Who Invented Air Conditioning?
The summers are hot in Ingram, and you depend on your cooling system to keep you comfortable. When you lower the setting on your thermostat, you quickly feel the cool air blowing through your home. It has not always been so easy. Your air conditioning unit is the result of a series of inventions and years of progress. Mist and Evaporation People have long understood the cooling feel of water evaporation. Even on a warm, sunny day, sitting outside after a swim can make you shiver. Some of the first attempts at modern air conditioning were founded on this principle. In the 1850s, an inventor named John Gorrie developed a machine to provide a cooler atmosphere in hospital rooms. His first attempt required transporting ice from northern states to Florida. It was a messy and expensive endeavor. However, in 1851, he invented a machine that used compressed air to make ice and mist. His cold air machine was powered by horse or wind. Unfortunately, Gorrie lost his financial backing, and his machine was never fully developed. The First Electric Air Conditioner Gorrie was limited by the power sources of his time. By the early 1900s, more American cities had access...
View Article