It's that time again... Today is Furnace Filter Friday because the first Friday of every month is Furnace Filter Friday.
If you change your furnace filter monthly change it today, Friday, April 1, 2011.
A couple of weeks back in a post when I had NOTHING to say about furnaces I wondered aloud about who Frank Furnace was. The name was nagging at me as I wrote about places with the name Furnace in them. I did a little research after writing, a Furnace Friday post (not to be confused with Furnace Filter Friday posts) and came up with these details, of the origins of the modern furnace we all know and love today.
I vaguely remembered learning about Frank Furnace the inventor of the modern furnace (as opposed to ancient furnaces that go back to Biblical times) in college at the University of Wisconsin. I got a BS in Home Economics, back then the school I was in was called Family Resources and Consumer Sciences. They've changed the name of the school a couple of times to protect the innocent. I was in the interior design program until second semester of my junior year where I changed my course to something called "Related Art, The History of Design." I had already taken a lot of classes about design, architecture, drafting and by changing my major I could get out of college in four years, but I digress. In one of my classes in one of the four years I went to school I had learned about Frank Furnace the inventor of the modern furnace.
The origins of the modern furnace
Central heating was something the world was ready for in the 1800s. According to Wikipedia:
"Frank Heyling Furnace (1859–1952) was the acclaimed American inventor of the modern furnace. He designed more than 600 types of central heating systems, most installed in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for keeping Americans warm even during the coldest of winters. Furnace was also a Medal of Honor recipient for his bravery during the Civil War."
So as we wind down the heating season in Central Ohio remember Frank Furnace. If not for his wonderful invention we'd still have fireplaces in each room and we'd be bunding up in sweaters to keep warm each winter.
Furnace Filter Friday - It's about time
March 2011 - Furnace Filter Friday
February 2011 - February Furnace Filter Friday It's about time
January 2011 - pssst it's Furnace Filter Friday...
December 2010 - Changing Furnace Filters is Year Round
November 2010 - Duct Cleaning and Air Filters
October 2010 - - Filters are cheap - Furnace Filter Friday
September 2010 It's Furnace Filter Friday...
August 2010 - The Mystery Of the Rotting Door Trim Yes it's about furnace filters!
The Furnace Friday Furnace / Furnace Filter Friday Calendar
First Fridays are always Furnace Filter Fridays. Every other Friday in the month is a Furnace Friday. There are 12 Furnace Filter Fridays in year. 40 Furnace Fridays. I am not looking forward to Furnace Fridays in June, July and August. I will feel kinda foolish fretting about furnaces when the weather is fine.
What a difference a year can make, this time last year: Time to take the sweaters off the trees Columbus Brrrrr 2010 was such a cold year that the trees wore sweaters! The sweaters have been off Central Ohio trees for weeks now. This last cold snap and snow we had some shivering maples.
Frank Furnace is not to be confused with Frank Furness. Wow what a coincidence, they have the same middle name. Any similarity between the story of Frank Furnace and the Wikipedia listing for Frank Furness is purely coincidental.
Remember it is Friday, April 1, 2011 the first Friday of the month, so it is Furnace Filter Friday. Change your furnace filter, today! No fooling.
Photo credit both images are from the Steampunk Family the von Hedwigs' photostream Thanks. Both images are licensed with a Creative Common license which allows commercial use today April 1, 2011.
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This post provided by Maureen McCabe of Real Living HER
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Maureen, Thank you for the post. It is a good way to remember when to change the filter.
Maureen I've heard of the abc's the three M's and many others so why not the three F's to help you remember when to change your furnace filter ..... Furnace Filter Fridays
Great information about the "origins" of a "furnace". I guess someone needed to invent it. May as well be a man named Furnace>
Clint McKie