Who Invented Air Conditioning?

The Origins of Air Conditioning

Air conditioning is a luxury many of us take for granted today, but its history is both rich and intriguing. The quest to control indoor climate dates back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Romans, employed rudimentary methods to achieve cooler indoor temperatures. The Egyptians, for example, hung wet reeds in their windows to create a basic form of evaporative cooling. The Romans, on the other hand, circulated water through the walls of their homes to cool the air. Despite their ingenuity, these early methods were limited in their effectiveness and scope.

When Was Air Conditioning Invented

In 1915, Carrier co-founded the Carrier Engineering Corporation, which quickly became a leader in the air conditioning industry. His innovations not only made it possible to control indoor climates but also paved the way for advancements in various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation.

Today, Carrier innovations are found across the globe and in virtually every facet of daily life. We create more comfortable and productive environments, regardless of the climate. We help safeguard the global food supply by preserving the quality and freshness of food and beverages. We support health and well-being by enabling the proper transport and delivery of vital medical supplies under exacting conditions. We provide solutions, services and education to help lead the green building movement.

As we celebrate Carrier’s game-changing invention, let’s take a look at some other key dates in our company’s history:

1907

Carrier hires Margaret Ingels as America’s first female air-conditioning engineer, right around the time that the decision to allow U.S. women the right to vote was being debated by lawmakers.

1911

Willis Carrier’s Rational Psychrometric Formulae brought science to what had been the often hit-or-miss design of air-conditioning systems, and in the process made Carrier an international name. The chart would be updated and reprinted regularly, serving as an essential tool to generations of engineers and remaining the basis of our designs today.

1925

New York City’s “new” Madison Square Garden opened, employing Carrier centrifugal chillers to cool its patrons and produce a perfect ice surface for professional hockey.

1928

The construction of the Milam Building in San Antonio, Texas, included Carrier central air conditioning, making it the first skyscraper to install comfort cooling as it was built.

1931

The M.V. Victoria, a 13,400-ton Italian motorship designed to run from Italy to Egypt, became the first vessel to make its maiden voyage equipped with Carrier air conditioning.

1946

San Antonio, Texas, touts “the World’s First Air-Conditioned City Bus”.

1971

Carrier is awarded the principal air conditioning contract for Chicago’s 110-floor Sears Tower, which when completed, was the tallest building in the world.

1993

Carrier stops manufacturing CFC-based chillers in the U.S., two years before the deadline established by the U.S. Clean Air Act and 16 years ahead of requirements for developing countries.

2011

Carrier’s Monterrey Commercial plant was the first industrial facility in the global heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold Certified.

2018

Carrier took a leadership role in determining the refrigerant of the future by identifying R-454B, to be known commercially as Puron Advance™, as its lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) solution to replace R-410A in all of its ducted residential and light commercial products sold in North America.

While our founder pioneered the modern air conditioning system, we never rest on the accomplishments of the past. Carrier is proud to remain the leader in air conditioning since Willis Carrier’s invention in 1902. Contact your local Carrier dealer for your air conditioning needs today and check out other Carrier innovations.