when a man named Ernst Lehman started a small brass foundry and coppersmith shop in the heart of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. His son, B.E. Lehman, helped grow that little shop into something bigger, the Bethlehem Foundry & Machine Company, officially established around 1863…
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HVAC History: United States Radiator Corporation
The American Radiator Company was officially formed in 1892 through the merger of five heating-related companies, most notably the Detroit Radiator Company. The goal was to unify the growing radiator and boiler manufacturing industry, which was becoming vital for heating homes, schools, and office buildings during the industrial expansion of the late 19th century. By…
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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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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…
HVAC History 