Celebrate President’s Day With Quick Facts About White House Cooling
Every year during the month of February and especially in a year with a newly nominated president, all eyes turn to Washington, D.C. The beauty of the nation’s capital and all of its buildings are on full display to celebrate President’s Day. But, the White House’s beauty came from very humble beginnings.
In the late 1700s, the newly formed federal government decided to plant its offices in the district designed solely for that purpose. One of the buildings commissioned during the designing of Washington, D.C., was the White House. When construction was completed in the 1800s, then-President John Adams and his First Lady moved in. The building was already behind the day’s standards of luxury, even lacking indoor plumbing.
This President’s Day, take a minute to learn about White House upgrades, specifically the heating and cooling systems, from local HVAC contractors.
Moving Offices Outside
The Washington, D.C. heat is known to be oppressive, with high humidity levels that make the whole area stifling. In attempts to beat the heat, presidents and congressmen have taken different approaches to escape the high temperatures in the summer.
After James Garfield’s assassination, Navy engineers hastily assembled a cooling system that used fans that blew air across cheesecloth that was doused with ice water. This system was a desperate attempt to save the president’s life but ultimately failed.
Twenty years later, President Taft used a similar device to cool the Oval Office. It used existing heating ducts to distribute air cooled by fans blowing across ice chunks. The system was inefficient and ineffective. He also had a sleeping porch built on the White House roof to take advantage of summer breezes.
Don’t Let Nixon Touch the Thermostat!
As the green movement ramped up in the early 1970s, two presidents did little to take notice.
President Johnson paid lip-service to the movement and made a show of turning off lights around the White House, but he kept his quarters so cold that he slept with an electric blanket.
His successor, President Nixon, liked to keep the White House cold. Nixon took harsh criticism for flippantly using up energy during a nation-wide energy crisis to keep the White House so cold that fireplaces were kept kindled even in the summer.
The History of Heating the White House
Early heating of the White House was done with fireplaces and stoves. It wasn’t until 1840 that an early design for central heating was installed. The system was a gravity hot air unit that pulled air from rooms and distributed heat back. This was state-of-the-art at the time since no electric fans were available to move air.
The system heated only the State Rooms and Transverse Hall. Slowly the system was expanded to include more rooms. The ductwork that was used to move air around eventually was used for the first cooling systems as well. It was all replaced during the renovation that took place under the Truman administration.
About Method Air
The professionals at Method Air are committed to their customers. Transparent pricing and professional service make them the local choice for AC and heating contractors in Draper. They keep their trucks fully stocked so they can tackle problems in one trip. Contact them to schedule expert Draper, UT heating service and ensure the home is ready for the winter season.
