Hancock & Son Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning - Women Have Shaped the HVAC Industry For Decades

Salisbury, MD, HVAC technicians want to talk about women’s history in the HVAC industry!

Salisbury, United States - April 4, 2022 / Hancock & Son Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning /

Women’s History Month: HVAC Edition

There is no time like the present to look at the heating and air conditioning industry and appreciate all of history’s great engineers and inventors. Specifically, the women that have worked hard to shape and continue to shape the industry. It seems that women have to work twice as hard as men in the industry if they want to get ahead, and two women have done just that. Their contributions to the industry have changed it forever and for the better. Without them, home heating and cooling wouldn’t be nearly as modernized today.

Below is more information on how the heating and air conditioning industry looks today, along with special insight on two technicians who changed it.

The Industry Today

Women in HVACR is a popular non-profit organization today for women in the industry. They do a lot of the advancement in the industry as a whole.

Some of the things this organization contributes are:

Help the women in the industry connect with other women
Help women advance their careers in the industry
Educational opportunities for women
Mentoring opportunities for women

The heating and cooling industry needs an organization like this because it actively celebrates women's involvement. It is clear that women play a huge role in the advancement of the industry, so keeping this non-profit organization around is essential.

Alice H. Parker and Home Heating

Alice H. Parker was a female inventor from New Jersey. She was born in 1895 and attended Howard University Academy in Washington, D.C. She is best known for her invention and patent of the gas furnace. She was inspired because she knew there had to be a better way to heat homes than a fireplace. The poor air quality and obvious dangers motivated her to develop something better. So she got to work.

By the winter of 1919, Parker had a patent for her heating system that pulled cold air into the furnace, where it would be heated by gas combustion. This would go on to be one of the most common ways to heat the home for decades afterward. Many homes today still have gas furnaces. Without her invention, the world would still be heating their homes with firewood.

Margaret Ingels

Growing up in the same general timespan as Alice H. Parker, Margaret Ingels is famous for becoming the first woman to receive a Mechanical Engineering degree. This dubbed her a trailblazer in the industry, but she didn’t stop there. Her time as an engineer led her to be an integral part of the development of the modern air conditioner. She joined the American Society of Heating and Ventilation Engineers, where she spent six years researching HVAC systems.

She was a female engineer, but she was a problem-solver first. She’s best known for her invention of a temperature scale. It measured the humidity, airflow, and temperature, so people could read what the temperature would feel like inside the home or business.

Her overcoming every obstacle in her path and being the first to do so many things for the industry has solidified her slot in history.

Homeowners Trust Hancock & Son Plumbing, Heating, & Air

When heating or air conditioning issues happen at home, there's no time to waste. Salisbury, MD homeowners, call the professionals at Hancock & Son Plumbing, Heating, & Air when things go wrong. They have years of experience in the industry and offer 24/7 emergency services! Call them today for service in Salisbury, MD.