The First Issue 

When the first issue of Electric Refrigeration News debuted in 1926, mechanical refrigeration was still a novelty in most American homes. Frigidaire had introduced a domestic refrigerator with a self-contained compressor in 1918, but the breakthrough in home refrigeration — GE’s iconic “Monitor-Top” — wouldn’t arrive until 1927. 

On the commercial refrigeration side, grocery stores relied on large ice blocks or primitive mechanical systems that used ammonia or CO₂ to keep perishables cold, and the idea of a “cold chain” was just beginning to take shape. Air conditioning was an unfamiliar term to most people, and electrification was just starting to become a reality across the country. 

Indeed, many people did not even know what electric refrigeration meant. As a column in that first issue noted, “Manufacturers of refrigerators (cabinets and boxes, we call them) are frankly puzzled, and somewhat disturbed by this new term electric refrigeration. According to their view, it should be called mechanical or chemical refrigeration.” 

With a flair for the dramatic, the author went on to say that to “electrical men,” an electric refrigerator was merely a portable, self-contained refrigerated compartment cooled by a mechanical device. As such, “it is only a small star in the refrigeration firmament. But the star has become a comet, whizzing hither and thither in a blaze of light and leaving a trail of dust which has blinded and choked some of the staid old-timers in the refrigeration business. After operating peaceably and profitably for two or three generations, they can scarcely be blamed for being somewhat fearful of this disturbing phenomenon.” 

Yet even as some industry veterans viewed electric refrigeration with suspicion, others saw opportunity. Another article in the premier issue — “Rapid Expansion is Predicted for Electrical Refrigeration” — predicted that electric refrigeration was on the verge of widespread national adoption, fueled by rising consumer interest, expanding manufacturing capacity, and growing utility involvement. New York utilities forecast that electric refrigerators would soon become standard household equipment, and manufacturers were already scaling production to keep up. Although early sales were concentrated in major cities, the article noted that smaller towns and rural areas were emerging as promising new markets as well. 

Industry leaders cited convenience, improved sanitation, and lower operating costs as key reasons why electrical refrigeration technology would gain traction in both homes and commercial establishments. With more efficient compressors and new models on the way, the article predicted strong growth through 1927 — and hinted that electric refrigeration was shifting from novelty to necessity. 

Survey Says 

The first issue also reported on the results of a survey conducted in the Chicago suburbs, in which women were asked what they wanted to know about electric refrigeration. According to the author, “some of the questions are foolish, some amusing, all are interesting and valuable to advertising and sales executives who are constantly seeking to find effective methods of gaining the attention, interest, conviction and action of possible buyers.” 

The author went on to conclude that electric refrigeration was “highly mysterious to the feminine mind,” citing one woman — described as being “of moderate circumstances but evidently prominent in the community” — who questioned how electricity could produce cold at all.  

“I don’t even see how electricity could make it cold when electricity makes irons hot,” she said. “If the electricity only cools the air like an electric fan does, then I should think that there would not be a very even or lasting cold.” 

Other women posed questions that sound surprisingly modern: Were electric refrigerators noisy? Were they difficult to operate and maintain? And, perhaps most timeless of all, why didn’t manufacturers make more and sell them for less — a question attributed to a woman living in a “nicely furnished home with a housekeeper in charge.” As with today’s HVAC equipment, cost loomed large. One woman summed it up by stating, “I want one; I just can’t afford one right now.” 

Adding to the irony, the article appeared alongside an advertisement from a company promoting its new $215 electric refrigerator. Adjusted for inflation, that price equates to roughly $3,791 today, making it easy to understand why so many respondents asked about the cost. 

Nearly a century after those early questions about electric refrigeration, the HVACR industry has evolved in ways Mr. Cockrell’s readers could scarcely have imagined. What was once met with skepticism is now standard practice, as the industry has delivered remarkable advances in efficiency, comfort, and reliability. For 100 years, The ACHR NEWS has documented that progress, and we remain committed to providing clear, authoritative coverage to help the industry navigate what comes next.