Meet the Women Who Shaped the HVAC Industry

Women In Heating and Cooling 

The heating and air conditioning industry are historically male-dominated, but there have been some groundbreaking women who changed the world of heating and cooling forever. Despite the number of women in the HVAC industry being relatively low, they have made some of the biggest contributions. In this blog post, our HVAC experts celebrate Women’s History Month by looking at the role of women in the industry and their various achievements. 

Statistics Reveal That Women Make Up 3% of the HVAC Industry 

Looking at the statistics reveals that women today make up a small percentage of workers in the industry. Despite only making up about 1.4% of the HVAC industry workforce, women play an important role. Women hold leadership roles and own heating and cooling companies. Advancements in modern technology make the career more accessible to women than ever before by reducing the job's physical demands. 

Female inventors are responsible for engineering some of the most groundbreaking innovations in heating and cooling history. Keep reading to learn more about the amazing women who forever changed the heating and cooling industry. 

 

Who Was Alice H. Parker?

Little is known of Alice H. Parker’s personal life, but what historians do know is that she was a black female inventor who created the first central heating system using a gas furnace and ductwork in 1919. At the time, she was living with her mother in New Jersey. The only way to heat their home during the winter was by burning wood in a wood stove. The ice-cold New Jersey winters inspired her to create a better way to heat their home. 

Her invention involved using a gas furnace to heat the air, then distributing it throughout the house via ductwork. She passed away shortly after patenting her design. While her initial design never came to fruition due to safety concerns and her untimely death, other inventors built off of her patented idea to create what we now consider the modern central heating system. 

Who Was Margaret Ingels?

Around the same time that Alice H. Parker was inventing the first central heating system, Margaret Ingels was graduating from college with an engineering degree. She was the second female engineer in America, and the first woman to become a mechanical engineer in the 1920s. She has long been an inspiration to women in engineering and women in HVAC. 

After graduating with her engineering degree, Margaret Ingels decided to focus her career on the development of air conditioners. For six years, she worked in a research lab with HVAC professionals to develop innovations in air conditioning systems. Margaret Ingels was a trailblazer because she was the first female mechanical engineer and she also changed the way air conditioning systems work forever. 

About Star Air Conditioning & Heating

Star Air Conditioning & Heating is a veteran-owned and operated heating and cooling business that offers 24/7 emergency response and fast turnarounds with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Give them a call today to schedule an appointment with an experienced HVAC technician in Kissimmee, FL.