Although the air conditioner has become very popular in Bulgaria only in the last 10–15 years, its history began at the beginning of the last century in distant America.
Its „father” is Willis Carrier, who created the prototype of the first air conditioning machine in 1902. The uniqueness of the device was that, in addition to maintaining a certain temperature in the room, it also allowed control of humidity. In the same year, the first air conditioning installation began operating in a Brooklyn printing house, where, due to the specifics of the work process, it was necessary to maintain a certain humidity. This invention gave a significant boost to Willis Carrier's career, and the device found increasingly wide application in the industrial sector.
In 1906, he patented the machine as an „Air Treatment Apparatus”. Its main applications were for heating and ventilating buildings, but also for drying, cooling, and, not least, for air purification. The purification was achieved by spraying a liquid into the airflow, which then passed through a separating material that removed the liquid and solid particles contained in the air.
Gradually, the air conditioner found its place not only in industry but also in residential and office buildings, as well as in automobiles. Sales of air conditioners for home use grew dramatically in the 1950s.
Initially, air conditioners and refrigeration machines used toxic and flammable gases such as ammonia, methyl chloride, or propane, which could cause accidents if leaked. In 1928, the first Freon was developed, considered safer for humans. Freon® is a trademark of DuPont, used for all chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), or hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, known today as R-11, R-12, R-22, R-134A, etc., with the name and number corresponding to their molecular composition. Modern research identifies Freons R-11, R-12, R-22, R-123 as ozone-depleting, necessitating their replacement with newer and even safer refrigerants, such as R-410A, R-407C, and others.
In 1991, Toshiba developed the first inverter system, opening a new avenue for the development of this industry.
Today, air conditioners are part of everyday life. We encounter them in various forms: standard or inverter split systems, multi-split, VRV, or VRF central air conditioning systems. Even if we don’t notice them, these systems are an increasingly integral part of our lives.
