AC 101: Air Conditioners don’t make cold air

Did you know air conditioners don’t make cold air? That’s right, your air conditioner (soon to be humming away this summer) does not make cold air. Instead it takes heat of the air. It’s a simple principle that was developed way back in 1902 by Willis Haviland Carrier (yep, that’s the founding father of our partner Carrier Inc. located right here in Indianapolis).

Carrier was an electrical engineer who was asked to help a publishing company take the humidity out of the plant’s air during the summer time. The paper absorbed the moisture making it hard to ink up the paper. Carrier figured out how to treat the hot, humid air by blowing it across chilled pipes.

The same AC concept holds true in homes throughout Indianapolis today. As the air in your home passes through the coil above or below the furnace, the Freon in that coil has a property that allows it to take heat out of the air. So where does the heat go? Outside! Just walk by your air conditioner in the summer and feel the warm to hot air blowing out. That’s the freon collected inside your home blowing out and giving you peace of mind that your air conditioner is working well.