Celebrating Women's History Month By Learning About Women in the HVAC Industry

Learn About the Women Who Changed Heating & Cooling 

Historically, society considered the heating and cooling trade "man’s work." Today, women work as HVAC contractors, hold leadership positions at heating and cooling companies, and even own their own companies. 

In honor of Women’s History Month, our team of HVAC experts will give a brief overview of some of the success stories of women in the industry. Keep reading to learn more about the little-known stories of groundbreaking female inventors who changed the heating and cooling industry. 

Women in the HVAC Industry Today

Some statistics have shown that women could make up as little as 1.4% of HVAC contractors and technicians in the United States. Even though they are small in number, female HVAC specialists have made some major contributions to the industry. Women also work alongside HVAC technicians as customer service support and management. 

It takes many years to complete the training necessary to become a licensed HVAC technician. Women in the industry have proven that they can stand their own, and more women than ever are signing up for trade school to become electricians, heating and cooling technicians, plumbers, and other home care specialists. 

Learn About How Alice H. Parker’s Invention Changed Home Heating

Not much is known about Alice H. Parker’s personal life, but she was a trailblazing woman in the HVAC industry. She was a female inventor born in the early 1900s who patented the first central heating system in 1919. Without her, the modern central heating system found in most homes may have never been invented. 

Unfortunately, she died only a year after patenting her design, so it never came to fruition. Although a few safety concerns with her initial patent made it impossible to execute, other inventors based their inventions on hers to create what we now know as the modern home heating system. 

Alice H. Parker was faced with chopping wood for her wood stove to survive the ice-cold New Jersey winters with her mother. She decided that she wanted to come up with a better solution and made a rough version of what we know as a central heating system by burning natural gas to create heat and then using a ductwork system to distribute the warm air around the house. Her invention was also the first example of a heating system with zone heating capabilities.

Learn About the History of Trailblazer Margaret Ingels

Margaret Ingles is famous in the HVAC industry for being one of the first woman engineers of all time. She became a woman engineer when most women were expected to be homemakers. She was the second woman to get an engineering degree and the first to become a mechanical engineer. 

Margaret Ingles decided to focus her career on improving cooling and ventilation. She worked alongside HVAC contractors to create advancements toward better solutions for modern air conditioning. Margaret Ingles is an inspiration for female engineers because she succeeded in the male-dominated industry of the 1950s. 

About RupCoe Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning

RupCoe Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning is a locally owned and operated South Plainfield, NJ home service provider, proud to serve its community with high-quality service from licensed and insured technicians. Give them a call today for upfront pricing on service in South Plainfield, NJ.

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