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Did you know there is a museum of rocket science in Albuquerque NM dedicated to the science of sending stuff into space? This is significant. I mean without rockets how would we have cell phones or weather satellites? But what about us we were thinking? HVAC technology is a KEY to our success as the the apex species on the planet! Where's our museum huh? Well we got one...kind of. Dr. John Gorrie was the first guy on the planet to make what he called his "Ice Machine." His theory was that "bad air" caused disease in the tropics so he created this device to create ice and cool the environment pictured below. For his contribution to society Dr. Gorrie was not only granted a museum in his name, he got his name on a state park. You can visit his museum located in the park in Apalachicola, Florida. 
You ever wonder why we call it "air conditioning?" I mean we don't call heating "temperature amplification," now do we?
It turns out that in 1906 Stuart W. Cramer, an engineer involved in the textile industry in North Carolina, developed a system using humidity and ventilation that made fabrics easier to process. Cramer was so successful he founded a town! The term "conditioning" was later adopted by Dave Lennox into his company's name. That all said - enjoy our favorite scene about "conditions" in the Big Lebowski.
We just wanted to take a moment to hail Bruce Willis as John McClane - PATRON SAINT OF DUCT WORKERS!
"Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs...."
June 22nd has been officially recognized as national HVAC Tech Day!
What many fail to remember is the advent of modern climate control in many ways has helped develop modern civilization as we know it.! So maybe today, take a second to thank your techs and buy them a few six packs and some pizza.s They work hard. They deserve it. Happy HVAC Day to all - stay cool! We recently wrote abut Willis Carrier, who is widely considered to be the mind behind modern AC. Well of course no invention happens in a vacuum. Each new invention is almost always built on top of the science and tech of innovators that came before so here is a little known fact... American founding father Ben Franklin, outside of his multitudinous contributions to humanity, was also key in early cooling science. It turns out that Franklin along, with Cambridge University professor John Hadley, ran experiments with evaporation. They figured if sweat was coming off a body and cooling it down, then evaporating liquids should also cool down other things. The one liquid that had the greatest cooling factor was alcohol, that Franklin also had a particular affinity for. So there is a another reason to be in awe of Mr. Franklin. He figured out that booze is cool!  You know, it is tough being an HVAC tech. We get cut, burnt, sweat bullets in the summer and freeze in the winter all while installing the ducts that deliver wonderful heating and AC to your homes and offices. But probably the worst part is navigating your crawl spaces, full of all kinds of nastiness, to do a job you all will never see! We are a proud people! We are proud of our work! But we also understand that a good job is one that you don't see or hear. Well since the onset of "industrial" design in places like Brooklyn or Long Island City, people are opting to keep a look that is more in line with exposed brick, beams, plumbing and yes, duct work. This article from HOUZZ.COM shows several awesome examples of how your HVAC ducts can seamlessly blend into your decor and even enhance it. It is a great option, can look amazing and can also save you on the costs and time involved with hiding it with sheet rock.  We buy Carrier equipment on the regular for jobs, but we sometimes overlook that Willis Carrier was the guy that created the first methods we use to cool down interior environments. Legend has it Mr. Carrier struggled with things like math and fractions and overcame this challenge by examining slices of apple with his mom. In 1906 he was granted U.S. Patent 808,897 for an Apparatus for Treating Air and sank his life savings along with his partners into the Carrier Engineering Corporation right here in New York. Carrier struggled during the great depression as did all American businesses but his company flourished in the 1950's as the country experienced one of the greatest economic booms in our history. Air Conditioning and humidity control in America help develop the American cities in the Sun Belt and the South that were nigh uninhabitable during the summer months so we are talking that this technology helped us in our great expansion west and south in the 20th century. As we crack a cold drink in our offices today we say ευχαριστώ Willis Carrier. You were one cool dude. 
We live in a first world nation that has a primarily temperate climate (outside of our southern most states), a strong infrastructure and a thriving HVAC tech sector that can allow for affordable, easy to access heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.
According to this NY Times article, in India only 5% of the population has access to air-conditioning compared to a whopping 87% of us in America! Maybe the next time your HVAC technician stops by your building or apartment complex on a maintenance call you can give him a smile and a pat on the back and remember that AC is just another one of the things we enjoy in this country that we take for granted. If you follow us on twitter, linkedin or facebook you will see that the AirFlow family has an affinity for our friends of the four legged variety. As the mercury rises it is important that we keep our pet's temperature needs in mind.
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