In 1978 James Burke, an English science historian, created a 10-part documentary called Connections.
- The premise of the series was that modern technology and past events were connected in some manner.
One episode linked the 15th-century invention of a military formation called the “pike square” to the innovation of refrigeration that ultimately led to modern HVAC. According to Burke, the pike square led to larger armies. By the time Napoleon was leading the French Revolution, there was a problem keeping the large armies fed. They tried keeping food in empty champagne bottles but canned food proved better to distribute to the soldiers. If the canned food had any labeling, it certainly was quite lax compared to today’s warning labels. At times, when the contents spoiled, the blame went to “swamp air” that was also blamed for malaria and other afflictions. Researchers working to combat the problems associated with swamp air eventually stumbled upon refrigeration that led to modern HVAC. Burke also speculated that another connection to swamp gas was the thermal flask bottle that provided a way to keep rocket fuel cold which paved the way for the Apollo moon landing in 1969. I’m not as smart as James Burke, but there are other “connections” related to HVAC that he does not mention. The connection between hiring a licensed and qualified HVAC company to professionally install a new HVAC system and having a comfortable home for many years is obvious. I can easily see the connection between neglecting to clean and maintain an HVAC unit and its probability of breaking down. The most ominous connection is when an unqualified do-it-yourselfer creates an unsafe electrical connection that puts everyone at risk.