Have you ever thought about how air conditioning units came to be? What was the inventor thinking about before creating it? What problem was it meant how to solve?
From time immemorial, all we do is just switch it on and let it cool our houses, offices, cars and all. Its considered a luxury for most, but not many knew it was born out of a major necessity.
Let's consider these interesting facts about AC Units then and be enlightened.
Air Conditioning Fun Facts
* The first common items that people used to keep cool were hand fans. Electric fans became the more popular and effective choice in the United States during the early 1900s.
* Willis Carrier invented the modern air conditioner in 1902, for the sole purpose of protecting paper and ink in a publishing company. And it wasn’t until 1906 when the term air conditioning was coined by textile mill engineer Stuart Cramer.
* The first residential air conditioning system was installed in 1914. It was 7 ft. high, 6 ft. wide, and 20 ft. long.
* Because of the size and cost, only wealthy people with large homes could afford air conditioners.
* Systems cost anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000, which today would be like paying $120,000 to $600,000.
* The first single-room air conditioner was invented in1931 by H.H. Schultz and J.Q. Sherman. It sat on the ledge of a window, but was very expensive.
* The average hourly wage was $0.64, yet a typical air conditioner cost $416. This means that someone would have to have worked 650 hours to afford it.
* Most people experienced artificially cooled air for the first time in movie theaters. In fact, “Refrigerated Air” was often highlighted in theater advertisements, in hopes of enticing ticket payers who were seeking solace from the heat.
* Summer vacation as we know them were originally implemented because of hot summer months. School buildings were so uncomfortable, the break helped students and teachers avoid the seasonal peak of high temperatures.
* Some historians credit air-conditioning for the growth of federal bureaucracy, as longer sessions for lawmakers were made possible.
* Air conditioning became something of a status symbol after World War II. Window units were so popular, over one million units were sold in 1953.
* When AC systems were first introduced, the output settings were measured in “Ice Power” – in other words, how many blocks of ice it would take to produce the same amount of cooling power. Now we call them AC units.
* The first fully air conditioned home was built in a mansion in Minneapolis in 1913 by Charles Gates. Sadly, he died before he could ever experience it.
* Air conditioning systems helped coin the term “Summer Blockbuster.” One of the first businesses to utilize air conditioning technology back in the early part of the twentieth century were movie theaters. In the 1930’s, patrons flocked to theaters to enjoy the films – but also to enjoy the cool air during summer months. Marketers took advantage of this trend and saved their big hits for summertime releases. Thus, the term “Summer Blockbuster” became a part of our vocabulary.
* Herbert Hoover was the first President to enjoy air conditioning. He spent $30,000 to install the system in the oval office, just after the start of the Great Depression.
* If you wanted to buy a basic AC unit in the 1940’s, it would cost you approximately $350. Translating that into today’s price based on inflation, you would be paying almost $3,500.
* Air conditioners do more than just cool the air. They also take humidity out of the air, making the air more comfortable. Don’t set your thermostat fan to the “on” position all day. Rather, choose the “auto” position, where it will blow air only when the cooling system is running.
* When you leave the fan blowing air all the time, moisture will be blown back into the house and affect your humidity levels.
* Electric fans were the predecessor to contemporary air conditioning. Fans do little to actually cool the air, but they produce a “wind chill effect” by evaporating the sweat from your skin and lowering your body temperature.
* The first car with optional Air Conditioning was introduced in 1939 by the automobile manufacturer Packard. It wasn’t very popular due to its high cost and the fact that the evaporator and blower system took up half the trunk space.
* Air conditioning saves lives. American researchers found that the chance of dying on extremely hot summer days has fallen more than 80 percent over the last 50 years. The research team correlated this to the rise in air conditioning.
* Updating your system with “greener” technology can save you energy and money. The average family spends close to $2,000 on energy bills, and nearly half that goes to heating and cooling.
* Without air conditioning, we wouldn’t have certain medications today – some medications could only be studied and developed in a cool environment.
* Each year, the U.S. uses the same amount of energy to power air conditioners as Africa uses to power the entire continent. Wow!!
* Scientific studies have shown that the introduction of air conditioning has actually lowered the natural human tolerance for heat.
* Contrary to popular belief, closing vents in unused rooms in your home is actually not a good idea – it makes your HVAC unit work harder.
* John Gorrie is considered the father of refrigeration and air conditioning. As a Floridian doctor in 1842, he developed a machine that made ice in order to cool the air for his patients. He was granted a patent to create a similar machine for homes and buildings, but died before he could create it.
* Every spring, air conditioners have relieved millions of allergy sufferers by providing clean, filtered air.
* Before air conditioners, architects used to design homes and buildings with high ceilings, porches, breezeways, and landscaping that provided shade in order to keep occupants cool.
* In 1931, H.H. Shultz and J.Q. Sherman invented the first window unit air conditioner designed to cool an individual room in a home.
So next time you want to switch on that AC, consider it a rare privilege and appreciate the contribution of geniuses to humanity.
Now to the overall Benefits of AC units
Extreme heat has a clear negative impact on the intellect and on physical activity and the use of air conditioning can go some way to rectifying this.
It improves comfort levels at work and at leisure.
It improves job performance.
It can result in increased physical and intellectual activity.
A lower temperature reduces the presence of insects and parasites.
Lower temperatures mean less sweating, reducing the risk of dehydration.
A clean air conditioning system helps exclude external allergens such as pollens.
If the air conditioning installation is good, and if it is well maintained, it renews and improves air quality.
* It’s not just our brains that suffer from the heat either. When the mercury rises so do tempers. As an article on Today.com explains, while our brains are slowing down, our bodies are speeding up with increased heart rates and higher blood pressure. All this leads to more aggressive behavior making a cool environment key to maintaining peace at home, work, and in public places.
* Higher heart rate and blood pressure – that make us angry can also make it next to impossible to get a good night’s sleep. One’s core body temperature is also a critical factor in getting to and staying asleep. A too hot (or too cold) room interferes with natural temperature regulation which doctors say functions best at between 65 and 75 degrees.
* It protects furniture. Heat, and especially the humidity that often accompanies it, can wreak havoc on furniture of all kinds. Wood gains and loses moisture with the air around it which over time leads to warping. Leather also absorbs moisture which could eventually cause that stylish couch to rot. And any fabric is susceptible to the mold that breeds rampantly in damp environments.
* Prevents electronic devices from overheating.
Almost as scary as the effects of heat and humidity on our bodies is the damage they can do to our electronics. The phones and computers we depend on daily can suffer serious meltdowns when the temperature goes up leading to loss of data and an overall shorter lifespan. If your place of work includes computer servers, they can be completely destroyed or at least suffer major damage if not kept cool enough.
What about the risks...?
Sudden changes in temperature and humidity affect the respiratory system.
It has a drying effect on skin and mucous membranes.
It adds to ambient noise, contributing to noise pollution.
The air circulation can transmit infectious respiratory diseases.
Airborne dust and fungi can cause allergic reactions.
Air conditioning is associated with chronic rhinitis and pharyngitis, throat irritation and hoarseness.
Air conditioning can exacerbate eye conditions such as conjunctivitis and blepharitis, as well as causing problems for contact lens wearers.
Spending too much time in an air-conditioned environment can contribute to health problems such as asthma, tightness in the chest and other respiratory ailments.
The best way of reducing the risks associated with the use of air conditioners is to have them cleaned on a regular basis. A clean and well-maintained air conditioner will have more health advantages and very few disadvantages.
Whatever the case may be, if you own one...
Keep room temperature between 21º and 25º C.
Try to maintain an average humidity of between 60% and 70%.
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