Up until the late 1920s, that was the everyday reality. Air condition revolutionized the way we live.
Comfortable is the new norm. Interestingly air conditionings’ start had absolutely nothing to do with comfort. In 1902 a Lithography company, Sackett & Wilhelms, in trying to do printing, became frustrated with humidity levels because the ink would not dry properly.
This was the start of 4 color printing (CMYK – Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black) in which each color had to be run through the press separately for a total of 4 runs. If the humidity levels varied between colors the paper itself would expand or contract – this caused small misalignments which made the text and images look blurry and jostled.
Thankfully Willis Carrier, an engineer, figured out a way to circulate air over coiled metal which had been chilled using ammonia under compression, enabling the humidity level to stay solid at 55%. The results were exactly as hoped for and printing took off.
The new invention was quickly picked up by flour mills and factories such as Gillette where metal razor blades were forged as the constant humidity levels helped prevent rust. Happier cooler employees were only a side benefit, not the goal.
After factory use then came theaters. Patrons could now enjoy a picture show in an air-cooled theater-making them even more popular than they had been previously for a night out on the town.
By the 1930 air conditioners had made their way into residential households and the popularity was growing. With these new units in place, the warmer areas of the country like California and Florida experienced an influx of new residents.
Today we have grown to depend on our HVAC systems both in our cars and in our homes. We here at All Day Air Cooling and Heating thank Mr. Carrier for his invention. If your AC needs service or you need a new unit we would love to help. Give us a call today 239-357-0727 or visit us online at www.alldayaircooling.com
