Air Conditioning

Air conditioning is the mechanical control of the cooling, heating, circulation, cleaning, humidification, and dehumidification of air. Originally, air conditioning was designed to improve industrial or manufacturing processes, and providing human comfort was only a secondary purpose.

Cooling by conditioning the air is basically a form of refrigeration. The air is cooled by evaporating a liquid with a low boiling point, called a refrigerant. General Motors produced chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants for Frigidaire in 1928, and in 1930, Freon was introduced to the public. Freon was popular until the discovery that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) damage high-altitude ozone, and in 1990, The Clean Air Act in the United States banned deliberate venting of chlorofluorocarbons. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are in use today and are safer for the environment.