Who Invented Air Conditioning?
Although summers in Black Mountain, NC, are hot and humid, you might not give much consideration to your air conditioning system. As long as it’s keeping your home cool and comfortable, it’s easy to take it for granted. Central air conditioning has only been common in newly built homes for about 50 years. These days, most homes are built with it or have been retrofitted to include air conditioning. Read on to learn about a couple of the key players in the invention of modern electrical air conditioning systems.
Willis Carrier
In 1901, Willis Carrier invented what is regarded to be the first electrical air conditioning unit. He was an engineer working on a project for a client, Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company. The client’s printing presses had alignment problems caused by high humidity. Carrier’s machine both lowered the indoor humidity level and the temperature. In 1902, Carrier applied for a patent on his invention. In 1915, Carrier and six other engineers left their employer and formed The Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America. Carrier Corporation, as it is known today, is the largest manufacturer of air conditioning systems in the United States. The first home to receive an air conditioning system was the Meadowmont House in 1933.
Frederick Jones and Robert Sherman
Frederick Jones also played a role in air conditioning. He received a patent on portable air conditioning units. Those units were installed in vehicles owned by the United States Army in World War II. In 1939, Packard started to offer air conditioning in its vehicles. The refrigerated trucks transported medication, blood products and food to soldiers in the field and to field hospitals. In the 1950s, Robert Sherman received a patent for the portable window air conditioning unit. By the late 1960s, nearly all new homes had central air conditioning.
Morris Heating & Cooling is the trusted provider of air conditioning repair, replacement and installation services in Black Mountain. You can also turn to us for your heating and indoor air quality services. For more information about the inventors of air conditioning, contact us at Morris Heating & Cooling today.