INFOGRAPHIC - 7 Cold Hard Facts About Air Conditioning
It’s starting to warm up! Before we know it, we’ll be turning on our air conditioners for relief from the heat. Here are 7 cool facts about air conditioners that you may not know:
- Movie theaters were among the first public establishments to have air conditioners installed. Producers would release movies during the summer months to attract crowds of viewers eager to cool off, hence the term “summer blockbuster.”
- Herbert Hoover was the first U.S. president with the luxury of an air-conditioned Oval Office. It cost him $30,000.
- Long before air conditioners existed, ancient civilizations were inventing ways to beat the heat. The Persians built wind catchers, the Chinese waved hand-held fans, and the Romans perfected the aqueduct.
- In 1902 Willis Carrier built the first air conditioner inside a printing company to speed up the drying process and keep ink from smudging. In 1906 he patented his idea, and in 1915 he founded the Carrier Corporation, which still operates today.
- A simple, but important part of maintaining your air conditioner is changing your filter. Find out which filter is right for your HVAC system.
- Before air conditioners were commonplace, government offices and some business would close for summer vacation for two to three months.
- Sizzling states like Florida, Texas and California experienced a population boom as air conditioners became more popular. Without them, most people couldn’t withstand the scorching Sunbelt climate.
