subject: Air Conditioning Systems - Primitive To Sophisticated [print this page] The Romans had water careThe Romans had water care. They knew the delights of sitting close to a cool fountain, though it was the ancient Egyptians who started refining the 1st air-con system. To the Egyptians, the Nile Stream was the Stream of Life in a number of ways. Not only did it provide water for drinking and showering, however it made farming possible in an otherwise dry landscape. Apart from that, the Nile provided water for the 1st evaporative cooling on an enormous scale.
For millenia, people knew that putting water within a semi-porous container, like an unglazed clay pot, ended in a cool drink due to evaporation cooling. The Egyptians kicked it up a gear when they made parapets over which cascaded sheets of water. Slaves supplied with massive fans stood close by and kept the air circulating over the moving water. The result : evaporation cooling.
A few ancient cultures also used "wet mats. " we all know that Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks all used wet mats to chill the air within houses and other buildings. When a thick, damp cloth was hung over doors and / or windows, the air movement effectively promoted evaporation cooling and could reduce indoor temperature down to as low as about 66 Fahrenheit. The Egyptians even worked out the way to make ice!
In the beginning of air con, particularly in the arid parts of the U.S. , evaporative cooling was still in broad scale use. The boxy, adobe-style houses of the Southwest frequently have a roof structure built to support the substantial weight of a shallow pool. When the roof is flooded, fans blow dry air across the liquid, speeding up evaporation. The cooled air is then routed thru the building, a welcome change in the hot summer months. These coolers, often called "swamp coolers " are cost-effective to operate and are still in use in some areas.
Modern air conditioning systems no longer rely on water for evaporation cooling. Gases like Freon or Puron are the modern refrigerants that lower air temperature. The actual air conditioning unit is usually placed outside the building because it is a harmless and more efficient way to get rid of the inside heat (into the atmosphere).
A vital function of today's AC system is to cut back the humidity levels within the structure. Keeping the humidity levels low ( in the area of thirty percent ) decreases issues with mildew and mould, and helps to deaden significant health issues for folks who suffer with allergies. Also, dust mites find it hard to survive in low humidity conditions.
When an air conditioning unit is up and running, it works to maintain a pressure level throughout the entire structure. To help the unit work efficiently, doors and windows need to be closed so that the pressure can remain as constant as possible. For spot cooling, consider adding a small fan to move the air right where you need to up the comfort level.
