The Interesting History Of ACs And HVAC Units

The interesting history of ACs is way older than the HVAC companies. There was a time when people used to live without air conditioners and life was a bit difficult. People in the past were habitual to the weather conditions and had not enjoyed the cooling system we have now or had few decades ago. The history is almost a century old. In this post we will talk about how ACs were invented and their introduction for home cooling. The post also includes the first air conditioning companies that carried out this wonderful job and blessed us with modern-day air conditioners.

All you need to know about energy efficient air conditioning

  1. According to Energy Department, 48% of American energy is used in cooling and heating. This huge percentage shows how obsessed the world is with air conditioners. The acceptance of ACs led to development of more and more air conditioning companies who started making cheaper, affordable and lighter air conditioners for industrial purposes and homes. Let’s dig deep into this history of ACs and HVAC units.
  2. It was 1840 when a physician Dr. John Gorrie suggested that cities should utilize cooling system to help the residents beat extreme heat waves. The doctor also believed with a cooling system, diseases like malaria and other can be controlled. Furthermore, cooling will also help doctors prevent spreading of diseases and treat patients in better ways. But this was a nightmare for the health department to ship ice blocks from frozen lakes and streams to northern US.
  3. To deal with this expensive challenge, John Gorrie tried to experiment with his idea. His idea was to somehow develop artificial cooling for commercial and residential purposes. He designed a machine that created ice with power of a horse, water and wind-driven sails. He also got the patent on his name. However, he failed badly after his chief financial officer fell sick and could not provide funds for the project. But it was Gorrie who laid the foundation of modern-day artificial cooling though he himself could not launch his project in the market.
  4. The work on air conditioners or artificial cooling was stopped for years until another engineer came and he was tasked to deal with humidity issues. It was Willis Carrier who worked for Buffalo Forge Company in 1902 and worked on a system that was developed for controlling humidity. He was also granted for his idea and design. Sometime later, when he realized it could be a great project he decided to quit the company and founded his own Carrier Engineering Corporation with six other engineers.
  5. For the first time, engineers used artificial cooling to cool Missouri State Building in 1904. It was also the first time American public was exposed to air conditioner use and it was quite a comfortable cooling. The air conditioning saw a major breakthrough in 1920s when American flocked to see movies in cinemas and artificial cooling was used in cinemas to let people feel comfortable and enjoy movies of their stars on big screens.
  6. Carrier Engineering Corporation installed the first designed cooling system in 1922 at Metropolitan Theater in Los Angeles. The same year, the company introduced another air conditioner that used a centrifugal chiller which had moving parts and existing units. This idea was very helpful in making people have access to air conditioners throughout the country. With this type of air conditioners, the company also increased its sales by selling more air conditioners.
  7. Despite these concepts and designs, the air conditioners were still very heavy and expensive. People found it really hard to afford these cooling systems and keep inside their houses. There was a dire need that the design should be changed and air conditioning companies should come up with a better design and lighter air conditioners. Another attempt was made in 1929 when an engineer launched a radio cabinet like AC but it was till an expensive AC and was way too heavy.
  8. Engineer Henry Galson was the person who totally changed the design of air conditioners. His design was based on an affordable, cheaper and light AC that could be easily installed within houses. In 1947, the company sold over 320,000 units of these air conditioners and the rest is history. Now we have come a long way when it comes to the modern air conditioners. These are light, very cheap and consume less power than their predecessors.

We hope you enjoyed the history of air conditioners and ac repair companies Port Jefferson NY. Share your thoughts in the comments.

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