Christmas is referred to as the season of giving. For Christians, it is an important time when they remember the gift of Christ, followed by the gifts of the Magi to the Baby Jesus. Today, even those of other faiths and secular Americans celebrate the Christmas season by bestowing gifts on family and friends. Perhaps this is a good time to look at the gifts we give, year-round in the HVAC industry.
1. The Gift of Warmth
While much of the country is facing the frigid temperatures of the Bomb Cyclone, most are facing it from warm homes and businesses, thanks to our industry. We make homes and businesses warm in the winter. This is a lifesaving gift.
According to Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus and a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, “Each year, more than 100,000 people die from cold in the United States.”
That’s tragic. Imagine how much greater the number would be without warm-air furnaces, hydronic heating systems, and heat pumps. We do indeed save lives.
2. The Gift of Cooling
In 1866, U.S. General Philip Sheridan famously said, “If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas and live in Hell.” Presumably, Sheridan was referring to the hot summers experienced by the Lone Star State. Certainly, without air conditioning, it is doubtful that southern states like Texas and Florida would be among the most populous in the nation.
The removal of heat from air is the gift that makes the Sunbelt habitable for most people.
The removal of heat from air is the gift that makes the Sunbelt habitable for most people. Without air conditioning, how many people would brave the summers in the south. Cool air makes the South livable. Cool air enables a good night’s sleep during a heat wave.
3. The Gift of Security
It is likely the home security industry would not exist without the HVAC industry. Without cool, conditioned
air, no one would close their windows during hot weather. Without air conditioning, home security would be the installation of bars over windows.
4. The Gift of Productivity
When Willis Carrier had his great insight on that foggy Pittsburgh train platform that led to the modern air conditioner, he was trying to solve a productivity problem. One of HVAC’s greatest contributions to the world has been productivity. Imagine working in offices without air conditioning. Productivity would plunge during hot summer days. Without air conditioning, the American economy would be much smaller.
5. The Gift of Information Technology
Without HVAC’s contributions to clean rooms, we would not have integrated circuits. The entire digital age would cease to exist without air conditioning. Every computer and every smart phone owes part of its existence to HVAC.
6. The Gift of a Clean Environment
This is the time of year when people watch reruns of the various movies made from Charles Dickens’ classic book, “A Christmas Carol.” Dickens’ London was considered foggy. In truth, it was smoggy. As
What was true in London’s past would be equally true in America’s present cities without gas heating systems.
What was true in London’s past would be equally true in America’s present cities without gas heating systems. People will find ways to stay warm in the winter. Climate change is an irrelevant concept to people trying to stay warm. They will burn coal, wood, or any other fuel at hand to stay warm. As a result, the clean skies over American cities are another gift of the HVAC industry.
7. The Gift of Health
In the Carolina low country, there used to be the saying, “In the spring a heaven, in the summer a hell, and in the fall a hospital.” This refers to the presence of mosquito born diseases, which are less frequent
A cleaner indoor environment is another gift of the HVAC industry.
In fact, the first air conditioning system on record was invented by John Gorrie, a physician in Apalachicola, Florida who drew air over ice to lower the hospital room temperature of his patients who were recovering from yellow fever.
Today, the HVAC industry does much to help improve the health of the nation. Not only do we provide air filtration systems, but also air purification and cleaning. A cleaner indoor environment is another gift of the HVAC industry.
8. The Gift of Economic Activity
Ours is an important industry on economic merits alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the HVAC industry employs 394 thousand technicians and installers. Add to this the office personnel,
distribution channel employees, factory workers, trade and vocational schools, and supporting businesses. HVAC is a formidable industry. Contractors are often stalwarts in their communities. In addition to the gifts above, we support our communities through job creation, taxes, and enhancement of the general economic activity.
Truly the HVAC industry is a gift to our nation and to mankind as a whole. Our roots are health and productivity. Our claim is comfort. We bless the nation every single day.
To bless your company with the tools you need to grow and prosper, visit the Service Roundtable at www.ServiceRoundtable.com. This is contracting’s largest and most affordable business alliance with memberships available for just $50 a month. Call for more information to 877-262-3341.