The ACHR NEWS Centennial Anniversary

1973: Arab Oil Embargo Popularizes Programmable Thermostats

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:16:34 -0400

When the oil shock quadrupled petroleum prices, President Nixon asked Americans to lower their thermostats by 6°F.

1976: Legionella Rears Its Ugly Head

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:00:00 -0400

Americans panicked as American Legion members fell ill and died from a mysterious new disease they caught at the Bellevue-Stratford hotel in Philadelphia.

'It Doesn't Seem Like Much Is the Same Except That It's Still HVAC'

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:00:00 -0400

Stan Johnson remembers when engineers sought out his family's company because they had something few HVAC contractors did: a homemade vacuum pump.

The 1970s: From Energy Crisis to HVAC Boom

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400

The saturation of homes with some type of air conditioning, central or room unit, grew from 45% in 6 years.

1950s: Texas’ Air-Conditioned Village Sets the Standard

chrisgray@achrnews.com (Chris Gray) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400

In the early 1950s, manufacturers and home builders came together to create the Air Conditioned Village in Austin, Texas.

Have Heat Pumps Had It? 1960s Series Questioned the Equipment’s Future

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0400

In the 1960s, engineers and contractors clashed over the role heat pumps played in the HVAC industry, lending credence to the saying that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

When All-Electric Homes Came With a Guarantee

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400

A 1967 ACHR NEWS article shows how one utility promoted electric heat with a full-scale campaign aimed at homeowners, contractors, and commercial buildings.

The Commercial Niche: Where Heat Pumps Excelled in 1960

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:00:00 -0400

In 1960, a Phoenix factory used 140 tons of refrigeration to show how all-electric systems could make sense in the right commercial application.

1960: The $11,950 Heat Pump Home

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

In 1960, a Clearwater, Florida, builder and HVAC contractor teamed up to offer a heat pump-equipped model home for $11,950 — and buyers responded quickly.

1950s: Rotary Compressors Transform HVAC Equipment

chrisgray@achrnews.com (Chris Gray) — Thu, 28 May 2026 15:00:00 -0400

A look back at how advancements in compressor technology forever changed the HVAC industry.

1950s: Heat Pump Growth Shapes Today’s HVAC Market

chrisgray@achrnews.com (Chris Gray) — Thu, 21 May 2026 15:00:00 -0400

Thanks to a push from manufacturers and utility companies, heat pump technology gained traction in the ‘50s, ultimately re-shaping the HVAC industry.

1953: Refrigeration Creates Mass Marketing of Frozen Dinners

chrisgray@achrnews.com (Chris Gray) — Thu, 14 May 2026 13:00:00 -0400

HVAC solutions help solve growing populations and prevent food waste

From the ACHR NEWS Archives: The A/C Boom of the 1950s

chrisgray@achrnews.com (Chris Gray) — Sat, 09 May 2026 11:00:00 -0400

We dive into the ACHR NEWS archives to explore the a/c boom of the 1950s, where room unit shipments hit 1 million in 1953.

Are We Really That Far Removed From 1946?

bellolih@bnpmedia.com (Hannah Belloli-Oster) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:08:11 -0400

Supply shortages. Labor issues. Distrust in the channel. Sound familiar? A 1946 article sparks a conversation on how much has really changed.

1942: From Overlooked to Essential: HVACR’s Full-Circle Moment

bellolih@bnpmedia.com (Hannah Belloli-Oster) — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:28:42 -0400

In 1942, an editorial in The Electric Refrigeration News warned that leaving refrigeration off the essential list could threaten the war effort. Nearly 80 years later, during COVID-19, HVACR technicians were recognized without question. The shift reveals how the industry moved from overlooked to indispensable.

1940: From Air Conditioning Stores to Data Centers in Space

bellolih@bnpmedia.com (Hannah Belloli-Oster) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:00 -0400

In the 1940s a/c first became a profit maker for retailers, now in 2026, it’s going to space.

From the ACHR NEWS Archives: ‘Industry Pulls Together to Help Win World War II’

bellolih@bnpmedia.com (Hannah Belloli-Oster) — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:45:00 -0400

A look at how the HVACR industry came together during the 1940s — highlighting the companies, technologies, and people who helped power a global effort that aided us in ultimately winning the war.

1945: 'Heat Pump' Just Isn’t a Catchy Phrase

bellolih@bnpmedia.com (Hannah Belloli-Oster) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:30:00 -0400

“Use of the terms ‘heat pump’ and ‘reverse cycle’ to describe heating by refrigeration equipment is confusing to the public and lacks sales appeal,” said Claude W. Kniffin, air conditioning application engineer for Westinghouse Electric Elevator Co., during a talk before the 1945 Baltimore-Washington Section of the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers.

1936: A Refrigeration World Tour

mattjachman@achrnews.com (Matt Jachman) — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

The Midwest was the center of a dynamic U.S. refrigeration industry in the 1930s, but an expert industry journalist reported from around the world.

1931: Advances in Home Heating and Cooling

mattjachman@achrnews.com (Matt Jachman) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

The Hot-Kold was the result of a partnership between the refrigeration company Frigidaire and General Iron Works, which made furnaces. Unaffordable for most people during the Great Depression, it didn’t last long.

1937: No More Hot Air in Congress

mattjachman@achrnews.com (Matt Jachman) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Anecdotes from the era tell of paper that warped, ink that smudged and people who nearly passed out because of stifling heat at the Capitol. The arrival of central a/c changed all that.

1936: Early Residential A/C

mattjachman@achrnews.com (Matt Jachman) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0500

The architect and furniture designer Morris Sanders was ahead of his time, both in his Modernist style and in his belief in central air-conditioning.

1925: Air Conditioning Comes to the Theater

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0500

When Willis Carrier brought a centrifugal chiller to the Rivoli Theater in Times Square in 1925, he helped change how Americans spent their summers.

Ammonia Refrigeration a ‘Century-Proof’ Technology

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0500

By 1926, ammonia dominated industrial refrigeration. Natural refrigerants enabled the global cold chain and continued driving innovations needed to feed a growing world.

1927: The First Affordable Fridge Comes to Market

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0500

 When GE’s Monitor Top was introduced in 1927, it was considered to be the first affordable refrigerator in the U.S.

Celebrating 100 Years of The ACHR NEWS

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Celebrating 100 years, The ACHR NEWS looks back to its 1926 debut issue, which introduced electric refrigeration as an emerging technology that some viewed with suspicion

1904: America’s First Taste of A/C

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0500

Their first experience with a/c left fairgoers “struck with wonder.”

Origins of HVAC Were In Humidity Control

mariataylor@achrnews.com (Maria Taylor) — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:30:00 -0500

Heating, cooling, and humidifying air wasn’t new when Willis Carrier came on the scene. What was groundbreaking was the attempt at precise air control in a manufacturing environment.

The HVACR Industry, Decade by Decade

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:00:00 -0500

Check out our timeline for a visual snapshot of HVAC history — from Frigidaire's "Hot-Kold" home a/c system in 1931, to the advent of frozen dinners in 1953, to the first smart thermostat, and beyond.

100 Years of HVACR: Covering Indoor Comfort Since 1926

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

From iceboxes to intelligent systems, ACHR NEWS marks 100 years of documenting the people and technologies that shaped HVACR.