Strides for greater energy efficiency, indoor climate control, and indoor-air quality have driven advances in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry in recent decades. You can now keep your home comfortable with near 100-percent AFUE furnaces, WiFi-enabled zoning systems, and whole-home air cleaners. However, it has taken centuries of slow innovation to reach this point.
Following are notable moments in HVAC history you may find interesting and familiar.
Mechanical and Electric Rotary Fans
It took about two-thousand years to go from the first mechanical rotary fans of ancient China to electrically-powered fans invented in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ceiling fans and box fans of all sizes are still widely used for saving energy, decor, and better comfort.
The First Air Ducts
Unless your ducts are rattling or your home has uneven airflow, you may not give much thought to the network of air ducts delivering heated and cooled airflow to your Lorain home.
Air ducts and central heating and cooling were first put into use during the Greco-Roman world. Pipes and channels beneath floors conveyed heat from furnaces to multiple rooms in buildings.
Indoor cooling was achieved in a similar manner using wall ducts to convey cool water from the high-tech Roman aqueducts of the time.
Modern Air Conditioner
Your modern forced-air A/C and furnace use an electrically-driven blower and ducts to convey cooled and heated airflow to the rooms of your home. The A/C portion of your HVAC system was invented in 1902 by a twenty-five-year-old American engineer named Willis Carrier.
Mr. Carrier developed a machine that forced air across water-cooled coils. Another notable HVAC history moment by Mr. Carrier was his centrifugal chiller — or compressor. This device substantially increased cooling efficiency and made its public debut at the Rivoli Theater in Times Square in 1925.
Modern Refrigerant
In 1930, modern refrigerant was developed and first used in window air conditioners. Adjusting for inflation, these incredible cooling machines would cost the equivalent of $150,000.00 today.
From HVAC history to your current home comfort needs, please contact the experts at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning for the answers.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about TOPIC and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
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