Today marks the day of National Air Conditioning Appreciation Day – wow, what a glorious invention to appreciate. Especially, as the summer season begins to heat up. To celebrate this amazing creation, here’s a little history lesson on the evolution of the air conditioner.
- In the 1830s a Florida doctor invents an icemaker – a doctor. He then uses the icemaker to blow cool air over the ice, which cooled the room. He patents the idea, but can’t find an investor to make his dream a reality.
- In 1902, Willis Carrier built an air circulator that blows air over coils to reduce humidity in the room and lower the room temperature.
- In 1931, the first individual room air conditioner was built – the first! Fun fact: the same basic design is still being used in today’s AC models.
- The 1950s is when the air conditioner really became a hot commodity. In fact, American contractors began installing them in every new building.
- By 1994, the Freon in air conditioners was linked to the depletion of the ozone layer, so AC units began being built with a less harmful refrigerants.
- Today, as we experience one of the hottest summers to-date, our AC units are the most essential part of our home.
