Let’s face it– unless you’re in the industry, the topic of HVAC also known as Heating, ventilation and air conditioning… might not seem all that interesting.We personally love anything and everything heating and cooling related, but it might not be your topic of choice to read about while you enjoy your morning coffee. However, we thought you’d still enjoy these rather interesting facts about HVAC systems. Here are ten interesting facts about HVAC you (probably) didn’t know. Who knows, they might help you win trivia night!

 

  1. In the 1940s, a window air conditioner used to cost roughly $350. That’s around $3,500 in today’s dollars!

  2. Without the invention of air conditioning, many medications would never have been invented. In turn, some diseases would’ve never been cured.

  3. If your home has lower humidity levels, it’ll feel colder than if it were more humid

  4. Poorly installed HVAC systems in New York City cost building owners anywhere between $130 to $180 million each and every year (thus the importance of having professionals like American Heating & Cooling install your HVAC system for you).

  5. The first air conditioning system wasn’t actually built for your home. In 1902, Willis Carrier designed the first AC unit in an effort to prevent his papers in his publishing house from expanding and contracting.

  6. The first people to use a home heating system were the Romans. Their heating system, called a “hypocaust”, worked by sending heat through the floors and walls of the homes of rich Romans.

  7. If you close air vents in lesser utilized rooms of your house to save money on electricity, don’t. Closing these air vents to lower your power bill is an urban myth. On the contrary, doing this actually causes your power bill to rise due to a decrease in the HVAC system’s efficiency. Furthermore, closing air vents puts more pressure on your system’s compressor, resulting in the potential break down of your HVAC system.

  8. A properly maintained (and installed) HVAC system will last around 10 to 15 years, depending on the manufacturer.

  9. Movie theaters were some of the first establishments to have air conditioning as a strategy to get more people to go to the movies. It worked handsomely, and this is why we have the term “summer blockbuster”.

  10. Studies have shown that since the invention of air conditioning, humans’ natural tolerance for heat has lowered. Therefore, a hot summer day seems much hotter nowadays than it would have centuries ago.