Air Conditioning: Fun Facts & History

Air conditioning was a revolutionary technology at the time and has affected just about every industry in the world. Before the invention of AC people relied heavily on things like snow and ice to cool things down. Nowadays, of course, the idea of using ice to cool your Jacksonville home wouldn’t be practical. Thankfully, a new air conditioner can now be purchased from a variety of retailers and, with the help of the experts, is relatively easy to install so it can start cooling your home.

Before the advent of air conditioning, the heat in Jacksonville was not handled with as much ease as it is in modern times. Along with being uncomfortable, people of a certain age would have been susceptible to a host of health problems. However, a man named Willis Carrier put a stop to this and is the person we have to thank for the invention of the modern mechanical air conditioner. His invention changed how people around the world live, but it took some time to become the affordable solution that we know today.

Keep reading to find out more about the history of air conditioning and discover something interesting fact you may not have known.

Ancient History

While Mr. Carrier may have invented the modern mechanical air conditioner, it was not the first time someone had successfully cooled the air around them. As far back as Ancient Egypt, there has been evidence of people trying to make the air cooler. The basic concept of adding cool moisture to the air has been around since ancient times when the Egyptians would hang wet reeds from their windows, so the breeze would condition the air inside the room. Although this was a rudimentary solution, it involved the basic process of air conditioning.

Modern Times

While there were definitely some improvements on the Egyptian process, especially with the ice trade in the 17th and 18th centuries, that modern AC unit that you have in your Jacksonville home only became a reality in the 20th century. In 1902, Mr. Willis Carrier, a US inventor from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, came up with the first fully mechanical air conditioning system. 

The first air conditioner was certainly much different than what is hanging out of your window nowadays. It was made for industrial purposes to help with the heat and humidity for a printing company. This machine would have looked nothing like the units you see today, as technology has helped make everything much smaller and more efficient.

AC in the Home

Although the first modern air conditioner was manufactured in 1902, models for homes didn’t make an appearance until 12 years later in 1914. If you were looking for air conditioners in Jacksonville back then you really had to have some extra money laying around. These AC systems cost upwards of $50,000 at the time, which was out of reach for the vast majority of people. 

It wasn’t until the mid-1950s that you started seeing new air conditioners popping up everywhere, as they were much more affordable after the war. AC service and repair started to become a more popular trade as over one million units were being sold annually across the United States. Finally, the general public could afford to properly cool their homes.

Conditioned Air for Everyone

With how fast technology expands and grows, it makes sense that just about every home and business in Jacksonville and the rest of the state have some form of air conditioning or another. This miraculous invention has saved countless lives from heat stroke or other medical complications, as well as made sitting inside much more bearable on those really hot days. 

If you ever need to repair or replace your modern-day air conditioner, call the experts at Elite AC LLC. Today. We’ll make sure you stay cool and comfortable.