If someone were to ask you what the most important invention of modern times has been, you might get a series of different answers. Someone might say the smartphone, others would say it was the internet or social media. Of course, someone might say the air conditioner. And while there has been a myriad of brilliant and incredible inventions in the past century, the air conditioner has not only impacted the way that we live our lives but the quality of our lives as well.
To think about most of what we do today without an air conditioner. Here in the Sun City, the summer evenings are sometimes getting up to 100 degrees. If you’ve ever suffered a day or two with a broken air conditioner, you know all too well what we’re talking about.
The Air Conditioner: Early Beginnings
The concept of air conditioning really begins around 1850, when Dr. John Gorrie designed a machine that created ice using a compressor powered by horse, water, wind-driven sails or steam. Not long after, Willis Carrier will go on to invent the first electrical air conditioning unit. This happened entirely by accident, as he was trying to help a publishing company that was struggling with moisture on their sheets of paper.
At the world fair in 1904, the public would experience comfort cooling from a system installed in the Missouri State Building. Everyone was hooked, of course. It didn’t take long for inventors and engineers to begin working on this concept of “air conditioning.”
It was in the early 1920s that Carrier invented the centrifugal chiller which helps improve performance. This improves the reliability of the systems and reduces the cost. From there, the improvements to the systems only continue and it goes to the use of refrigerants, to refrigeration technology, and eventually leads to where we are today.
HVAC Systems in Hospitals, Clinics, and Other Health Care Facilities
You may have noticed that, when you enter a hospital, the temperature is likely to be quite cool. It will never be sweltering hot in there, as keeping the environment a comfortable temperature is not only a matter of comfort and convenience but of health. There are a couple of reasons why HVAC systems are vital to hospitals, including:
- It helps prevent infection. When people are sick, it means the immune system might be weaker than normal and this makes the body vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, and other airborne infections. Proper HVAC filtration can trap infectious particles, control bacteria, and help stop the wider spread of infectious diseases.
- A lot of medical equipment is sensitive to temperature. Important equipment requires stable temperature control in order to function properly and continue working.
- It saves energy. Hospitals require a lot of energy, much more than other office buildings. A well-functioning and properly maintained HVAC system helps hospitals conserve energy so they can meet the energy standards.
- Patient comfort. Another big aspect to consider is the patient’s comfort and health. Most people don’t enjoy being in the hospital, but when it is necessary for them to be there, their comfort is of utmost importance. You wouldn’t want patients waking up from a difficult surgery sweating or freezing to death. The same goes for the doctors and medical staff. You wouldn’t want the surgeon that’s operating on you to be sweating incessantly and feeling drowsy.
HVAC Systems in Office Buildings and Other Commercial Ventures
When it comes to office buildings, the energy intensity might not be as much as a hospital. Nevertheless, the heating and cooling system is still a big part of maintaining operations running and working smoothly. When it comes to your office building, the HVAC system is important:
- For customer impression and comfort. If you have customers or clients coming into your office for meetings, sales, or etc., you don’t want them to walk into a sweltering office building with a musky smell and employees with sweat stains under their arms.
- Employee comfort and productivity. HVAC systems in office buildings are also important to maintain the productivity of your staff. It is certainly difficult to stay focused or maintain steady productivity when you are either freezing or sweating incessantly.
- Product and equipment. If you have equipment like large servers, computers, or other technical machinery, it is likely going to need temperature control. You don’t want your necessary operations to stall because you have machines that can’t operate properly.
Maintain Your Commercial HVAC System With Proper Maintenance
In order to ensure comfort, convenience, safety, and productivity at your commercial business—whether it be an office, warehouse, or even a hospital— your HVAC system needs to be properly maintained and monitored. Don’t risk bad quality installations or equipment; go with a technician you trust. Here at C&E Industrial Works, we specialize in commercial HVAC maintenance. Call us today.
