When you think of an air conditioner, or heating and cooling in general, “fun” probably isn’t the first word that comes to your mind! And that’s ok, we get it; we know that just because at A-1 Heating & Air, Inc. we are passionate about all things HVAC doesn’t mean everyone is!
However, there are quite a few interesting facts about air conditioning that may pique your interest, so we’ve decided to have a little fun and share some of our favorite ones below:
Air Conditioning Fun Facts
1. Before modern air conditioners were invented, people used to cool their businesses and homes with one-ton blocks of ice. Once A/C came about and manufacturers began marketing their products, they wanted to describe things so that customers would understand. So, they referred to “ice power” and called their systems “one-ton ACs.” A one-ton AC unit produced as much cooling as melting a ton of ice, which today is the equivalent of about 12,000 BTUs.
2. The New York Stock Exchange was the first famous building to use air conditioning in 1903.
3. The world’s first commercial cooling systems were created by Ting Huan in 180 AD. His systems used fans equipped with seven wheels, each of which was ten feet in diameter! These cooling systems were cranked by just one person.
4. Willis Carrier invented the first air conditioner in 1902. He was just 26 years old when he got the idea while he was on a train platform looking at fog. In 1915, he founded the Carrier Engineering Corporation.
5. In 1930, the first air conditioning system was installed by Carrier in the West Wing of the White House.
6. Each year, the average household in America uses 40.4 million BTUs for heating, but just 9.3 million for cooling.
7. In the Holy Mosque of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, you’ll find the world’s largest HVAC system. How big is it? The system has a refrigeration capacity of 135,000 tons! As a comparison, the average residential air conditioners have capacities that range from 1.5 to 5 tons.
8. Before 1940, less than one-third of new homes in the United States came equipped with air conditioning. Today, 95% of new homes do.
9. The average American family spends over $2,000 each year on energy costs. $2% of that is on heating, and just 6% of it is for cooling.
10. Homes with low humidity feel cooler than those with high humidity levels because the dry air causes the skin’s moisture to evaporate, which cools people down.
11. It’s predicted that by 2050, 5.6 billion buildings across the globe will have air conditioning. To make that happen, consumers would need to buy the equivalent of 600 air conditioners every minute for the next 30 years.
12. Back in 1939, the first air conditioning systems were installed in a car by a manufacturer and were called weather conditioners.
13. “Summer blockbusters” became popular thanks to air conditioning because people would go to cinemas to enjoy the A/C. Movie producers capitalized on this fact and began releasing their big hits during the summer months.
14. The first residential air conditioning system was installed in the Charles Gates mansion in Minneapolis. The home was 38,000 square feet and was built in 1913. Sadly, it was demolished just 20 years later when the owner died and no one could afford to buy an enormous home with air conditioning.
15. The quality of the installation job has a direct impact on the efficiency of an air conditioner. Research shows that building owners in New York City lose up to $180 million annually in energy costs due to low-quality installation.
It’s important to trust the Bay Area leaders in all things HVAC for your air conditioning needs. Whether you need installation, repairs, or routine maintenance, it just has to be done right. Schedule an appointment with A-1 Guaranteed Heating & Air, Inc. today!
