Air conditioning, often abbreviated as AC, is basically the process of removing heat from an enclosed space. It was wanted to create more comfortable conditions in the room. At first it was called “comfort cooling” or “strict indoor humidity control”.

Now this name is used for devices that cool homes and provide comfort in workplaces, and most of your friends already have such a device. Moreover, today with its help you can not only bring the temperature to a tolerable level on hot summer days, but also produce heat, especially in the cold season, when minus degrees outside are felt in homes as well.

Cooling can be achieved using a mechanical “air conditioner” or a variety of other methods, including passive cooling or ventilated cooling. The appliances so popular today use a reversible valve that allows them to heat and cool an enclosed space.

Appliances that typically use vapor compression refrigeration range in size from small units used in vehicles or individual rooms to massive units that can cool large buildings.

When did this need arise?

Well, you will be amazed to know that the need to cool hot spaces dates back to prehistoric times. A wide range of passive air conditioning technologies were used in ancient Egyptian buildings. They spread from the Iberian Peninsula through North Africa, the Middle East and Northern India.

In 1558, Giambattista della Porta described a method of cooling ice to temperatures well below freezing by mixing it with potassium nitrate (then called “saltpetre”).

In 1620, Cornelis Drebbel demonstrated the “Turning of Summer into Winter” for King James I of England by freezing part of the Great Hall of the Palace of Westminster Abbey using an apparatus consisting of troughs and vats.

Drebble’s contemporary Francis Bacon described the incident as an “experiment in artificial freezing” in a book published later that year. He noted that nitrogen or salt added to snow or ice exacerbated their low temperatures.

In 1758, the famous Benjamin Franklin, along with a chemistry professor named John Hadley, conducted an experiment to investigate the principle of evaporation as a means of rapidly cooling an object. They concluded that this experiment offered “the possibility of freezing a person to death on a hot summer’s day.”

The 19th century saw a number of developments in compression technology. In 1820, the English scientist and inventor Michael Faraday discovered that the liquefaction and compression of ammonia could cool the air if the liquefied ammonia was allowed to evaporate.

How did technology develop in this case?

Passive techniques remained common until the 20th century, when they fell out of fashion, replaced by electric ones.

Using information from engineering studies of traditional buildings, passive methods are revived and modified for 21st century architectural projects.

The devices now allow the temperature of the building’s internal environment to remain relatively constant, regardless of changes in external weather conditions. They also allow people to live comfortably in hot parts of the world.

As with other household appliances, cooling appliances have been designed to provide as much comfort as possible while consuming as little energy as possible.

Why we should be careful with air conditioners

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), as of 2018, 1.6 billion units of air cooling were installed. This accounts for about 20% of the electricity consumption in buildings worldwide. By 2050, their number is expected to grow to 5.6 billion.

The United Nations has called for making the technologies used by these devices more sustainable to mitigate climate change. As an alternative, they offer:

• passive cooling;
• with the help of a fan;
• evaporative cooling;
• selective shading;
• windbreakers and better thermal insulation

Refrigerants such as R-12 and R-22 used in refrigerators have been proven to damage the ozone layer. Problems arise due to the release of refrigerant into the atmosphere. This is especially true when repairing an air conditioner.

On the other hand, the HFO refrigerants used in some, if not most, new equipment are much safer for the environment. Whether you want to install a 12,000 BTU or 18,000 BTU air conditioner in your home, make sure that the technology they use is as up-to-date as possible.

You can order an air conditioner that protects nature, but at the same time offers comfort on hot days. Check out the deals online and read the specifications of the devices before deciding which one is right for you.