Did You Know?

The History of Air Conditioning

Since this year’s summer was one of the hottest ever, many of us are best friends with our home’s air conditioning. However, it wasn’t invented for our comfort. The first air conditioners were built to improve the performance of printing machinery.

Willis H. Carrier invented the first air conditioning unit in 1902 while he was chief engineer at a producer of steam engines and pumps. He was hired by a publishing company to provide solutions for controlling the air’s humidity. The humidity was making paper stock soggy and created poor print quality. To remedy this problem, the 25 year old Carrier designed a system to control temperature, humidity, air circulation and ventilation. In 1906, Carrier patented his first Apparatus for Treating Air.

Fast-forward to 1914, when Carrier and other engineers formed the Carrier Engineering Corporation. While the company hit some major financial speed bumps, including the 1929 Wall Street crash and Depression, the renamed Carrier Corporation hit its stride in the 1950’s. Todays Carrier Corporation is still profitable. It reported $20.6 billion in sales during 2021. Now that’s a lot of cool air!