It’s hot outside, and you feel that even the asphalt will melt away under your feet? In this case, you wish it will be a little rain, which brings cooler air.
Fortunately, most of today’s cars are air-conditioned, so on the way you do not have to sweat in the heat.
But how to properly use the A/C system?
Turning on the car’s air conditioner for many people is almost a reflex gesture, similar to when you sneeze you close your eyes. However, most don’t know how to work the A/C system and therefore they are use it wrong.
Car manufacturers make the interface of A/C easy to use – all you have to do is to press the power key, and set the desired temperature and the others the system will solve, but there are a few tricks that help to use it efficiently. Some of these is obvious be for many people, but not for others.
First, let’s take a look at how works the car’s A/C system.
The A/C is a closed system, which comprising a low and a high pressure side.
At the high-pressure side the coolant (which is now gaseous) is operated by an engine compressor. The noise that you hear under the hood when you turn on the A/C system, indicates that the compressor is starting. The compressor forces the gas into the condenser, which is basically a radiator, as it cools the hot fluid and change liquidized at high temperatures.
At the low-pressure side, the high pressure cooling liquid passes through an expansion valve and comes to the evaporator. Here in the low-pressure refrigerant the boiling point is very low, which, if reach, the evaporator make into gas immediately. This is an endothermic process, which means that heat absorption occurs, thereby the environment cools down.
So basically the evaporator, which is located somewhere behind the dashboard, cools the surrounding air. The electric fan draws air from the outside, press to the evaporator, which cools, and then push the pleasant cool air to your face through vents. 🙂
The cycle repeats again and again.
Now, you know how it works, let’s look at how can effectively use.
The basics
The first step is to reduce the A/C work, if it’s possible, you have to parking in the shade. Of course you don’t always find such a thing, especially when there is a huge car parks, but you should always try to stand in the shade. Even if the car is warmed up during the day, the shadow reduces the temperature, so you don’t need to sit in an oven at the afternoon, after work.
If you can just open in a parking area, use blinds on the windshields.
The classic solution
Before departure, before turning on the air conditioner, ventilate the car. Open all doors or pull down all the window.
Start the A/C at low speed
Do not turn immediately to the highest level. In the case where there is an automatic A/C system in the car, it starts automatically at low mode and gradually increase the speed. Use the temperature and strength control buttons…
Always use the air recirculation
Do not let that only warm air from the outside can come in.
If the A/C blows cold air to your faces, switch on the air circulation. This means that the system will no longer draw air from outside, instead of it use the interior air.
As the cabin air is getting cooler, the system continues the cooling at a lower stage.
Before stopping
When you reach your destination, do not stop the engine immediately, because this is a little “shockable” for the A/C system.
First switch off climate system with engine running, this can be done even before stopping.
After switching it off, let the fan operate at medium-high speed. It dries the evaporator and the surrounding area, so the bacteria will not proliferate, and there will be no unpleasant smell in the car.
Maintenance
Do not forget that sometimes you have to maintain the A/C system, for example, an expert should replace the pollen filter or, if necessary, pipes, air vents. And you have to harvest the air cooler of bugs and to clean the air ducts of the bacteria.
Pay attention!
- You need to know that the use of AC affects the car’s fuel consumption. The compressor had fed somehow therefore the engine is responsible.
- You should not exaggerate the temperature change. If it is really hot outside, do not cool the car to igloo degree. The human body can’t handle such a major change in temperature, and it may be that if you will get out from the car and you go in the sun again, you pass out.
- The internal temperature of 24 degrees C is usually sufficient to drive safety without sweating.
Source: autoevolution.com
