Air Conditioning, Through the Ages—Part Two: Modernization

After centuries of trial and error, humans were able to progress from using large quantities of imported or manufactured ice on to more sophisticated ways to maintain cool indoor temperatures during hot weather. The most dramatic progress humans have made in air conditioning technology came during the early 20th century, and would not have been possible without some key innovators, such as James Harrison and John Gorrie.

However, the tallest giant among the innovators in air conditioning is Willis Carrier, considered to be the father of the modern air conditioner. Carrier got his start as an engineer, and his work ultimately led him toward his destiny. While solving an application problem at a printing plant in Brooklyn, New York, Carrier began experimenting with the laws of humidity control. This research sent Carrier down a path to higher ambitions.

Carrier hit upon the revelation that he could control the humidity of air by passing it through water to create fog, thus drying water from the air. Building upon concepts of mechanical refrigeration established by Gorrie and Harrison, Carrier devised an AC system which sent air through coils filled with cold water. This process cooled the air, while also removing moisture to control indoor humidity. Thus, in 1902, Willis Carrier had created the first modern air conditioning unit!

In 1915, Carrier led a group of engineers away from the Buffalo Forge Company to start his own business. The resulting company, called the Carrier Engineering Company, devoted itself for broadening the practical uses of Carrier’s cutting-edge air conditioning technologies. Over the following years, the Carrier Engineering Company went on to produce air conditioning units for industrial manufacturing facilities, indoor theaters, and many other institutions.

The rest of the world ultimately caught on to Willis Carrier’s modern air conditioning technology. Around the world, textile factories, meat processing plants, office buildings, and medical capsules had all become dependent on modern air conditioning by the time Carrier died in 1950. The shift from coping with miserable heat to basking in the comfort and safety of an air conditioned home has continued up to the present day. In 1965, only ten percent of American homes had AC units; at the present day, a whopping eighty-six percent of American homes have ACs!

There were plenty more advances to be made in air conditioning technology after Willis Carrier’s work was done, of course. AC World presents the fruits of all modern air conditioning discoveries—come see our options for portable, single zone, and multi zone AC units!