What was the roman heating system called

The flues were built directly into the walls so they did not take up useful space. Connecting the aqueducts which brought water into the city from the mountains , water tanks and pools were a series of tunnels. These were constructed of brick and mortar very crude for today? Like the water system, the air flow system was connected by ducts, consisting of stone or brick tunnels under the floor, into the large open space beneath the raised floor, and into the wall flues.

These flues also provided a source of insulations for the room. The hot air rising created a barrier, keeping the warmth inside the building. As mentioned above, the typical materials used in this system are stone, handmade brick and mortar. An early form of concrete may also have been used, as the Roman had used it for many other buildings of the age for example, the dome of the Pantheon. Due to the second floor and pillars, this was difficult and laborious to construct.

Costs were much higher than a simple fireplace due to the larger amount of materials used. The main disadvantage of the hypocaust system is a very dangerous one. The fumes created by the fire in the furnace easily crept out of the holding space below the false floor and into the main space. This silent killer is now known as carbon monoxide.

Although it is easily detectable and preventable today, the Romans probably had no idea of this concept. Hypocausts were used for heating hot baths thermae , houses and other buildings, whether public or private. The floor was raised above the ground by pillars, called pilae stacks, with a layer of tiles, then a layer of concrete then another of tiles on top; and spaces were left inside the walls so that hot air and smoke from the furnace would pass through these enclosed areas and out of flues in the roof, thereby heating but not polluting the interior of the room.

Ceramic box tiles were placed inside the walls to both remove the hot burned air so to heat the walls. Rooms requiring the most heat were placed closest to the furnace, whose heat could be increased by adding more wood to the fire. It was labour-intensive to run a hypocaust as it required constant attention to tend the fire, and expensive in fuel, so it was a feature of the villa and public baths. Vitruvius describes their construction and operation in his work De architectura in about 15 BC, adding details about how fuel could be conserved by designing the hot room or caldarium for men and women to be built next to one another, adjacent to the tepidarium so as to run the public baths efficiently.

He also describes a device for adjusting the heat by a bronze ventilator in the domed ceiling. Many remains of Roman hypocausts have survived throughout Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. The hypocaust was an invention which improved the hygiene and living conditions of citizens, and was a forerunner of modern central heating. Here is a bit of legal housekeeping. This page contains affiliate links. So many of the things we use everyday have been influenced by the Romans — our calendar, domed buildings, highways, milestones, bridges, aqueducts, concrete, bronze valves, water pumps and more.

The Romans were excellent engineers, developing a large number of instruments and tools for engineering, construction and measurement. But, when it comes to heating technology, we, in our industry, are most influenced by the architecture of the Roman baths — more specifically, their heating system. During our visit to the Baths of Caracalla, we were amazed by the massive size of the Baths.

Unfortunately, we were disappointed to find that the heating system was still underground and had not yet been excavated. We did, however, find remains of a heating system at the House of the Vestal Virgins in Rome. Baths of Caracalla — View of the location of the Calderium with the Trepidarium and Frigidarium beyond.

The ancient Hypocaust system heating system and the lead pipes of the water system, remain unexcavated below.

The heating system for the Roman baths was a Hypocaust system, which is a form of central heating. The wood furnace was fueled continually to keep the heat constant. The perfect draft conditions were created via strategically placed chimneys.

Columns were built in the floor the same distance apart to allow the heat generated by the fire to move from along the floor evenly, and to allow enough room for a slave to fit in between for cleaning. The floor has been removed to reveal the empty spaces through which the hot air would flow Photo Credit. To keep air flowing, a system of flues were constructed into the walls Photo Credit. The floor was raised above the ground by pillars, called pilae, made of brick, mortar or concrete, usually about two feet high so that hot air could circulate under it.

A furnace composed of a continuously burning fire would be built under one corner of the room, so the hot air would circulate under the floor and inside flues built into the walls and warm the room. Wall flues for hot air circulation Photo Credit.