Imagine how exciting it must have been in 1952 when Dick Tracy, a comic strip detective, talked into his 2-way wrist radio. That progressive communication concept was at a time when 2-way radios were big and bulky. 2-way radios surely would never be small enough to be on our wrists! The Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould predicted the future with this creative concept.
Telephones were big and bulky then too. They were connected with cords to the wall and party lines were common. A party line of course is when your neighbors actually can hear your phone ring. Each user’s phone rang differently. Our phone rang a long ring and two short rings.
The main problem with a party line is your neighbors could listen to your conversations. We often heard others pick up their phone receivers or make noise during our conversations. Yes, Frieda listened to almost every call. Gossip is interpreted as the power to some.
That unlikely technology back then of communicating with a wrist radio has evolved dramatically. You probably have seen or may even have a version of new wristwatch communication concepts. A great example is the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch includes features like date, time, phone calls, heart rate tracking, e-mail features, texting, and also over 3500 applications! It can even tell you how many steps you have taken today or how far you rode a bicycle. If you can imagine it, it is probably available!
Many industries have advanced through the years. Vehicles are a great example. Modern dashes have computer screens with backup cameras, phone options, maps, various radio options, and the list goes on. What we imagine soon becomes reality. The heating and air conditioning world is no exception.
As a kid, I imagined a day of having comfortable temperatures because I lived in a farmhouse with an incredibly wide variety of temperatures. We didn’t have air conditioning. Some unbearable hot summer nights were lying in bed sweating. Winters were miserable and clothes stuck to the frost on my closet walls. That’s just the way things were back then, and we were grateful for what we had.
temperature
Years later after Deb and I got married, we lived in a mobile home on acreage for a short time. We supplemented the expensive propane heat with firewood. The temperatures were uncomfortable for the most part. The air was not filtered properly, and it smelled like smoke.
It also took a lot of labor to cut the firewood, keep the fire going, and haul away the ashes. The firewood heating “novelty” wore off quickly. As I cut firewood, I imagined a much better way to provide heating.
In 1986, Deb and I built a home and installed a heat pump. That was back in the day’s heat pumps were evolving. It was an 8 SEER “state of the art” heat pump that was OK but far from perfect. Technology now has efficiencies as high as 25 SEER. Heat pumps can achieve energy-efficiency ratings of 250% to 370% year-round. Today they provide very comfortable heating and cooling.
Technology has changed our overall comfort dramatically. Today any range of comfort we desire is available at our fingertips. Of course, the ideal temperature range is from 73 to 76 degrees. The ideal relative humidity to promote health is 40% to 60%. Those temperatures and relative humidifies are easily attainable with the right heating, cooling, and humidification equipment.
A very important option is quality air filtration equipment to protect your lungs. The Trane Clean Effects removes 99.98% of impurities and the Lennox Pure Air removes 95%. Standard air filters remove approximately 40% of impurities. Your lungs remove what air filters do not!
The perfect heating and cooling system have a smart thermostat to make any air quality environment possible. Yes, the Apple Watch or iPhones can control that thermostat!
The one thing better than having the technology available is enjoying that technology to the fullest. Perfect comfort is a phone call away!
Now it’s time to talk about great entertainment coming soon at the Wilber Czech Festival next Friday, July 31st through Sunday, August 2nd. Wilber is a great example of the small-town USA that keeps this country going strong.
There should be plenty of great foods like Kolaches, Jaternise, duck, and Sauer Kraut. Yes, Deb and I will be there in the parade with our John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical’s 1954 Chevy Panel truck. Please wave if you see us!
