3 Heating Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

September 23, 2026

Fall in Ohio means football, sweatshirts, and that first morning when you finally reach for the thermostat. But keeping warm has a surprisingly interesting history. Here are three heating facts worth sharing as cooler weather moves in.

1. Heated floors were a thing long before electricity.

Think heated floors are a modern luxury? Ancient Romans were enjoying them roughly 2,000 years ago. Their heating system, called a hypocaust, sent hot air and gases from a furnace through spaces beneath raised floors. Some systems also warmed the walls. Quite the setup for people who couldn’t even plug in a coffee maker.

2. An early heating control was called a “damper-flapper.”

The name sounds made up, but the invention was real. Patented by Albert Butz in 1886, the system responded to a drop in room temperature by opening a furnace damper. That let in more air, strengthened the fire, and warmed the house. Long before you could adjust your thermostat from your phone, someone had figured out how to make the furnace tend its own fire.

3. Your refrigerator and a heat pump have more in common than you think.

A refrigerator moves heat out of the space where you keep your food and releases it into your kitchen. A heat pump uses the same basic principle to warm your home: it moves heat from one place to another. So the technology keeping your leftovers cold is closely related to the technology that could be keeping your living room comfortable.

Heating has come a long way from fires beneath the floor. As we head into another Ohio fall, Alpine Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Refrigeration is here to help with your heating questions, fall maintenance, and keeping your home comfortable when the temperatures drop.

Wooster: (330) 263.0013

Ashland: (419) 289.1616

Mt. Eaton (330) 359.7114

Serving Wooster, Ashland & Mt. Eaton, and surrounding communities since 1993, we are a locally owned and operated HVAC contractor working with a variety of heating , cooling , refrigeration & plumbing systems. If you need service on your current system please give us a call and we'd be glad to begin the process of evaluating your needs along with your budget and coming up with a game plan for your heating, cooling & air quality needs.

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Can Your House Get “Stale”?

September 9, 2026

Have you ever walked into your house after being gone for a few hours and noticed that it just smells a little… stale? It’s not always a sign that something is wrong. Sometimes your home simply needs a little more fresh air. Modern homes are built much tighter than older houses, which is great for energy efficiency, but it also means odors and moisture can hang around longer. Cooking smells, pets, cleaning products, candles, furniture, paint, and everyday household products can all affect indoor air. Humidity plays a big part too. When indoor humidity stays too high, the air can feel heavy or musty. When it gets too dry, the house may feel uncomfortable in a completely different way. Your HVAC system can help keep air moving and filtered, but the filter has to be clean and the system still needs adequate airflow. In some homes, better ventilation or indoor air quality equipment can also make a noticeable difference. Of course, sometimes the easiest solution is the simplest one: on a nice Ohio day, open a few windows and let the house air out. If your home constantly feels stuffy, musty, or just never seems to smell fresh, it may be worth looking at more than the air freshener. The problem could be humidity, airflow, filtration, or ventilation. At Alpine Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Refrigeration, we can help you figure out what’s going on behind the scenes so your home doesn’t just feel comfortable—it feels fresh too Wooster: (330) 263.0013 Ashland: (419) 289.1616 Mt. Eaton (330) 359.7114 CONTACT US Serving Wooster, Ashland & Mt. Eaton, and surrounding communities since 1993, we are a locally owned and operated HVAC contractor working with a variety of heating , cooling , refrigeration & plumbing systems. If you need service on your current system please give us a call and we'd be glad to begin the process of evaluating your needs along with your budget and coming up with a game plan for your heating, cooling & air quality needs.

Friends watching football together at home

Is Your Furnace Gameday Ready?

September 2, 2026

When the leaves start to fall and football kicks off, your furnace becomes as important as your favorite quarterback. Game days mean crowded living rooms.

Summer is Setting in Ohio

August 25, 2026

Keep your Ohio home comfortable through late summer with simple AC tips for airflow, humidity, efficiency, and preventing unexpected HVAC problems.

Late-Summer HVAC Maintenance Tips for Ohio Homeowners

August 12, 2026

Keep your AC running efficiently through the end of summer with these HVAC maintenance tips for Ohio homeowners in Wooster, Ashland, Mt. Eaton and nearby areas

Why Your Air Conditioner Runs More in August | Alpine

By Tom Markley • August 5, 2026

Have you noticed your air conditioner running longer in August, even when the temperature outside does not seem as high as it was earlier in the summer? You are not imagining it. By late summer, several factors can make your cooling system work harder to keep your Ohio home comfortable. Humidity Makes Your Home Feel Warmer Temperature is only part of the comfort equation. August can bring high humidity, which makes the air feel warmer and forces your air conditioner to remove both heat and moisture from your home. Because moisture removal takes time, your AC may run longer even when the outdoor temperature is not unusually high. Warm Nights Give Your Home Less Time to Cool Down When nighttime temperatures remain warm, your home may not have much opportunity to release the heat it absorbed during the day. Attics, walls, roofing materials and ductwork can hold onto heat. When the next day begins, your air conditioner may already be working against a warm house instead of starting fresh. Your AC Has Been Working All Summer By August, your cooling system may have already logged hundreds of hours of operation. A dirty air filter, debris around the outdoor unit or dust collecting on system components can gradually reduce airflow and efficiency. ENERGY STAR notes that dirty filters restrict airflow and cause heating and cooling equipment to work harder. Checking your filter and keeping the outdoor unit clear of grass, leaves and overgrown plants can help your system operate more effectively. Longer Run Times Are Not Always a Problem An air conditioner running for longer periods is not automatically a sign that something is wrong. Longer, steadier cooling cycles can help maintain a consistent temperature and remove humidity from the air. However, you may need professional AC service if your system: Runs almost constantly without reaching the thermostat setting Produces weak or warm airflow Makes unusual noises Causes a sudden increase in your electric bill Leaves some rooms much warmer than others Frequently turns on and off after only a few minutes Help Your AC Finish the Summer Strong Replace or clean your air filter when needed, keep the outdoor unit free from obstructions and avoid making large thermostat adjustments throughout the day. If your air conditioner is running more than usual and your home is still uncomfortable, Alpine Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Refrigeration can inspect the system and determine whether it needs maintenance or repair. We serve homeowners throughout Wayne, Holmes and Ashland counties from our Wooster, Ashland and Mt. Eaton locations.