It’s been scorching over the last few weeks. Temperatures have reached around 90 degrees! Can you imagine how unpleasant it would be to not have a working air conditioner in your house? Chores, reading a book, or even taking a nap would be extremely uncomfortable. Taking what we have for granted can come easily and go unnoticed until the very commodity we are so used to is suddenly inaccessible to us. So how did it all start? When was cool air invented? Have you ever pondered, “How did the air-conditioning concept originate?” When cavemen were chilly, they would rub sticks together to keep warm. However, attempting to cool down on a scorching summer day? That’s something entirely new! So join Delaware Heating & Air as we retrace some significant historical moments and examine the evolution of today’s modern A/C.
Where Did the Concept Of Cool Air Start?
The idea of cold air cannot be attributed to a single individual or society. The summer heat has plagued humans all throughout history. However, there are a few key periods in history that deserve noting:
- The Ancient Egyptians were well aware of the benefits of evaporation. They draped wet cloths or laundry in front of their open doors in order to create a cooling effect through a cool wind when the wind blew by.
- In China, Ding Huan created a hand-cranked rotary fan in 180 AD. This was a significant discovery at the time!
- The Romans were strategic in their inventions, and they developed a sophisticated network of tunnels beneath the floors. The aqueduct system is one such system that was created by the Romans. It allowed for the transport of air and water to flow to and under the floors of the wealthy.
- Benjamin Franklin and John Hadley conducted research on evaporative cooling in 1758. They discovered by evaporating inconstant liquids on the surface of water; could freeze an item while keeping the ambient temperature at the original temperature.
- In 1820, Michael Faraday worked with and studied ammonia. This was the first documented use of a volatile liquid in a medical experiment.
- Dr. John Gorrie was an American physician who invented the first cooling machine in 1830. However, it wasn’t patented until 1851, and it was only used by hospitals to assist with the treatment of tropical illnesses.
Who Founded the A/C System?
The “father of air conditioning” is Willis Haviland Carrier, who was a gifted engineer interested in the laws of humidity. So when a printing factory in New York wanted to keep their printing press cool to prevent paper and ink degradation, Carrier fashioned the notion of mechanical refrigeration. He took ideas from previous discoveries and combined them with his own; as a result, his creation was an enormous success. It utilized air to go through coils filled with cold water, lowering the air temperature and removing moisture from it. As a result, the room’s humidity was better controlled. The invention of Carrier signaled a watershed moment in the history of A/C technology. In 1933, the Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America was formed in the United States. Today, this HVAC business is known as Carrier.
What Do Modern A/C’s Do Now?
Although modern air conditioners have advanced considerably, they still employ the same principles as Carrier’s original design. You could argue that his invention established the A/C unit blueprint ever since. Fast forward to today, homeowners can choose from a wide selection of air conditioners. Air conditioners now are energy-efficient, use vapor compression, can run diagnostics, have electronic sensors, and can operate in conjunction with smart thermostats.
According to the 2020 Energy Consumption Survey, 88 percent of American homes have air conditioners. Air conditioning originally was only seen as a luxury, but it is now a standard that can affect the quality of life and health of many people. At Delaware Heating & Air, your safety is our number one concern. We are prepared to face whatever the summer heat sends our way if anything goes wrong with your A/C this season! So don’t delay! You can call us at (740) 227-8302, or schedule a heating or cooling repair appointment online now by clicking here!
