Air Conditioning Throughout the Ages

We all take for granted that if you walk into any home, store or office it will be air conditioned and at a comfortable temperature year-round. Technology has allowed us to easily and inexpensively set this as a lifestyle and societal standard here in America as a first world country.

But how did we achieve this?

Necessity is the mother of invention. Humans living in warmer climates were uncomfortable in hotter seasons of the year. They began looking to nature to see if they could find a way to not only cool off, but to remain cool on a more constant basis.

In prehistoric days, the cavemen and Neanderthals stayed cool by housing themselves in caves and caverns burrowed down into the earth much like many animals still do.

In ancient Egypt, they hung water soaked reeds in their window openings in hopes of chilling the incoming breezes.

Chinese fans, beautiful and ornamental, were standard for most citizens. Fanning cools off the body temperature by dissolving perspiration on the skin.

In the Middle East their people connected underground channels dug into the earth to draw warm air in and push cool air up into their dwellings.

Even the Greek civilization utilized the massive aqueduct systems as a refrigerant for public and private baths and villas.

During Victorian times, higher ceilings, large porches and cross located windows opened widely for the best ventilation possible.

Willis Carrier is credited with inventing the air conditioner. He came up with the idea on a foggy train platform in 1902. He realized that he could dry air by passing it through water to create fog. This process would make it possible to manufacture air with specific amounts of moisture in it. He went ahead and created his invention in under a years’ time. This was the fundamental basic start of modern air conditioning. The first fully air conditioned building was featured in St. Louis at the world’s Fair in 1904.

Popularity grew and more and more businesses and residential areas began using air conditioning. Today it is standard. If you need AC or Heating service in the SW Florida area give All Day Air Cooling and Heating a call. Chat with us today at (239) 357-0727 or fill out a form online and we will contact you.