Who Invented Air Conditioning?

The sizzling-hot summers in San Antonio, TX, will have you reaching for your home’s thermostat to crank up the AC. You might be surprised to learn that air conditioning has only been the norm in houses for about 60 years. Earlier, people had to use fans, swamp coolers or simply leave their doors and windows open for air circulation. Read on to learn about who invented air conditioning, some of the earliest types of air conditioning systems and what types of air conditioning inventions may be in store for the future. Willis Carrier Willis Carrier is widely regarded as the father of air conditioning. In 1901, he worked for an engineering firm. One of the clients was a printing company. It had a chronic problem with too much humidity. The moisture caused paper to get stuck. Carrier was tasked with solving the company’s problem. He invented a machine that was powered by electricity. This machine lowered the humidity in the client’s manufacturing facility. An unintended side effect of the dehumidification was a reduction in the room’s temperature. Carrier patented his machine in 1902. In 1915, he and his co-workers split from their employer and founded the Carrier Corporation. Carrier Corporation...

View Article

Should I Turn My AC Off When I Go on Vacation?

Whether to turn off or leave on an air conditioner while on vacation is a common question. Which choice is the smartest in terms of saving energy? Look at Several Factors Like many things in life, there’s no simple answer. It depends on several factors, including exterior temperature and humidity. The Climate What you should do certainly depends on your climate. Here at in San Antonio, we understand that it gets extremely hot, and we’re always here to help people with their AC units. If you’re going to be away for a hot stretch with temperatures near the century mark, you should probably leave your AC on while you’re away. If the weather is mild, go ahead and turn it off. The reasoning behind this is that, in some cases, your system would have to work too hard to cool down your house upon your return. It would have to run around the clock for possibly several days to get things back to normal. This constant running isn’t ideal for your components, even if they’re well maintained. If you keep the AC on, your house will stay at a pleasant temperature and nothing will get overloaded. Humidity is very important...

View Article