Ways Homes Were Designed to Stay Cool Before Air Conditioning

In 1902, the first air conditioner was created. But it was not until 1914 that air conditioners were utilized for home use. While modern housing architecture is reliant on how the cool air from the air conditioning unit flows throughout the entire house, people from 1903 to 1913 only cared about one thing: air flow. You heard that right! One of the factors to consider in building homes is airflow. Our ancestors created certain designs to avoid dying of heat stroke. There are five ways homes were designed to stay cool before ACs became common.

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1. The Dogtrot

The name may sound funny, but this is the actual name. Like a dog, air flows freely through the halls of a house. The dogtrot is a breezeway between two parts of a home. Both parts of the home allow fresh air to flow through the house.

2. The Sleeping Porch

During the pre-AC days, this architectural design was popular in homes. This is because people used to sleep on porches. With a lot of windows, air can envelop the entire area, making it breezy and cool.

3. The Shotgun

Shotgun houses are narrow. This architectural design is popular in the South. These narrow homes are designed to put the windows and the door adjacent to each other for even better air flow. This design allows air to pass freely through the home in cross directions.

4. The Cupola

A cupola has a dome at the very top of the house to allow for ventilation. As scientifically explained, hot air rises and cool, fresh air flows in through the windows. The windows are intentionally tall to allow a great amount of air to flow inside.

5. Shutters, Trees, and Vines

One of the most effective ways to keep a house cool is to block the heat source (the sun). Shutters, trees, and vines are excellent shields, preventing homes from basking in the heat of the sun for too long. Vines might be troublesome because they provided free housing for bugs, but they also keep walls cool.   Why do modern homeowners need to consider the size of their home when deciding what air conditioner to buy? Not all air conditioning units have the same capacity to cool an entire house. Some air conditioning units are only designed to cool a small space. Bigger and more spacious air conditioning units are far more appropriate for cooling an entire house. It is very important for homeowners to consider the size of their home when buying an air conditioning unit. Otherwise, you might wonder why you are not getting the desired coolness.   Thanks to technology, these houses can now be equipped with a functional air conditioning unit. Heat stroke is no longer much of a problem, thanks to air conditioning units. However, nothing beats the luxury of fresh air. The sensation of air freely flowing across the hall is perfect on any day.     ECM Air Conditioning, with its headquarters located in Boynton Beach, FL, provides air conditioning services within Palm Beach County, Broward County, Martin County, and St. Lucie County. If you’re looking to have a new HVAC system installed, we’re on-call and ready to assist you. So if you’re in need of an HVAC installation, don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule an inspection! Our HVAC installation experts will check your ductwork, measure, check wire sizes, and more before making recommendations to ensure maximum efficiency and comfort. Call us at 561-295-1763 or contact our HVAC installation team online by clicking here.