Cooling Our Homes Has Changed in Modern Times | Insight from Your Trusted Fort Worth, TX Air Conditioning Service Provider
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Arguments arise every day between couples about what temperature to leave their homes at. She wants it at 70, but he wants it at 68 to keep the utility bill down. A good air conditioning service company could help this argument. Even so, this is truly a modern-day occurrence. Air conditioners didn’t come into play until the early 20th century. With temperatures on the rise, areas like Fort Worth, TX, need a good air conditioning service company to help, such as One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth.
Primitive air conditioning systems have existed since ancient times. Cave dwellers made their homes in caves and built tunnels and burrows under the earth to stay cool. Egyptians created the first water cooled air conditioning by hanging wet reeds in the windows and allowing breezes to blow past them. As time progressed a few more options became available, but only the wealthy could truly afford them. The poor fanned themselves and sweated, but the primitive systems didn’t truly work anyway. In Rome, wealthy citizens used aqueducts to flow cooling water through the walls of their homes. Hypocaust, a system of central heating, was used to keep warm. This system produces and circulates hot air under the floors of a room. Pipes in the wall would also circulate warm air. Public fountains, and even some in homes, were built to allow people to escape the oppressive heat. The Roman baths featured a large chilly pool that helped people cool down at the end of the day. It was kept cold with ice and snow from the Alps. The water has always been one-way people cool off. In fact, many still do this to beat the heat when air conditioning service is needed.
An emperor used a tower of snow, imported in from a nearby mountain, to keep his home cool in the summer. He had it packed against the side of his castle so the cool breezes would blow against it. It took dozens of man hours to complete this task, and the energy to complete the task wasn’t worth the lives it cost. This wouldn’t work in a place like Fort Worth, TX, as there is no snow close enough to import. One Hour Air Conditioning of Fort Worth, TX, fixes the need for a mountain of snow.
The Chinese are the ones who gave us hand fans, which came in to use around 3,000 years ago. Members of the royalty often had servants who carried fans and followed them around all day to keep them cool. A second century Chinese inventor is believed to be the first to create a room-sized rotary fan, which was powered by hand. Some servants’ only job was keeping the fan going at all times, so the rich kept cool.
Architecture also played a part in keeping homes cool. Windows faced away from the sun, and in some cultures, larger building featured wind towers to circulate natural air through the building. Victorian homes captured air flow to keep a room cool. They featured high ceilings, covered porches, and large recessed windows. They also used hand fans and napped during the hottest portion of the day. Businesses often closed if the day became too hot or shut down midday to avoid the heat. They also knew no one would patronize them during this time. Pioneers out west built soddies, homes carved into the side of the hills. It was an easy and temporary shelter until they were able to build a bigger house, but the structure also stayed cool because of being partially underground. The mud and grass used to shore up the walls served as insulation to block the heat and the cold. They all would have been amazed at the air conditioning service of today.
Heating was done in many different ways, including wood and coal. In 1861, William Siemans learned how to super heat coils with electricity. He installed a fan, and the first furnace was created. This made heating homes a much safer endeavor, as it eliminated open fires in homes. However, furnaces had their own safety issues even then, and older models can be a problem needing major repairs. Even if they are functional, these furnaces in older homes can often need tune-ups, and an air conditioning service company, such as One Hour Air Conditioning of Fort Worth, TX, can provide this. They can also make repairs if they are needed.
People often resorted to any means to cool off. When President Garfield was dying in 1881, his caretakers rigged up a device that involved air being blown through cotton sheets soaked in cold, icy water. The heat in Washington that summer was oppressive, and between his illness and the heat, the president was miserable. This primitive system did help to keep him cool. In two month’s time, they went through half a million pounds of ice. The man power to do this was extraordinary and took many hours of work to keep him comfortable. The answer to the problem was simple, really: electricity. Nikola Tesla’s invention of alternating current motors made it possible for the oscillating fans to be invented in the early 1900s. And people in hot climates, such as Fort Worth, TX, were able to breathe a sigh of relief. Soon, air conditioning service companies would be a much-needed business.
Willis Carrier is credited to the be the father of air conditioning, which he invented in 1902 by sending air through water-cooled coils. Carrier was an engineer, working on an air quality problem at the factory he worked in. His invention wasn’t meant to cool homes or people; it was supposed to keep the humidity down in the printing plant he worked in. His first systems were huge, costly, and dangerous as they used large amounts of ammonia. They were mainly used in textile mills, hospitals, and hotels. They were not routinely used in schools until the 1970s. The first home air conditioning system was built in Minneapolis in 1914, but the system was still huge. It stood at seven feet and ran 20 feet along the room. Home air conditioning was not efficient until Carrier put his mind to the subject. In 1922, Carrier invented the centrifugal chiller, which added a compressor to reduce the unit’s size. This smaller unit was introduced to the public at the Rivoli Theater in Times Square on Memorial Day 1925. This was a preview of what was to come with the movie industry in the next few years. He also stopped using ammonia, replacing it with dielene, which is safer. And the need for air conditioning service companies was born. For a display at the World’s Fair once, Carrier built an igloo and showed how refrigeration could keep it from melting.
The Carrier Corporation, which he helped create, is still around. It has annual says of more than $15 billion and employs over 45,000. The company pioneered large scale refrigeration and cooling. It remains a world leader in the HVAC business. Many companies sell Carrier products and offer air conditioning services for them.
Movie theaters started adding air conditioning to their buildings. Patrons would go to the theaters to escape the heat for a few hours. Hollywood can thank air conditioning for its popularity even now. Movie goers tended to go in the winter only until the theaters added air conditioning. The boom in summer attendance eventually lead to what is now known as the summer blockbuster. People still flock to the movie theaters in the summer, and movies are often held to be released at just the perfect summer moment. Many theaters make sure to check into air conditioning service before the busy summer season.
World War II slowed down advancements in the air conditioning service field. People were more concerned about the war, and technological advances focused on ways to win it. Commerce shifted toward military equipment, and most factories changed their manufacturing to accommodate this. The war eventually lead to the booming economy of the 1950s. The economy was stronger than ever, and more people were able to afford different heating and cooling options. They wanted their homes to be top of the line and the most advanced and were willing to pay for it. Technological advances in all areas skyrocketed. This added a boom to the air conditioning service company.
By 1953, over one million HVAC units have been sold. Advances continue through the 1950s. Motors run more quietly, and refrigeration is more efficient. They are also smaller and take up much less room in the home. By the 1970s central air units have over taken single heating and cooling units. Gone were the clunky window air conditioners, although some people do still use them. Now, up to 100 million American homes have heating and air conditioning. Improvements continue to be made to make them safer and more efficient. Air conditioning service companies, such as One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating of Fort Worth, TX, can help with that.
Europeans were slow to join in on air conditioning, but even they have picked up on it now. Most places, especially those open to the public, are air conditioned. However, Southeast Asia and India have not followed suit. Their advice to stay cool is to drink tea. Most people would say to look into air conditioning service.
One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating of Fort Worth provide skilled residential heating and air conditioning services in the surrounding area. They are able to install new units and work with you to find which options are best for you. They have air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, and thermostats and also provide air quality solutions. They recommend air conditioning service or replacement because it can lower energy consumption by 25 to 40 percent, thereby reducing your utility bill. For some that reduced utility bill will cover the cost of the unit.
One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating of Fort Worth, TX, also offers air conditioning service and repair. Their technicians are certified and have modern diagnostic equipment to help identify problems so they can fix the issue. They work to ensure orders are done correctly the first time. Emergency services are also available when needed, and a worker can be with you quickly if you need air conditioning service. Future repair bills can be minimized by signing a service agreement which will provide routine maintenance and repairs.
Energy efficient homes save money on utility bills, and One Hour Air Conditioning can help with that. This air condition service company performs home performance evaluations by Energy Star. They will give recommendations to tell you what you need to fix or what you are doing right. This can save you money monthly on your utility bill. They also provide commercial HVAC services.
If you live in the Fort Worth area, check out One Hour Air Conditioning service. Don’t swelter all summer long; make sure your unit is in tip top condition. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Saturday. For more information, call (817) 283-6911.
In places where the climate is hot, air conditioning is a literal lifesaver. The elderly and very young children can die in extreme heat. Pets left alone in a house without air conditioning often succumb to the heat. We should be thankful for people like Willis Carrier who has made our life easier and more enjoyable. A good quality air condition service company helps with that, too. Call One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating for all your HVAC needs.