preview

Disadvantages Of Air Conditioning

Decent Essays

Every year air conditioning uses 6% of all the electricity produced in the United States and costs about $29 billion annually. A price anyone would pay to stay cool during those hot summer months. The cool air that circulates your house almost everyday not only keeps you from bearing the heat of the summer sun, but has been proven to improve the efficiency of human beings, as well as improving overall health, giving a fresh supply of air, and controlling the noises of the great outdoors. Throughout the process of creating the modern day air conditioning unit, scientist and innovators have developed the most accessible, reliable, and efficient model that not only keeps people cool through the day but also has been shown to increase work ethic in people and treat certain illnesses.(“Advantages of the Air Conditioners. Advantages of AC.”) Back before the AC unit was created, people all around suffered from the heat of the burning sun year round however the idea was sparked for medical reasons. John Gorrie believed air conditioning was key to treating and avoiding diseases such as malaria. However his original idea involved shipping ice to florida from lakes in the northern states. To work around this expensive method, Gorrie decided to go a more artificial route. He created a machine that used compressed air and water powered by a horse and wind driven sails or steam to produce cooler air. However, after creating this multi-billion dollar piece of patented technology he was never able to bring it to the market. Instead he laid the foundation for a future with artificial air conditioning and refrigeration.(Lester, Paul)
Several years later a new need for cool air presented itself to engineer Willis Carrier. The humidity was causing wrinkles and coloring problems with Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing and Publishing Company in Brooklyn. Carrier was tasked with solving this problem, leading us to the modern air conditioner. His idea was very similar to Gorrie’s. Carrier envisioned and composed a system of chilled coils that maintained a constant humidity in 1903. However, the original design was too large and expensive for houses. Therefore they began installing the systems in movie theaters. It is no coincidence

Get Access