Air conditioning is nothing short of a blessing when it’s hot outside. Invented in 1902 by Willis Carrier, an engineer, air conditioning has made life more bearable, enjoyable, and safe.

AC units work by sucking warm, indoor air in, running the air over nearly-ice-cold coils, removing moisture from the air, then fanned back into the houses or vehicles that the warm air came from.

While most of us have ready access to air conditioning and regularly use it during warmer times of the year, most people simply don’t know much about air conditioners. Further, even though AC repair is not intuitive, requires previous knowledge and training, and is essential to staying cool at all times, very few people understand air conditioning repair.

Here are nine facts you almost certainly didn’t already know about air conditioning repair.

Do You Know Where The Term “Summer Blockbuster” Came From?

Even though air conditioning was invented in 1902, it didn’t become widely available until decades later. Throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, air conditioning still wasn’t available to the general public. While some households had enough disposable income to afford the comfort that once-luxurious air conditioning units provided, most of them weren’t fortunate enough to have such nice things.

Children, adolescents, adults, and elders all went to movie theaters in droves during these three decades to escape the heat. Entertainment industry bigwigs realized this soon after movie theaters made air conditioning an industry-wide perk. As such, they saved up their greatest productions to release them in the dog days of summer.

That’s right – air conditioning played a major role in the creation of the popular phrase of “Summer Blockbuster.”

Americans Should Consider Themselves Lucky

The United States is generally one of the world’s most developed nations. Even though billions of people around the world would love to live in the U.S., most Americans take the privilege for granted.

In a year’s time, the entirety of the United States’ air conditioning units uses roughly as much power as the continent of Africa. This is truly astounding, especially considering the fact that the United States is about three times as small as Africa.

Here’s How Air Conditioning Units Were Compared To One Another

When air conditioning units first hit the scene, businesspeople weren’t sure of how to rate the specifications of the machines they sold. Soon after the early commercialization of air conditioning, units’ and systems’ output levels were measured in terms of Ice Power, or how much ice would be required to lower the temperature of a given space.

Today, air conditioners are rated in terms of BTUs, or British thermal units. One BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise a pound of water’s temperature by one degree Fahrenheit.

Comparing the power of air conditioners is much easier in today’s world than it was back in the day.

Proper Air Conditioner Unit Installation Is Vitally Important To Saving Money

New York City is home to roughly 8.6 million people and 200,000 businesses. Although it’s located in one of the United States’ more temperate climates, NYC still faces hot summers.

Collectively, improperly-installed air conditioning units and systems cost landlords and building owners across the Big Apple some $125 to $175 million each year.

AC repair companies have a lot of work on their hands, which is good for business. Those that push this statistic are also more likely to get more work sent their way.

AC Units’ Outdoor Placement Effects How Well They Work

It goes without saying that AC units cool air inside a home, vehicle, or other space. As far as homes and other buildings that can’t be moved are concerned, air conditioning units need to be placed in areas that have as little sunlight facing them as possible.

Statistics indicate that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units placed in areas that receive all-day direct sunlight suffer from efficiency losses as great as 10 percent.

While wall units can be moved from window to window relatively easily, HVAC units can’t. As such, developers of both commercial and residential buildings should place HVAC units in areas that receive as little sunlight as possible.

Air Conditioning Was Made For Publishers

Back in the day, publishers struggled with printing problems during the summer more than any other time of year. Paper wouldn’t stay the same size during warmer months, expanding as the heat increased. Further, ink ran excessively during summer. The aforementioned Willis Carrier was employed by a publishing company at the time of air conditioning’s invention.

Publishers continue to liberally use air conditioning during warmer months.

Do You Know Why Schools Let Out For Summer?

Businesses, schools, and other organizations are mindful of their members’ time. After all, it doesn’t take much for employees or students to jump ship to other businesses, schools, or organizations. Entities of all sorts realized that their constituents’ efficiency dropped dramatically during the sweltering hot summer months. As such, they largely let people off of work and students home from school for at least a month or two during the hottest times of the year.

Even though air conditioning has been a staple in residential and commercial buildings for more than 50 years, schools across the world still receive an average of two months’ vacation during summer.

While businesses in North America usually don’t send workers home during summer, employers across Europe typically do for a solid month.

Air Conditioning Has Changed Humans Forever

Research has shown that the average human’s tolerance to heat has decreased since air conditioning has become available to the general public. With this quirky fact of life considered, it’s safe to say that humans will continue to demand ample air conditioning in the future.

People Wouldn’t Move To Warmer States Without AC

The Northeast was the most densely-populated and economically-active area of the United States until the 1960s, when air conditioning really started to spread across the nation. Since then, southern states have experienced widespread population booms. Roughly 60 percent of the nation’s economic growth over the past 50 years has spread to the South and the American Southwest.