15 Interesting Facts about HVAC

You probably don’t think that much about your heating, ventilating and air conditioning system (HVAC). However, we, at Gurley & Son Heating and Air, want you to start. In this article, we’ll teach you a little bit more about the apparatus by introducing 15 interesting facts about HVAC. We hope you enjoy them.

#1 In 80 AD China, an artisan named Ding Huan created a 10-foot wide rotary fan. It was comprised of 7 connected wheels. A single person could power the device by simply turning a crank. The primitive air conditioner cooled an entire hall of people.

#2 Air conditioning does not cool a house down. Rather, it removes heat from the house.

#3 The Romans were the first to utilize any type of warm-air heating system.

#4 John Gorrie, the father of refrigeration and air conditioning, was a medical doctor. In 1842 he developed a machine to make ice to create cool air for his patients. (He was living in Florida at the time.) He thought his ice-making machine could be used to cool down homes and other buildings. In 1851 he received a patent for his idea, but died penniless three years later after losing his financial backing.

#5 Air conditioning’s development gave a big boost to the movie industry. Before A/C, movie theaters got rather hot in the summertime.

#6 Packard was the first automobile manufacturer to use air conditioners in their cars. This practice started in 1936.

#7 Geothermal power can drill into the Earth’s crust and extract natural heat coming from the Earth’s core. The deepest geothermal well built to this point is called the Kola Superdeep Borehole. It is used for research and goes seven miles below the Earth’s surface.

#8 The first steam-heating system install occurred in England. That way the Governor of the Bank of England could grow his grapes in cooler temperatures.

#9 Besides giving you a cooler home, an air conditioner helps clean the air in your home. Air is drawn through return air ducts and passes through an air filter that removes items such as dust, dander and lint from the home’s atmosphere. The cleaned up air then comes back through the home.

#10 The item that changes resistance as heat temperatures change is called a thermistor. The thermistor alerts the thermostat to adjust itself to the right temperature.

#11 Since 1960, more than 50 percent of America’s economic growth can be attributed to air conditioning units in the southern and western parts of the country. It is now possible to live there year-round and work year-long in comfort.

#12 The gold standard of the HVAC world is the Air Standard. This means that air must be 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) with a 36% relative humidity at 14.7 psia (pounds per square inch absolute.) It’s not easy getting to that state.

#13 Geothermal power is definitely efficient. It drills down deep enough to extract warm thermal energy that is easy to cool and also easy to heat. This saves energy that would be used to balance warm and cold temperatures.

#14 Before air conditioning became common, many businesses and government office took two month long summer vacations.

#15 Michael Faraday, in 1820, first conceived of the modern concept of air conditioning. He discovered that compressed and liquefied ammonia could chill the air when it was allowed to evaporate.

There are definitely more interesting facts about HVAC. We hope that the fifteen we chose lived up to our title. For more facts on HVAC or just to schedule a service call, contact Gurley & Son Heating and Air today.

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