Frosty's Heating & Cooling Inc.

Frosty's Heating & Cooling Inc. Review -"Frosty's did a fantastic job diagnosing an AC problem we had"

Retracing the Rise of Air Conditioning

For centuries, people living in warm climates used the earth on which they lived to construct well-insulated homes. It wasn’t until 100 years ago that people could invest in machines they would cool their homes on demand. To learn more about the fascinating history of air conditioning and its explosive late 20th century growth, read below.

Background Discoveries
Benjamin Franklin’s 1758 discovery that liquid evaporation always has a cooling effect may have served as a catalyst for tireless work put forth by inventors in the 19th century. In 1852, Dr. John Gorrie patented a brilliant and viable compression-based cooling idea. Lack of financial investment meant that Dr. Gorrie’s machine would never take off the way he wished.

Charles Gates’ Machine
When wealthy Minnesotan Charles Gilbert Gates decided he would have an air conditioning unit installed in his home, he would forever go down in history as the first consumer who owned a personal air conditioning system. This legacy does not seem to be tarnished by the fact that a premature death meant Charles Gilbert Gates never got to use the air conditioner that was installed in his home in 1914.

Conception of the Window Unit
The individual room air conditioner, also called the window unit, was invented by J.H. Schultz and J.Q. Sherman in 1931. This appliance was prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest Americans, but laid the foundation for a window unit that would be eventually be made accessible to the masses at affordable prices.

Mid-Century Growth
As prices on air conditioning units fell as consumer disposable income rose following the Second World War, air conditions soared in popularity. By the end of the 1950s, more than ten times as many homes were equipped with air conditioners as were in 1949.

Enter Central Air
A refrigerant-based central air conditioning system, developed in the 1970s, slowly replaced window units as the average consumer’s preferred form of air conditioning. Today, it is considered the norm in many parts of the country.

Thanks to air conditioning installation specialists like those at Frosty’s Heating & Cooling in Arlington, you can enjoy cutting-edge air conditioning developments from your own home. To speak with a member of our team about the HVAC products and services we offer, call (703) 671-9193 or contact us online.

Tips for Maintaining an Efficient Home Air Conditioning System

Regular inspections, maintenance, and filter changes will go a long way in ensuring that your air conditioning system is operating efficiently. If you are looking to minimize the amount of energy that must be expended in order to keep your home comfortable, you should complement your HVAC system maintenance procedures with the steps discussed in this video clip.

In addition to offering details on how to best insulate your attic, this video also introduces the viewer to some air leak hotspots. Air leaks around doors and windows can be sealed with weather stripping, and expanding foam can keep air and pests from entering the home through gaps surrounding a home’s plumbing elements.

The best strategy for maintaining a comfortable, energy-efficient home is to couple your cleaning and sealing efforts with professional air conditioning maintenance services. To speak with an enthusiastic and experienced provider of these services in Arlington and Alexandria, call Frosty’s Heating & Cooling at (703) 671-9193.

Frosty's Heating & Cooling Inc. Review- "Finding truly technically competent people like James is difficult."

Frosty's Heating & Cooling Inc. Review-"Your team yesterday did an outstanding job."