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Mechanical: 10 things you didn't know [Infographic]

Part 1: Mechanical (HVAC & Refrigeration)

Join us for a light-hearted look at the world of an MEP contractor, with our new infographic series – 30 things you probably didn’t know about the world of an MEP Contractor.  

In part 1 of our series, we turn our attention to the mechanical sector including HVAC & refrigeration.

Mechanical Infographic

  1. Opening in 1903, The New York Stock Exchange Building in NYC was one of the first buildings to use air conditioning.
  2. In WWI refrigeration in munitions factories was used to provide the required strict control of temperatures and humidity.  Allied fighting ships held carbon-dioxide machines to keep ammunition well below temperatures at which high explosives became unstable.
  3. The Shard building in London reduces its requirement for air conditioning using a skin of triple-glazing with integrated sun screens that can automatically shade sections of the tower to reduce the temperature.
  4. Up to 44% of British builders prefer coffee to the tradition builder’s brew. Of those who are faithful to the trusty teabag, 11% have developed more refined tastebuds and admit to sipping Earl Grey throughout the day.
  5. If you live in Pennsylvania it is illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator.
  6. 23°C is the average winter home temperature, with a third of homes raising the thermostat to 25°C.  1 in 20 people relax at a temperature of 30°C.
  7. The Packard Motor Car Company was the first automobile manufacturer to offer an air conditioning unit into its cars, beginning in 1939.
  8. At peak cooling, the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai will require the equivalent of 10,000 tons of ice.
  9. In Dubai, the proposed ‘Mall of the World’ building will become the world largest shopping mall to include a fully climate controlled retail street network over 7km, creating the world’s first “temperature controlled city”.
  10. The first known systems to cool indoor spaces were created by the ancient Egyptians, who lowered the temperature in their homes by hanging wet mats over their doorways.

Please see full infographic for sources and credits. Information gathered January 2015.