The History of Cool

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History of Cool
how did we get here?

Throughout the years air conditioning has become a necessity for our day to day activities. It has become a norm for cars, homes and office buildings to be equipped with air conditioning systems. In the late 1800's it was a mere curiosity for engineers to think of cooling buildings. The idea had been pondered upon but it was not until the early 1900's that the concept of refrigeration technology matured to the point that it could be considered for applications such as building cooling. Currently these types of systems are referred to as HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems.

With the idea being discussed frequently throughout the late 1800's there was even some cooling systems installed using ice or mechanical refrigeration.

However, it wasn't until Alfred Wolff, along with several other leading engineers, pushed right through their invention for cooling buildings. Alfred Wolff was considered the leading heating and ventilating engineer of his day, he was among the first to install air conditioning systems in many famous New York buildings. Among one of the famous buildings was the New York Stock Exchange, the first 300 ton air conditioning unit. The cooling was provided free by using the waste steam from the building's electric power plant to operate the refrigerating machines.

Mr. Wolff went onto installing other air conditioning units is such building as, The Carnegie Hall, The New York Public Library, and the Plaza Hotel. The new invention had everyone impressed and amazed that the once thought about idea had come to a reality.

Now, it wasn't until newly graduated engineer, Willis Haviland Carrier who mastered the art of cooling. He was able to control the air's dew point, and sold his systems to customers with a promise of specific temperature and humidity performance.

In 1907, appointed to be the chief engineer as he launched a new company division, The Carrier Air Conditioning Co. of America.

Willis Haviland Carrier

Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904

The public was first exposed to the cooling side of air conditioning at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, in 1904. They were treated to an air conditioned 1,000 seat auditorium exhibit. The rest of North America did not get introduced to air conditioning til 1917, when movie theaters installed their cooling plants. As the temperatures increased people found movie theaters to be a haven to the unbearable heat waves.

That is where the idea of home air conditioning arose, it wasn't until 1930 when most offices and department stores installed their comfort cooling systems. Air conditioning for homes and small offices presented another challenge. This is where refrigerator companies put their skills to the test. It was Frigidaire who introduced the first "room cooler system".

By the 1930s, these companies were combining cooling and heating technology with central home air conditioning systems, with circulating filtered, tempered air to all of the rooms in a house, office, or business. The cooling system has come a long way from luxury to a necessity.

So our hats tip off to all the engineers for making our lives more cooler and comfortable.

Jennifer Salas

History of Coolhow did we get here?

History of Cool
how did we get here?