Summer also brings heat, and some days are so swelteringly hot you feel like you are literally melting. Luckily, we have the luxury of efficient air conditioning. Generations before us had to come up with innovative ways to stay cool by using water and the concepts of evaporation and air circulation.

In mountainous regions, snow was brought down and left to evaporate where cooler air was needed. Sometimes a fan would be used to circulate the cooler air. In arid climates like the Middle East, cooling towers, or wind catchers, were built. Wind catchers are tall, chimney-like structures that harness the cool breezes and redirect them downwards either into the home or wherever cooler air is required.

Willis Haviland Carrier worked for a printing company facing a tricky challenge–how to keep paper from curling up in the heat. Carrier, being a skilled engineer, was tasked with finding the solution. Inspired by the concepts of refrigeration previously established and experimenting with the principles of humidity, Carrier invented the first modern air conditioner in 1902. An article from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers explains how it worked:

Carrier’s system sent air through coils filled with cold water, cooling the air while at the same time removing moisture to control room humidity. In 1933, the Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America developed an air conditioner using a belt-driven condensing unit and associated blower, mechanical controls, and evaporator coil, and this device became the model in the growing U.S. marketplace for air-cooling systems. [source]

Today’s air conditioning systems are able to operate at a fraction of the cost and are available to a wider consumer base due to the advancement of technology and energy efficiency. Commercial HVAC systems are more complicated than residential systems so the mechanical engineers at Yagla Engineering Services work to ensure that each commercial project is evaluated for its unique requirements and the appropriate system is designed. When the heat is on, we help you keep cool.