Advancements in Refrigerated Air & How It’s Improved Over Time

Imagine for a second your life without air conditioning. No cooling in your home and none in your car. The idea of sitting on I-10 heavy traffic with no air conditioner in the middle of July is a little worrisome. Lucky for us, refrigerated air has made incredible strides in 2019. People have been looking for solutions on how to cool their structures and foods since the ancient Egyptians and because of that there have always been improvements and new technologies to make this process better and more efficient.

The process of mechanical refrigeration and air conditioning have both had a far-reaching and tremendous impact on how people live, work, and the way they prepare and store food. Refrigeration works as a process that removes heat from an enclosed space. As heat is removed the space becomes cooler, so that these systems actually work by taking heat away rather than cooling the space directly.

The Slow Discovery of the Process

The ancient way of cooling foods included lowering food items down a well, where it was cool and damp. Then, natural ice was used to cool water and it was cut and stored beneath the surface of the ground in order to keep it cool. Once clay containers entered the picture, people figured out that this was a great material to keep water fresh. This was an effective way of cooling water because of evaporation. This concept was what led to air conditioners and refrigerated air today.

Slowly, the use of natural ice was further experimented with and led to modern refrigeration equipment. This was introduced in 1825. By changing ammonia gas to a liquid by applying pressure and lowering temperature. As this pressure was released the liquid boiled off and heat was absorbed from the surroundings. This gave way to the ice boxes that required a block of ice every day in order to function properly.  

Changes in Freon

For the last couple of decades, refrigerated air used the refrigerant R-22, also known as Freon. This was an HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon). An EPA ruling, however, as part of the Clean Air Act was enacted and established that R-22 should be phased out because of its ozone-destroying chlorine. As of January 2010 equipment that uses this particular Freon is no longer being manufactured. Existing units that use this Freon can continue to use it until and there is no mandate to change. The EPA is merely ordering that no new equipment be manufactured with this Freon.

Cool Off This Summer With Omega

We’re lucky to live in the modern age, as today we have an incredible amount of comforts offered us by technology and science. All of these advancements, of course, have had a long road to get here and we are the recipients of these great new systems. Here at Omega, we know just how powerful refrigerated air is in fighting off the summer heat and why we encourage people to consider this as a great investment for their home and their family.