Franz San Galli

Who was Franz San Galli?

Franz San Galli was a Russian businessman who is one of the inventors of the radiator, which significantly contributed to modern central heating systems. Born in Stettin, he was mostly of Italian and German descent. He spent most of his life in St. Petersburg, where he ran his business and developed his inventions. San Galli's claim as the inventor of the heating radiator is disputed. It appears that he is one of several people who contributed to the development of the heating innovation. San Galli received a radiator patent in 1857 American Joseph Nason developed a primitive radiator in 1841 and received a number of U.S. patents for hot water and steam heating. Nason's patent for tapered pipe threads in particular is cited by 1930s writer Ara Marcus Daniels as the key development in the birth of the radiator.