20 Fun Facts about HVAC
1. The New York Stock Exchange was the first building to have air conditioning in it.
2. The first record of the idea of air conditioning was attributed to British Scientist Michael Faraday. He discovered in 1820 that by compressing and liquefying ammonia gas, one could chill an adjacent substance when ammonia was allowed to evaporate.
3. Closing air conditioning unit registers (air vents) on unused portions of the home or building to save electricity and money is a myth. It can actually cause the unit to have problems due to excess pressure on the compressor.
4. Before HVAC units, it was thought that summers were too hot for children to learn, which is why we have “summer break” now.
5. The Romans were the first to use any kind of air heating system. They also had heated floors in the winter.
6. The first modern air conditioning unit was invented in 1902 by Willis Carrier, with the intent of keeping temperatures and humidity low for a publishing company in New York. It made their paper a more consistent product.
7. Ceiling fans are good for cooling your skin and keeping a higher temperature room comfortable, but they dont actually help the unit. Turn your fans off in the unoccupied rooms to decrease the utility bill.
8. Scientists have found that people who live in air conditioned environments loose some of their natural tolerance for heat.
9. It is estimated that the amount of energy used just on air conditioning and heat in the United States exceeds the total amount of energy used on the entire continent of Africa.
10. Herbert Hoover was the first President to enjoy air conditioning in the White House. He spent $30,000 to install the system in the oval office, just after the start of the Great Depression. Talk about fun facts about HVAC!
11. The first car with air conditioning was introduced in 1939 by the Packard Motor Company. It wasn’t very popular due to it’s high cost and the fact that the system took up half the trunk space.
12. Back when air conditioning was first introduced, the output settings that we call ac units were measured in “ice power”. Basically it was how many blocks of ice would it take to create the same cooling power.
13. The first fully air conditioned home was built in a mansion in Minneapolis in 1913. The owner, Charles Gates, unfortunately died before ever getting to use it.
14. The development of modern air conditioning has allowed for advances in medical technology, longer human life expectancy, reduction in the spread of diseases, and dramatically increased employee productivity.
15. About 60% of homes are heated with gas fired forced air furnaces.
16. In 180 A.D. China, artisan Ding Huan invented a 10 foot wide rotating fan made of seven connecting wheels. A single operator could power the device and cool an entire hall by turning a crank.
17. The very first glimpse of the modern HVAC industry came in 1758 when Ben Franklin and John Hadley discovered that evaporating alcohol and other similar substances cools down objects enough to bring water to freezing temperatures.
18. The HVAC industry changed the architectural industry. 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.
19.The term “air conditioning” was coined in 1906 by a North Carolina textile manufacturer after air-cooling technology improved the quality of fabric being produced in the plant.
20. One of the patents for one of the first modern air conditioners was called ” An apparatus for treating the air”. What a mouthful!!
We hope these 20 fun facts about HVAC have broadened your HVAC knowledge base!
For more information on HVAC, you can check out our more in-depth blog post to learn more about what HVAC is.
We are a local heating and air company located in Jackson, TN. If you are in need of any HVAC services and live in or around the Jackson TN area, feel free to give us a call at 731-300-1030. Our technicians are trained and certified and are committed to providing an excellent customer experience. We look forward to hearing from you!
