Air conditioning is a much older technology than many would expect. While it wasn’t common in homes until the past few decades, the first modern air conditioner was developed in 1901 by Willis Carrier.
Early Air Conditioning
Carrier wasn’t the first to experiment with indoor cooling. Both the Ancient Egyptians and the Romans used passive technologies to help keep indoor spaces cooler. In 1558, Giambattista della Porta described how to lower the temperature of ice, and others used these methods to further experiment with how to lower indoor temperatures.
Compressor breakthroughs in the 19th century paved the way for future indoor cooling. John Gorrie used this technology in 1842 to create ice to cool his patients at his Florida hospital.
Modern Air Conditioning
When electricity became more common, this paved the way for Willis Carrier and the first modern air conditioner. He installed his first unit in 1902 at the printing plant of Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company. His system controlled both temperature and humidity. The Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America that he founded is still operating to this day.
Other innovators continued to refine air conditioning. The first home with air conditioning had it installed in 1914, while the first house with central air conditioning was built in 1933. That same year, automobile air conditioners were first put on the market for sale.
In 1945, Robert Sherman invented the window air conditioner. After this point, in-home air conditioning began to explode. By the late 1960s, most new houses had air conditioning. The portable window air conditioner helped drive a population boom in hot climates that saw cities such as Dallas and Phoenix grow. All of this was thanks to inventors pushing hard to make summers more comfortable no matter the weather outside.
Air conditioning is something most of us now can’t live without. Make sure that your air conditioner is ready for high temperatures by calling us at Bill Lea Service and scheduling your service visit today. Our team works throughout the central Arkansas area. We can assist you with heating and cooling repairs, installation, and maintenance.
