A PUBLIC HISTORY BLOG
A History of Climate Control
Willis Carrier, Inventor of the A/C unit
In the modern world, air conditioning units and climate controlled environments are often taken for granted by those who enjoy they comfortable conditions they provide. But where did this technology come from, how did it become so ever present in our lives, and how does climate control affect the world, beyond making homes and cars a more comfortable place for their inhabitants?
A TIMELINE OF A/C
THE FIRST AIR CONDITIONER AND WILLIS CARRIER
In 1901, in response to a request by publishing company Sackett-Wilhelms, American engineer Willis Carrier invented the first electrical air cooling unit, calling his creation the "Apparatus for treating air". When installed in 1902, this apparatus both cleansed the air in the printing factory, and provided a climate controlled environment which aided in maintaining the quality of the printings of the publishing house. After several years and improvements to his original design, Carrier's apparatus was granted United States patent 808,897. Air conditioning units quickly became popular in commercial structures, and with the onset of the first world war in 1914, Carrier founded the Carrier Engineering Company, which still exists today as Carrier Global, a multination HVAC corporation with more than 50,000 employees.