Carrier – Bryant – Payne – Day & Night

Willis Carrier

Willis Carrier is credited for inventing air conditioning.  In 1901 Willis Carrier graduated from Cornell University, While sitting at a railway station watching the fog he had the idea that he could control humidity by passing air over water coils.  After some work he had produced the worlds first air conditioning, using it to control humidity so that paper would stay consistent for printing purposes.  This prototype was the basis for founding his new company formed in 1915, Carrier corporation.  Today still one of the largest air conditioning companies in the world.

Furthering The Field

In 1922 with the help of others Willis hoped to replace dangerous ammonia in refrigerators with a new refrigerant known as r-12 Freon.  This new product would change the world and pave the way for thousands of modern advancements in science, production, food preservation and comfort.  This and other refrigerants are still in use today being used for much more than just air conditioning and refrigeration.  These miracle gases can be found heating pools and Jacuzzi’s. They are used to freeze dry foods for long term storage, make ice, cool plastic wrapping in production and even make ice cream in seconds right before your eyes. Link to Time article.

Economic Boom

Not only did refrigerants help improve our way of life and health, it also improved our economy.  Block buster summer movies were now common with people escaping the heat for a nice conditioned theater.  Cities out west could now grow and flourish now that the 115 degree heat was able to be tamed.  Nick named the “father of air conditioning” Carrier’s inventions continued to grow in popularity.  In the 1930’s it spread to offices and department stores and slowly worked its way into homes in the 1960’s.

Home Comfort

The first home a/c units were very large, noisy and expensive to operate and purchase.  These units were called “weather makers” and consisted of 2 parts.  Although these units were VERY expensive and rare I had the pleasure of working on several of them in my early days of HVAC.  These units used r-12 Freon and managed to cool the home rather well considering there archaic nature.  In the 1970’s Carrier came out with an air conditioning unit that used r-500 Freon.  To my knowledge Carrier and its affiliates are the only companies that have ever used this refrigerant.  After 32 plus years in this business I still believe that they worked too well and so rarely broke that manufactures stopped making them and went back to r-22 systems.

Hall Of Fame

Willis Carrier was inducted into the inventors hall of fame in 1985.  Listed in Time magazines 100 most influential men of the 20th century in 1998 for his contribution to mankind.  Willis Carrier died in October of 1950 and was never able to see the full extent of his legacy.  He changed the world and made Carrier a household name.

Carrier emblem