Summer is here and thankfully we live in a time where the wonderful invention of air conditioning exists to keep us cool and provide a refreshing escape from unbearable heat. Nothing feels quite as good as walking into a Manhattan, New York home that is cooled a good ten-fifteen degrees lower than the hot temperature outside. Air conditioning can easily be taken for granted because we get so used to the luxury of cool air being pumped through our homes and almost every other building we enter into. NY NJ A/C Connection has prepared this quick history of early and modern air conditioning to remind you how lucky you really are!
History of Modern Air Conditioning
There was a time when life was lived without this comforting luxury. In fact air conditioning did not come into play until the early nineteen hundreds. In 1902 a twenty five year old engineer from New York named Willis Carrier invented the first modern air-conditioning system. The mechanical unit, which sent air through water cooled coils, was not intended for human comfort, but was designed to control humidity in the printing plant where Mr. Carrier worked.
Early Sources of Air Conditioning Relief
Before the invention of air conditioning there were many different ways that humans used to keep cool and escape any stifling heat they were experiencing. Caves were one of nature’s first air conditioners. Caves provided an excellent escape from heat for many civilizations. The darker and lower the cave went, the cooler the air got, giving people a source of retreat from hot temperatures. Another early source of relief was the simple invention of the fan. Fans were made from many different materials, from palm leaves to stiff fabric; people used hand fans to waves in front of their faces and give them a way to keep the sweat from building on their faces. Stirring the air with manual effort is one of the oldest forms of personal air conditioning.
Early Misting Machines
Egyptians had an interesting way to stay cool from the desert heat. They would hang damp sheets in doorways to turn arid breezes into ancient mist machines. In more modern times, some pioneers would actually sleep under wet blankets to fight the heat. As uncomfortable as it sounds, it provided a certain amount of relief from the heat of the day that continued to linger into the night. On other sides of the world, people would bring down large amounts of snow from the mountains during the summer time. This snow was kept in specialized pits. Frozen water was a commodity to be used for drinking, to keep food fresh longer and would be placed around the home to take advantage of the evaporation from the ice.
Air Conditioning Systems Today
Luckily, we do not have to go to such great extremes to get our homes cooled or find relief from the heat. Thank goodness once again for the wonderful invention of the air conditioning system. Keep cool this summer season and enjoy the luxury of your A/C unit. If you think your system isn’t running to the best of its ability, contact NY NJ A/C Connection for the best Manhattan air conditioning service available.
