HVAC Through the Ages

Primitive humans ducked into damp, cool caves; my how things have changed.

The Primitive Caveman Era:

Those who lived in primitive times knew the answer to air conditioning when it came time to take refuge from the summer heat. Yep, there was nothing like nice cool, damp caves hidden in the side of a rocky hill or mountain. But even in that century, it was first come-first served and fights were an every summer occurrence.

The fact is that progress from the stone age didn't become a reality until the 1830's when a Florida doctor had had enough of the unbearable heat and humidity in his hospital and created what was called in those days: a "contraption" simply a small fan blowing over a bucket of ice. Although it was pretty much a makeshift gimmick - it worked.

Fifty Years Later!

In 1881 a Navel engineer constructed a box filled with ice water and soaked rags that, along with a large fan, would blow the hot air overhead keeping cooler air lower to the ground. Fast forward a few years and refrigeration became common use. Of course you had to live in a large city in those days to take advantage of this clever discovery.

However, it wasn't until an engineer wizard with AC knowledge named Willis Carrier said key to all this mess was precise control of the temperature-humidity relationship in the air and achieved it by using a series of chilled "coils" that not only lowered temperatures but the humidity, as well. His invention was the "kick-starter" for the HVAC revolution.

Damp, Cool Caves Be-gone, Here's The List Of The HVAC Unit Historical Milestones!

* 1758 - Benjamin Franklin said: "I invented everything including liquid evaporation."

* 1820 - Englishman Michael Faraday said the same thing.

* 1830's - Florida doctor John Gorrie builds an ice-making machine and gets a patent.

* 1881 - After a presidential assassination two navel engineers build a makeshift cooling unit to keep him cool and comfortable in his casket.

* 1902 - Willis Carrier (remember him?) invents an apparatus for treating air.

* 1906 - Stuart Carrier (brother) creates a ventilating device.

* 1914 - Air conditioning finally comes home: it's 7 feet high, 6 feet wide, 20 feet long. Nobody ever lived in the house.

* 1931 - Two gentlemen, Schultz and Sherman invented a single AC that sits on a ledge.

* 1939 - Packard invents the first AC unit for a vehicle.

It's been a struggle, but HVAC finally made it!

If your Ft. Lauderdale HVAC unit is giving you trouble, dump that dinosaur and call AAA Modern Air at 954-241-2523 to install a new one.