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One of the treasures that I have in my library is a booklet titled, "Trends in Heating Development" that Coal-Heat magazine published in July, 1942. K.C. Richmond, the Editor of Coal-Heat surveyed a group of people whom he considered industry leaders back then, and this booklet contains their predictions for the future of heating in America after the war. Reading it today is like having a time machine. I know, of course, what is going to happen, but in many cases, so did they, and they didn't have the benefit of hindsight. Here's what K. C. Richmond had to say in his introduction.
"Our first job is to help win the war, of course, but that will be done – thanks to our resources in coal, oil, iron, manufacturing facilities and manpower. "As soon as the war is over, however, a 'battle-royal' for the housing, heating and fuel markets can be expected. It is inevitable. Years of neglect of most of the heating equipment in use will result in a tremendous market for repairs, replacement, and modernization. Coupled with the pent-up demand for new housing and the shifts in population, a building boom is anticipated. "The restrictions under which industry is working will only intensify the competition between the furnace, boiler, stove, and heater outlets – between the coal, oil and gas interests. That there will be no little competition in general for the consumer’s dollar goes also without saying. Some industries will be forced to fight for their survival.
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"Long-time trends in housing, building construction, shortages of materials owing to the war, governmental restrictions, availability of fuel, research, competition, consumer demand – each is contributing to marked changes in heating equipment design, manufacture and distribution.
"If we think in terms of human comfort, successful heating becomes inseparable from (a) housing or building construction; (b) the heating system as a whole; (c) the operation and maintenance of the heating facilities. Basically, we must remember that (1) no fuel is any better than the equipment in which it is used; (2) the equipment is no better than the skill of the operator; (3) what happens to the heat after it leaves the boiler or furnace is what counts. Housing and fuel and heating equipment are as inseparable as scrambled eggs. What progress we make is going to depend largely on how we recognize these fundamentals. The day is fast passing when we can 'get by' with blind selling.| Dan Holohan - [Intro] | [Email] | [Website] |
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