Women That Have Shaped the HVAC Industry

Women That Have Changed Heating and Cooling

Nowadays, women are moving into spaces that have been traditionally dominated by men, but that is a relatively new concept. Looking back at history, women have had amazing ideas and implemented them in ways that have changed the way people live their lives without even thinking about the innovation that went into developing these great ideas. Many of us don’t think about what it would be like to live without modern conveniences!

What the Industry Looks Like Today

The US Department of Labor reported that HVAC industry jobs are at an all-time high and that 9% of HVAC technicians in the United States are women, with more joining technical service jobs every year.

Women in HVACR offers a supportive space for women to support each other, network, find a mentor, and stay up-to-date on everything going on in the HVAC world! Scholarship opportunities to further education are available to qualified candidates, too!

Many companies have committed to training more women in skilled labor trades like HVAC, especially since the industry is expected to have 115,000 open jobs to fill by the end of 2022 if the demand continues to grow as it has been.

Common misconceptions about women being able to perform the demanding parts of the job, from heavy lifting to understanding chemistry, math, and physics, are being smashed through by women that actively work in the industry every day while excelling in the business.

Alice H. Parker & Natural Gas Furnaces

Alice H. Parker is a female African American inventor that filed for a patent for the natural gas furnace in December 1919. At that time, black women were not encouraged to attend college, but they attended classes at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Her idea for the furnace stemmed from a desire not to use a wood fireplace in her home in Morristown, New Jersey, during frigid Northeastern winters because of having to go outside to split firewood and the fact that fireplaces are drafty inefficient heat sources. Fires were common at that time, which led to the destruction of property and loss of life. This method of heating saved lives and improved the quality of life.

Meet Margaret Ingels

Margaret Ingels was an American female engineer who was the first female mechanical engineer to graduate with a four-year degree in the United States in 1916. She spent her entire career working to improve air quality and humidity levels, especially for children.

Her pioneering into air conditioning is the reason residential and commercial ventilation is taken seriously now. Americans spend a good portion of their lives indoors at home, work, school, or shops, so respiratory illnesses are common among socioeconomic classes of people that cannot afford to properly maintain indoor air quality. Ms. Ingles worked to reduce costs and make units more durable and affordable.

About A-Plus Air Conditioning & Home Solutions

A-Plus Air Conditioning & Home Solutions is a family-owned and operated AC repair company in Austin, TX, that has served its customers since 1977! And now that Spring is in full swing, it's the perfect time to schedule an air conditioning maintenance in Austin. Call A-Plus Air Conditioning & Home Solutions today for fast, friendly service from technicians that are on time, every time.

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