How the Carrier Company Got to Be the World's Largest HVAC Manufacturer

Willis H. Carrier, an engineer from the east coast, invented modern air conditioning in July of 1902. According to the website American Inventor, this came about after his employer assigned him the task of reducing the level of humidity in its printing shop. This was crucial as the intense summer heat caused bleeding and running of the company’s ink.

Although many other engineers attempted to solve this dilemma, Carrier finally did it by first developing a mechanical humidity controller. The controller moved air through a filter and the air then traveled to a set of coils containing a coolant fluid. Cooling engineers use this same basic design when creating air conditioners over 110 years later.

Carrier's Growth Through the 20th Century

The cost of the first air conditioner was so high that the average American citizen or business could not afford it. It wasn't until the 1910s that Willis Carrier came up with an assembly line system to mass produce air conditioners that more people could afford. Only window units were available from 1902 until the early 1970s.

Willis Carrier started his own company in 1915. By the 1930s, air conditioners were available in 99 different countries around the world. From its earliest days, homeowners and business owners alike have come to see the Carrier Company as an innovative leader in the HVAC industry. It is often the first HVAC manufacturer to invent new products and set energy efficiency standards for the rest of the industry.

Modern Carrier Air Conditioners

Today, Carrier's main product line for air conditioners are the Infinity, Performance, and Comfort Series. Its Infinity Series offers some of the most energy-efficient air conditioners on the market today with SEER ratings up to 21. SEER, which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is a rating system to help consumers determine how much they are likely to pay to operate their unit for an entire cooling season.

If you are considering purchasing a new Carrier air conditioner or own one that needs repair, Complete Heating and Air Conditioning Services is available to help.