Assessor 2001 South State Street N2-600 PO Box 147421 Salt Lake City, UT 84114-7421 385-468-8000/ Email Hours: M-F 8am-5pm
The Roman heating system was called a hypocaust. How did Romans heat their homes?Rich Romans liked to be warm and cosy. They had central heating at home, in villas and in public baths. The heating system was kept going by slaves, who kept a fire blazing in a furnace to heat warm air. The warm air moved around the building through spaces under the floors and between the walls.
Wood was the primary source of warmth; however, it wasn't efficient. Travel a few feet away from the fireplace and you were back to freezing. By the end of the 19 th century the invention of low cost cast iron radiators brought heat to the home. In 1885 Dave Lennox built and marketed the first steel coal furnace. Without electricity and a fan to move heat, this furnace transported warmth through natural convection. This heating solution was sometimes kept in the basement of a home. Since heat rises, it was thought to warm the rooms above. Still, staying warm in the 1800s just wasn't that easy.