We all use it! How much do you know about it?

Air conditioning is such an integral part of our lives, we just take it for granted. It gets hot… we turn on the air and we’re cool. Today, it’s hard to imagine living without it. But not that many years ago, air conditioning was a luxury and most people didn’t have it. The thought of going back to those hot, steamy, sticky days sounds unbearable. Everyday, people around the world rely heavily on air conditioning, but they actually know very little about it. They simply turn down the thermostat and wait for relief. Below are some interesting facts.1) In 1978, less than 1/4 of US households had central air conditioning. By 2005, central air conditioning was in 60% of the homes in America. If you include room or window units as well, 84% have some type of air conditioning.
2) The first home air conditioning system was installed in 1914 in Minneapolis. It was in the mansion of Charles Gates, son of Gilded Age industrialist and gambler, John Gates.
3) Americans use air conditioning so heavily that we consume 22% more electricity at the peak of Summer than on the coldest days of Winter.
4) In China, air conditioning is far less prevalent. In 1992, virtually no homes in China had air conditioning. By 2004 only 30% of homes had some form of air conditioning.
5) The US is the largest consumer of air conditioning. Even warm European countries like Italy, Spain and Greece use far less air conditioning than the US. Americans vacationing in Europe are often surpised to find that very few hotels offer air conditioning.
6) Since 2005, Japan has tried to reduce office air conditioning use significantly, encouraging workers to dress light and informally. After the 2011 earthquale and tsunami, the new minimum office temperature is 82 degrees or higher.
7) WANT TO SAVE MONEY on your power bill? It is a myth that closing off unused rooms in your home saves energy and money on your air conditioning bill. Air leakage from hot unused rooms and closed registers increases energy use. To save money, keep all registers open and use a programmable thermostat to set back the A/C at night or when no one is at home.
Remember for all of your air conditioning needs, MTB Heating and Air is only a ohone call away.