5 COOL Facts About Air Conditioning
Today, people throughout Ohio take their air conditioning for granted. These miraculous systems keep us cool and free of too much humidity. It wasn’t so long ago when AC was a luxury afforded in only a few lucky homes and buildings. That got us thinking about the history of air conditioning. Here are five interesting facts about air conditioning that you may not know.
1. Air Conditioning Made the Summer Blockbuster Possible
Back before air conditioning became widespread, it was rare to find a place that had cool air. The movie theaters were one of those rare places. Advertisements for movie theaters featured their “refrigerated air” as a way to draw people to the movies. The hotter it got, the more people showed up and movie theaters quickly turned that into profit by releasing movies that were expected to be popular during the summer thus creating the summer blockbuster.
2. Air Conditioners are Dehumidifiers Too
When the air conditioner was first invented by Willis Carrier, it was to control the humidity in the air of a publishing company. The machine kept the paper from contracting and ruining the alignment of the ink. The cooling feature comes as a result of the machine taking in hot air and forcing it to contract, releasing the water droplets into the system, and pumping out cooler, dryer air in turn. To prevent moisture from being blown back into a room, you have to be sure to turn your fan to “auto” as that will make it so it only blows out air when the cooling function is on.
3. The First Car to Feature AC Was a Failure
When Packard first released their air-conditioned car back in 1939, the economic conditions for the U.S. were not exactly favorable. It was also the year that the Second World War started and the cost of the car was far too much for the average consumer. Practically speaking, it also still needed some adjustments. The evaporator and blower system, which were much bigger at the time, took up half the trunk. It was no surprise that very few units sold and the car was considered a failure.
4. The U.S. Leads the World in Air Conditioning Use
Given how varied the temperatures can be across the U.S., it is no surprise that we have the second-highest use of air conditioning in the world. We are only beat by Japan in this category; they have 91% usage rates of air conditioning in households. Here in the United States, nearly 90% of households have air conditioning. The only other country that even comes close is South Korea with a rate of 86%. This is in part due to modernization and the prosperity of the U.S. However, it also is in part because this is the birthplace of the air conditioner and has spent over a century being popularized all over the country. In many parts of the world, AC has not caught on as a necessity for all buildings.
5. A Mansion in Minneapolis was the First to Have AC
Owned by Charles Gates in 1913, a mansion located in Minneapolis was the first to have air conditioning units installed. Unfortunately, Gates passed before he ever got to live in the home with its newly installed air conditioner. This is even more tragic when you think about how much it must have cost him. Early air conditioners were estimated to cost anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000, which amounts to over a million dollars in today’s currency when inflation is taken into account. This is an even more shocking figure when you consider how much the average person made in a year at that time: just over $1,000.
Contact Us for Air Conditioning Services Today
A To Z Dependable Services in Niles, OH, offers a variety of services to cater to your air conditioning, heating, and plumbing needs. We also take care of septic issues, and our crew can even assist you in your bathroom renovation. We have been around since 1960, so we understand our community and seek to serve local residents the best that we can. Whether you are looking to install a new unit or need repairs on your existing system, we’ll get the job done right. To set up an appointment with one of our experts, give us a call today.
