Pressure Atomizing Oil Burner Equipment and Systems – Room Temperature Thermostats
A summer air conditioning, room thermostat, in the Honeywell classic round configuration, popularly found in the mid and latter 20th century on residential oil heating systems with add-on summer cooling; high style, gold coloured plastic body, helical bimetal temperature activated, low voltage, miniature mercury bulb switch, with helical bimetal thermometer, Type 87C, Honeywell, Circa 1964 [See also ID #217]
Technical Significance:
The significance of the Honeywell T87 lay in a number of directions:
* It was representative of a new, exciting era, the early years of residential, year around air conditioning in Canada.
* While at the same time it marked the end of an era of household temperature control technology, which was analogue and largely electro- mechanical and electro-magnetic in character. This modus operandi had reached its highest point of development by the mid 20th century, as represented here by the Honeywell T87C. The stage had been set for the progressive evolution of solid state, digital control HVACR control technology, which would soon dominate the field.
* It would represent, too, a simplicity and precision only made possible, for the first time, by the cumulative engineering design, manufacturing and mass production experience and knowledge of the middle years of the 20th century.
* As well, there was in the Honeywell round a sophistication, maturity in styling and commitment to form, function and color that would set standards and turn heads in the field of industrial design.
Industrial Significance:
* The development of packaged, add-on, mechanical cooling equipment for residential and small commercial applications, triggered a new Canadian market starting in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. The market targeted on those that already had an up-to-date forced air oil heating system.
* This then was the new “conversion market”, a market place which would be worked by much of the industry, very much as the industry had cut its teeth on the conversion business in the 1920’through 40’s. Then it sold oil burners and forced air fans for conversion of gravity, coal fed furnaces, making them into modern forced air automatic home heating systems.
* The movement triggered the demand for cooling thermostatic controls, as add-on’s to the existing heating system, already equipped with its own heating thermostat. The result was a hearing cooling, year round, elemental air conditioning system without the benefit of interlocks and automatic transfer function from heating to cooling. Honeywell responded to the market with the T87C, using the same thermostatic platform developed for their heating thermostat the T86A.
* A series of matching, optional, switch bases would also be made available from the manufacturer, in order to accommodate various switching functions, as needed, part of the movement of equipment manufacturers to a comprehensive systems approach required of the times.