A Brief History on Air Conditioning
It’s hard to imagine what life would be like without modern-day inventions. Without cars that can go over 40mph, without microwaves that heat up food in a few seconds, without electricity to power light bulbs and appliances, and without air conditioners to keep people cool and comfortable. People often take these things for granted, forgetting about the inventors and how much work went into making these products that would forever change people’s lives.
Through this article, homeowners can learn about the history of how air conditioning was invented and how the device has changed since then.
A Name to Remember: The AC Inventor 
When it comes to air conditioning, people enjoy the use of it. They love how simple it is to use and how effectively it works. But how many people can name the inventor and understand how it was first developed?
The name to remember is Willis Carrier. Maybe it will come in handy for a game of jeopardy someday, or maybe it will simply allow people to show their appreciation to a person who truly made living in the home more comfortable. Carrier was born in Angola, New York in 1876 and graduated with a degree in engineering.
One day, he was standing at a train platform on a foggy day when he suddenly realized how to control the air’s humidity: he could reduce the moisture in the air by passing the air through water to create fog. With this idea in mind, he soon created the first air conditioner in 1902, and since then, he has been known as the “Father of Air Conditioning.”
A Critical Time Period
The early 1900s was a time of societal changes as well as huge advancements in manufacturing and engineering. For a long time, people had wanted a way to control the temperature and humidity indoors to make it more comfortable. Air conditioning made this possible for homes and also for businesses, which allowed for drastic growth in other industries.
In the entertainment industry, AC led to movie blockbusters in the summer when people came to the theaters to escape the heat. In the manufacturing industry, it improved working conditions so employees wouldn’t have to deal with the heat around the machines. In the retail industry, it allowed for indoor shopping malls. And eventually, AC paved the way for the invention of computers and servers, which these days, people couldn’t do without.
Air Conditioner Development Over Time
The “first” of any new invention tends to be quite large and bulky. Remember the first cell phones? They were giant compared to what most people use today, and don’t forget, they came with antennas! The same is true with the first air conditioner. It was very large at 7 feet high, 6 feet wide, and 20 feet long!
Today, that would take up an entire room and then some. Since then, the size of the AC unit has changed drastically. However, it still uses the same concepts and mechanical setup to draw out the warm air from inside, cool it, and then circulate the cool air through the house. But now, that AC unit is more discreet and can fit right outside of a door or simply hang on a wall.
About The Meridian Company
The Meridian Company has been connected with the community throughout Lansing, East Lansing, and surrounding Ingham County since 1984. They cater to the plumbing, heating, and cooling needs of their neighbors. Their team specializes in remodeling solutions, particularly accessibility remodeling, and they understand the unique needs of the community, no matter what they need when it comes to their home comfort.
