Cool Capitalist: The 100th Anniversary of the Air Conditioner

The Washington Times ^ | July 21, 2006 | Edward Hudgins

[Ed Hudgins]

Ehudgins@atlassociety.org

It's a typical 3-H Washington, D.C. summer: hazy, hot and humid. And with small variations, the rest of the country sweats through this same season.

But I sit typing in cool comfort, looking out a window into the park at the statue of an admiral who might want to yield his pedestal for a likeness of Willis Haviland Carrier. Who was Carrier and why does he deserve our esteem? He's the American who invented and commercialized the modern air conditioner.

Carrier was born in 1876 and grew on the cold shores of Lake Erie in Upstate New York. He earned a masters in electrical engineering from Cornell University in 1901 and went to work for the Buffalo Forge Co., where he worked on heating systems for companies to dry lumber and coffee.

One of his firm's customers, Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing and Publishing Co. in Brooklyn, faced a problem. Climate variations in their facility meant the printing equipment would expand or contract subtly, making it difficult to keep the machines properly aligned for the multistage printing process. Carrier solved the company's problem by producing the first system to control temperature, humidity and ventilation; U.S. Patent No. 8008897 for the "Apparatus for Treating Air" was granted in 1906.

Carrier started his own company in 1915. Entrepreneurs soon understood cool could attract customers. By 1924, he was producing air conditioning systems not only for industrial concerns but for department stores and theaters. Carrier's creations meant that in the hard times and long, hot summers of the Depression and World War II Americans could chill out watching a Clark Gable movie.

In 1928, Carrier produced the first AC unit for private residences ...

[backhoe]

In the "sorta for what it's worth" department, there is a new, drop-in replacement for automotive air conditioner refrigerants, called hc-12a. It's hydrocarbon-based, so it doesn't fall afoul of the draconian regulations for CFC ( freon ), and they make claims ( backed, of course, by their own charts ) of lower temperatures, lower head pressure ( less horsepower & wear ), self-lubricating, etc.

Well, long story short, I tried it in the Zook, and it reads about 5 degrees colder versus the R-134a it replaced.

Here's one ( there are several, search ) supplier:
http://www.foxtoolsupply.com/HC-12a.htm

For your consideration.

[Ed Hudgins]

Oil is indeed formed by natural processes but over very long periods of time, millions of years. That's why I think in centuries to come will drain most of it or it will simply become too costly to extract. But not to worry! It was the human mind, which figured out how to make use of oil and to extract and refine it. And if we can avoid a complete anti-reason culture and avoid harsh government regulations, individual minds will figure out how to make the matter and energy in the world around us serve our purposes!

[backhoe]

We didn't have AC when I was growing up either. With the exception of a few movie theaters and restaurants, I don't remember AC in widespread use until the late 1960s, early 70s. Most new automobiles didn't feature it until the 70s and even then it was an option.

Yep- we had a house on the Atlantic ocean when I grew up-- attic fans, pedestal fans, oscillating fans, hassock fans-- and for the last weeks of August and the first of September, you slept about an hour before awaking, soaked. Despite all those fans drawing hot air over you.

The stores had AC, and advertised "Come on IN! It's 20 degrees COOLER inside!"

[Ed Hudgins]

Capitalism at its best!

[Inyo-Mono]

The stores had AC, and advertised "Come on IN! It's 20 degrees COOLER inside!"

Boy, do I remember that! Those places were havens for the hot traveler. Do you remember after market swamp coolers for your car? My Dad had one that looked like a jet engine mounted on the passenger window of our 1960 Volkswagon and another in our '56 Olds that mounted on the floorboard under the dash that you had to add ice to.

[backhoe]

Do you remember after market swamp coolers for your car? My Dad had one that looked like a jet engine mounted on the passenger window of our 1960 Volkswagon and another in our '56 Olds that mounted on the floorboard under the dash that you had to add ice to.

I saw stuff like that, but we never had them- Dad didn't like air conditioning... ironic, since his business had an HVAC division!

[Ed Hudgins]

Very good!