Your air conditioning unit is really an exceptional machine. However, the idea of cooling air in the interior of our building in order to improve our comfort by removing heat and moisture from the air has been around for a long time. Since prehistoric times, ice and snow were brought indoors for this purpose and ice harvesting, or the process where ice was stored for use in the summer, has been around since the late 17th century.
The ancient Egyptians used a very similar process to modern air conditioning. They hung reed plants in the windows, which they then poured water down. As the hot desert air in Egypt evaporated the water, the wind would blow and push the cooler air from the evaporation process into homes. This also would humidify the air, which can be beneficial to people’s health, especially when you’re sick. The Chinese were using fans since the beginning of the 2nd century AD.
As technology continued to build, so too did the air conditioning process. Evaporation was the main source of cooled air throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. However, it wasn’t until 1902 that the first modern air conditioner was invented in the United States. The breakthrough was simple really, looking back on it. Instead of sending air through hot coils, air was sent through cold coils instead. This process cooled the air and allowed the moisture content in the air to be controlled — which ironically was the whole reason for this invention.
Boyd Brothers Services is an air conditioning service company in Punta Gorda. We provide AC repair, AC maintenance, and air conditioning replacement services to keep you cool during the hot and humid summer months in Florida. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the main components of your air conditioning unit in order to understand how this seemingly innocuous piece of machinery has become essential to modern living. Contact us today!