History of Inventor Willis Haviland Carrier, The Father of Air Conditioning

Indoor hockey fan? Enjoyed a luxury cruise? Ever lived or worked in a skyscraper or multi-level building? Do you care about the products that factories make or what refrigerated trucks can deliver to you? Have you taken a city bus on a hot day? Use a server at work? If you answered yes to any of these, you can thank Willis Haviland Carrier. 

Does the name sound familiar? Those of us in the HVAC industry certainly know the name, but others may not, but sure appreciate this Father of Air Conditioning. Yep, Willis Haviland Carrier is the engineer behind modern air conditioning and the founder of the Carrier Corporation, the company that manufactures several brands of HVAC systems. 

Willis Haviland Carrier was born in 1876 and graduated from Cornell University in 1901 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree. Just a year later, he was credited with inventing modern air conditioning by using a slide rule to calculate dew point control, foundational for managing air quality. In fact, air-conditioning was designed to control air temperature, humidity, circulation, and ventilation and to clean the air. 

Increased Comfort and Productivity

The textile industry was among the first adopters, improving worker productivity. In fact, before air conditioning, many businesses would simply close when it was too hot to work. Charles Gates of Minneapolis is a person who had the first residential use of an A/C system in 1914. 

From there, the implementation of air-conditioning systems grew. Madison Square Garden opened in 1925, and thanks to Carrier’s centrifugal chiller, indoor professional hockey was made possible. Portable units allowed for A/C on cruise ships, skyscrapers, and apartment buildings. Refrigeration on trucks makes shipping certain products, including food items possible. In fact, during WWII, carriers made it possible to ship perishable foods to soldiers overseas. 

Cooling also became prevalent on public transportation, making buses more comfortable to ride in, and everyone during the summer months appreciated that! 

Willis Haviland Carrier Proves & Increase Efficiency:

In 2011, Carrier introduced a heat pump, for high-efficiency Greenspeed™ intelligence, while also becoming LEED® Gold Certified at their Monterrey plant. 

Next time you watch the Colorado Avalanche play, enjoy a cool home on a hot day or feel the cool breeze on public transportation, maybe you will give a little shout-out to our friend, Willis Haviland Carrier. 

Carrier’s focus on innovation and leadership has them continuing to improve their brands’ efficiency while offering quality, which is the reason why Sunshine continues to recommend and install them. If you know (or suspect) it is time to replace your HVAC system to improve your air quality, schedule a call today. Our professional HVAC technicians will look at your current system, listen to your goals, and offer suggestions for a winning solution. Give us a call today at 303-459-5469. Find us on Google Maps