“Though much has been done by ingenious men in the art of distributing heat for household uses; it must be confessed, that in one or two instances only have they been able to make a permanent impression or bring their contrivances into that general use as to constitute them ‘machines of society.’”
This quotation, from Walter Bernan’s history of heating (published in 1845), sums up the challenge our ancestors faced. Our forebears vigorously attacked this need for heating systems that would make “a permanent impression.” It is safe to say that a continuously working team of engineers, manufacturers, merchants, contractors, and service personnel has succeeded in making heating so reliable that we don’t give it a second thought.