It took almost 50 years before the first commercial application of air conditioning cooled air for industrial processing, thanks to the invention of Willis Carrier. Stuart Cramer, operating a textile mill in South Carolina found a way to add moisture to the air, making fabrics easier to work with while cooling the environment, and coined the term air conditioning in his application for the patent.

The earliest methods of air conditioning used compressed gases such as ammonia, methyl chloride and propane, but the danger they presented led to the use of chlorofluorocarbon and in 1928 under the trade name of Freon, was found to be safe for man and machine. However, it was found harmful to the atmosphere and was replaced by hydrofluorocarbons, which proved safer, however even newer gases that are ozone friendly is taking their place and by 2010, all new products will contain Puron.

Air Conditioning Use Spreads To Personal Comfort

During the 1950’s air conditioning use expanded into home and automobiles, improving personal space and helped in the development of larger, deep-well buildings. Developing central air conditioning systems that sent cooled air through ductwork enabled wider building construction. Previously, the buildings had to be thin enough to allow for proper air circulation throughout the entire building.

It has also been noted, and disputed, that human productivity improves in areas where cooler temperatures are maintained. Studies have professed that the most productivity occurs in a room temperature of 72-degrees, and diminishes one percent for every two-degree temperature rise. Many say this is a result of an air conditioning salesman’s pitch and dispute the theory. While other are convinced the study conducted in the Hawthorne Works, a factory in the early 1930’s, shows the relationship between environmental temperature and productivity.

From the days of using towers of water and windmills to speed evaporation, controlling the interior environment has found it way into the air conditioning processes available today. From cooling small rooms to entire buildings, humans have found another way to enhance their creature comfort.

Depending on the brand of system installed a repair service specializing in that brand as a certified technician may be needed. While air conditioning works essentially the same on all brands, there may be some repair technique unique to each brand. Many times one Houston air conditioning company may not be able to obtain the correct parts for servicing a unit distributed by a manufacturer different from the one with which it deals. Several companies may work with several manufacturers but very few will work them all.

Additionally, if the unit is still under factory warranty having a person not certified in factory-trained repairs may void the warranty, regardless of the Houston air conditioning repair company’s certifications. Having warranty service performed by a qualified service center will usually be paid for by the factory as well and with many Houston air conditioning repair shops, finding the right one should be easy.

First Theaters Air Conditioned In Houston

Is was in 1924 that the first movie theaters in Houston were cooled by air conditioning as Carrier Engineering installed their centrifugal units at the Texas and Iris Theaters. Using a bypass downdraft systems to the theaters in Houston air conditioning meant more business as patrons found the movies more enjoyable in air conditioned comfort.

Based on a conduit design created in 1924, for numerous buildings in Houston air conditioning is piped throughout the structure. This is a far cry from original construction designs requiring window air circulation in structures that kept them slim with exterior windows in every room. This evolvement allowed buildings to be built with interiors that were not adjacent to exterior walls. Additionally, for many ships in Houston air conditioning is a must as they traverse the Houston Waterway to inland ports and helps with food preservation and shipping as well.

When traveling through Houston air conditioning can make the ride more enjoyable in a car, a bus or by train all thanks to innovations in the air conditioner industry. From whole house and building units to single-room air conditioners, without air conditioning many daily rituals would be uncomfortable to perform. Even in the 100-degree heat of Houston air conditioning makes playing baseball in the Astrodome possible.

There are other common problems that can usually be remedied by the homeowner without the need for expert repairs, and a little knowledge of how central air conditioning works can help trace the problem. If the unit will not operate at all, for instance, check the fuse or circuit breaker. If it is tripped, turn it back on and see if the unit will now work. If the compressor shuts off on a hot day and will not come back on, check the limit switch, usually on the compressor’s access panel. At times, the central air conditioning compressor may build up too much pressure and turns the unit off until the pressure is reduced.

A dirty filter will contribute to a central air conditioning unit nor performing efficiently. Since it shares the filtering system with your home’s heating system, dust, dirt and hair will be passing through the filter all year. Check it monthly to make sure it is not slowing down airflow. Additionally, if the central air conditioning unit is operated in less than 60-degrees, ice may form on the coils and prevent them from cooling the air. If this happens, the only solution is turn off the unit until the ice melts away.

Leave Serious Work To The Professionals

Since a central air conditioning unit usually is not cheap, it is often best to leave the more serious problems to the professionals trained to handle them. However, at the beginning of each season you should venture to the outside unit and perform some preventive maintenance to keep your unit running efficiently.

Inside central air conditioning refrigerant is transferred between two coils, removing heat from the room, sending it outside while refrigerant cools the coils and then the blower sends the cold air back into the room. Since the returning air has little humidity, the moisture in the air is picked up and transferred to the unit where it condenses into a drip pan.

Keeping the coils free of dust helps with the transfer of the coolant and making sure the drip pan’s drain is free of obstructions can help improve the central air conditioning unit’s efficiency. Due the high cost of electricity that operates the unit, running it at minimal cost will prove a benefit.

During the first World War, Carrier and six of his friends opened Carrier Engineering Corporation and after providing Madison Square Gardens and the House of Representatives and the House of Senate with cool air, Carrier air conditioning appeared in the first private residence in Minneapolis.

With Carrier air conditioning now available for residential use, people flocked to the Sunbelt where daily temperatures soared and air conditioning made the air tolerable. With a division open in Japan, Carrier air conditioning became one of the first and fastest growing air conditioning companies in the world. Today, Carrier remains one of the top names associated with air conditioning and still revolves around his early inventions for cooling and humidity control developed while he worked for Buffalo Forge.

Being Called Father Of Air Conditioning

Although the term air conditioning was introduced by Stuart Cramer in 1906, Carrier air conditioning units earned him the nickname of Father of Air Conditioning as he continued to seek better and more efficient methods to cool buildings while controlling humidity. This was the need of his first devices used to help the printing company maintain a constant temperature and humidity level, enabling it to print with consistency.

Movie theaters in Dallas and Houston extolled the virtues of Carrier air conditioning units once they were installed on their theaters. They proclaimed that movie-goers were delighted in being able to watch the show in the cool air and that attendance had increased drastically since their installation. It was a period of change for indoor activities, when some activities were severely curtailed when the temperature indoors became unbearable.

The dining care of the Martha Washington train became the first railroad car fitted with Carrier air conditioning and in 1937 and air conditioned bus made its first trip from Baghdad to Damascus. In these early days with air conditioning being introduced into new uses, Carrier air conditioning changed the way the world thought about their living conditions and basically changed the environment on many levels.

When heating units were first installed in homes and buildings, they counted on gravity to circulate the air. Furnaces were placed in the bottom of a building with ductwork installed to carry the heat to the upper level. As the air in the upper levels cooled, it was moved by gravity through separate, cold air ducts, back to the furnace where it would begin its cycle over. Using that theory, air conditioning and heating installation contractors can design a system to utilize gravity, as well as forced air movement, to maintain a building’s comfort level.

Depending on the heat source of a furnace, most communities regulate who is allowed to install furnaces, requiring either a licensed electrician or certified plumber to complete the air conditioning and heating installation to insure it will present no danger to the building’s occupants. While just about anyone can fasten parts into place, not only is the efficiency in jeopardy, a faulty air conditioning and heating installation can also put the people in danger.

Appropriate Venting Required On All Units

On all issues of air conditioning and heating installation, proper venting has to be considered to maintain safety as well as to improve efficiency of the units. Improper venting of a heating system can allow toxic gases such as carbon monoxide to escape into the interior air. Even the smallest leak of this gas can prove deadly to the occupants.

With air conditioning, for every inch of air cooled, another inch is heated and unless it is handled properly, the unit will not work efficiently. During air conditioning and heating installation there is always a means to have to hot air produced by the air conditioner vented away from the area being cooled, to allow for more efficiency. Without the proper venting of the heated air, the conditioner is simply cooling the same amount of air it is heating and not being productive to account for the energy used.

Since then, many improvements and features have been added to automotive air conditioning to make it function better. However, this means that repairing automotive air conditioning is more complicated, and you are less likely to be able to do this difficult task without the assistance of a professional. However, if you understand a little bit about how automotive air conditioning works and what parts it is made up of, then perhaps you might be able to attempt this daring feat yourself.

The Seven Standard Parts of Automotive Air Conditioning

There are seven basic parts that you might encounter in your automotive air conditioning system. These parts are: the compressor, the condenser, the evaporator, the orifice tube, the thermal expansion valve, the receiver-drier, and the accumulator.

The compressor, or “the heart of the system,” is a pump that is attached to the engine. Its purpose is to compress and transfer refrigerant gas. The compressor has both an intake and a discharge side.

The condenser functions very much like the radiator and will often times have a similar appearance. The purpose of the condenser is to radiate heat, which means that anytime the automotive air conditioning is being operated, the condenser must have good air flow.

The evaporator is the part of the automotive air conditioning system that absorbs heat. Besides getting rid of heat from inside your vehicle, it is also responsible for dehumidifying the car. In order to regulate the temperature of the evaporator, pressure regulating devices have been introduced.

One of these pressure regulating devices is the orifice tube. The orifice tube is the most commonly used pressure regulating device. An alternative pressure regulating device is the thermal expansion valve.

The receiver-drier is used in automotive air conditioning systems that use thermal expansion valves to ensure that this specific pressure regulating device receives the liquid refrigerant that it needs in order to function. In order to do so, it must separate gas and liquid.

The accumulator is used only on automotive air conditioning systems that have the orifice tube as the pressure regulating device, and its primary function is to store extra liquid refrigerant. In doing so, it prevents any liquid from entering the compressor, which could do serious damage to the system.

Like A Pro

Despite the many advancements that have been made in the automotive field since the introduction of automotive air conditioning, you can still maintain your own system. All you need to do is learn a little about it first!

Portable Air Conditioners

One of many different types of air conditioning units is the portable air conditioner. The portable air conditioner is on wheels, making transportation inside an office or home very easy. They can have up to 4,100 watts of output, and they can be purchased with or without electric resistance heaters.

Portable air conditioning units are available in two sub-types: split and monoblock air conditioners. Monoblock air conditioners use ducts to vent air outside, and are less efficient than split air conditioners because they draw air out of the room and replace it with hot air from other rooms or outside.

Central Air Conditioning Units

Central air conditioning units are well known throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. They use ducts to distribute dehumidified or cool air to one or more than one room. They can also use pipes to transport chilled water to heat exchangers.

You can purchase a central air conditioning system in a split unit, meaning that some components will be located inside and others will be located outside. You can also buy a packaged system, which means that all of the system’s parts will be packaged in an air conditioning unit that is located outside, either on the roof or on the ground.

There are several benefits to central air conditioning units as opposed to other types of air conditioning. The first is that the air is filtered when using this system, making the air cleaner and easier to breathe. The second advantage is that, because this system is typically located outside, it is quieter and less disruptive than other common air conditioning units.

Other Types of Air Conditioning Units

While central and portable air conditioning units are the most common, there are other types of systems as well. These systems include: ductless or mini split air conditioners and evaporative coolers.

Breathe Easy

Once you know the facts, it is not difficult to decide which air conditioning system will best fit your lifestyle. If you are looking for convenience, than perhaps you would benefit from a portable air conditioning system. However, if efficiency and cleanliness is your aim, then you might want to consider a central air conditioning unit.

Part of air conditioning maintenance is replacing parts that don’t seem to work anymore. If your air conditioning compressor is not working, it is important to seek out an air conditioning compression manufacturer as soon as possible in order to fix the problem.

Air Conditioning Compressor—Cause and Effect

You might be wondering what could have caused your air conditioning compressor to malfunction. Well, there are several causes of this fairly common problem. Firstly, it could be that too much liquid came into contact with the air conditioning compressor. Also, a filter that is too small or dirty could cause compressor failure.

Why is it so vital that you locate an air conditioning compression manufacturer as soon as you can? There are several negative consequences if you do not do this immediately. The failure of the compressor could lead to the system’s failure to produce cool air, or not enough of it.

Where Can I Find an Air Conditioning Compression Manufacturer?

Your first step when trying to find an air conditioning compression manufacturer is to determine where your air conditioning unit was manufactured. Then, contact the manufacturer of your air conditioning unit to see if they sell individual parts. If the company is an air conditioning compression manufacturer, then you might also try to find out whether or not your equipment was under any sort of warranty. If this is so, then you might be able to obtain the air conditioning compressor for free.

If you are unsuccessful at locating an air conditioning compression manufacturer that is the same company as the one who manufactured your air conditioning system, then you should try to locate another company and you can do this using the internet. Most parts are imported from the countries where they are manufactured, so it is common for the manufacturers to be located in countries such as China, India, and Iran.

Maintaining a System

Maintenance is one of the most important aspects of any part of your home, whether it is for the air conditioning system, the plumbing, or the gutters. The key to maintenance, however, is to find a professional who you trust to assist you in the maintenance process.

The original purpose of air filters was to keep the elements of the air conditioning system clean. More recently, however, people have grown less concerned with the cleanliness of the evaporator coil and the blower and have become more concerned with the cleanliness of the air.

Why Should I Replace and Maintain Air Conditioning Filters?

It is very important to regularly replace and clean your air conditioning filters. This allows the air conditioning system to run more efficiently, and it allows for cleaner air, which can lessen the effects of allergies.

If you do not maintain your filter, then the blower will most likely consume more power and your system will provide a reduced amount of cooling or heating. Also, not maintaining your air conditioning filters could result in the failure of the compressor, and in the higher cost and shorter life of the equipment.

The Key to Maintaining Your Air Conditioning Filters

In order to properly maintain your air conditioning filters, you need to make sure to clean or replace the filter often. How often? Well, this time frame can vary anywhere from two weeks to two months. However, the best way to known when to clean or replace the filters is to look at the filter and evaluate its cleanliness.

Another important part of maintaining your air conditioning filter is to purchase the proper size filter. Generally, professionals go by the rule that you should have 1.5 square feet of filter per ton of capacity. As a minimum, you could have one square foot of filter per ton.

Different Types of Air Conditioning Filters

There are many different types of air conditioning filters. Conventional one inch fiberglass throwaway filters are the most inexpensive, but they are also the least effective. Electronic filters are connected to an electrical power source and are both the most efficient and most expensive.

Other types of filters, which fall somewhere in between the aforementioned air conditioning filters on the efficiency and expense scale, include: conventional two inch fiberglass throwaway filters, pleated one inch and two inch fiberglass throwaway filters, permanent mesh filters, and electrostatic filters. Specialized filters, such as ones that prevent odor, are also available.

The Air You Breathe

When it comes down to it, air conditioning filter maintenance is important, not just because of the efficiency of your system. It is important because it affects the people that matter most to you and the air that they breathe. Wouldn’t you do that to promote the safety and well being of your family?

Heating and air conditioning systems are a vital part of everyday life, and with the advent of the technology age, there is no better time to choose a career in heating and air conditioning. Heating and air conditioning units are essential to all industrial, commercial, and residential buildings because they control the humidity, temperature, and overall air quality in these buildings. Thus, employment in this field would mean financial stability.

A Variety of Jobs

The field of heating and air conditioning is so wide and extensive that you are sure to find a career that fits your salary needs and complies with your personal interests. Many people choose to become technicians because you are trained to do both installation as well as maintenance and repair. Technicians generally work about 40 hours per week, and outdoor work is generally a large requirement. Typically, technicians are required to make service calls and so they might visit several locations on any given day.

Another aspect of the heating and air conditioning field is the invention and design of the equipment. As technology improves, more and more improvements are made to various equipment and systems. The people responsible for these improvements play a more behind the scenes role in the field of heating and air conditioning. They do not make service calls; rather, they spend their days in laboratories experimenting and designing the next up-and-coming piece of equipment.

Education Required

As this field becomes more competitive, it is becoming more important that employees are educated. Most mechanics and installers are required to have a college degree, a program certification, or an apprenticeship. However, a few select job applicants are still trained on-the-job.

For those who are spending their time developing new technology, a college education is definitely a requirement. A major in a scientific or mechanical field would serve anyone who aims to follow this career path well.

A Growing Field

Due to the necessary function of a heating and air conditioning system, it is obvious that there will continue to be a need for people to design, maintain, and repair these systems. This means that the job outlook for this field will remain positive.