From electricity to indoor plumbing to the air conditioner, ground-breaking inventions have made our lives easier and our homes more comfortable.
That’s why we take time on Feb. 11 to celebrate National Inventors Day. Set on Thomas Alva Edison’s birthday, the day reminds us of the life-changing devices inventors have discovered.
While many of these inventions have saved lives, they have also made living better.
At C & C Heating & Air Conditioning, we celebrate those inventors who have made our homes a safer and more relaxing place.
Thomas Edison
As mentioned above, Feb. 11 is celebrated on Edison’s birthday. Edison’s work in taming electricity to generate power in our homes and businesses has made it easier to cook, clean and entertain. When the power goes out due to a storm, we feel out of sorts without our creature comforts.
In addition to inventing the light bulb, Edison is credited with creating the phonograph and the motion picture camera.
Willis Carrier
When the mercury hits 90 degrees, we collectively thank Willis Carrier for inventing the air conditioner.
Ironically, Carrier didn’t set out to invent air conditioning. He was actually trying to rid a printing press room of humidity. The Sackett & Wilhelms Lithography and Printing Company had asked Carrier to find a way of pulling out the moisturized air that was growing and shrinking the paper. This made for poor printing quality and the company hoped Carrier’s invention could control this.
While Carrier’s invention did get rid of the humidity, the machine also cooled the air as a side effect.
Now, we can’t imagine a summer without A/C.
The Inventors of Indoor Plumbing
Indoor plumbing has a long and fascinating history, shaped by many inventors across centuries.
The Romans famously built aqueducts to bring water into Rome, while the Mayans used pressurized water to create indoor plumbing. In 1644, King Louis XIV of France ordered the construction of iron plumbing to carry water into the palaces’ fountains.
But it wasn’t until 1775 that Scottish inventor Alexander Cummings created the prototype for the indoor toilet. Then, in 1861, Thomas Crapper improved on those designs to create the modern flush toilet.
Edwin Ruud
If you’ve ever enjoyed a warm shower on a cold winter morning, you can thank Edwin Ruud. In 1889, he designed the first “automatic, storage-tank type gas water heater,” and his company patented the invention a few years later.
C & C celebrates these inventors and their extraordinary contributions to sanitation, efficiency and comfort. As your Detroit HVAC experts, we are happy to help you keep your creature comforts running smoothly. If you need to repair an air conditioner or install a new water heater, give us a call at (586) 439-3319 or contact us online to schedule an appointment.
