9 ways to Take Care of Car Air Conditioning
Air conditioning expends more fuel in the car. That makes many drivers avoid putting it until it is not absolutely essential. In fact, various studies indicate that almost half of the drivers (49%), do not connect the air conditioning until the temperature reaches 28 degrees. Errors.
It should not be like that. When 22 degrees are exceeded in the passenger compartment, the driver falls asleep more easily. At 27 degrees temperature, the driver's reaction speed is up to 22% slower than when driving at 22 degrees. In addition, air conditioning systems (as long as the air filters are kept clean ) help to reduce up to 88% of pollen and other allergens.
If you're still concerned about fuel economy, check out our tips for saving fuel using air conditioning. They are simple tricks, which do not involve hardly any effort on your part and with which you will get a fresh interior so as not to force the system. Also, having the system ready helps you work better. Follow these guidelines:
1- Ideal Temperature:
Experts recommend that the ideal interior temperature should be between 22 and 24 degrees. On the one hand, so as not to take the air conditioning system to the extreme. And on the other to avoid summer colds due to the great contrast between the interior of the car and the one you find when you get off it.
2- Orientation of Aerators:
If you want to be efficient when it comes to refreshing the cabin, you must point the dental grids upwards. Why? Pure physics. Cold air is heavier than hot air, as you have seen in static balloons. In this way, it will go down through the cabin while causing air movement. On the other hand, the side vents are better oriented towards the windows. In this way, a barrier is created with the heat that causes its direct contact with the sun's rays.
Yes, from time to time we all address it to our faces, especially in moments of maximum heat. We should not. By doing this, we may be sending viruses and bacteria directly to the nostrils.
3- Clean Filters:
A dirty filter causes the amount of air to decrease. And beware, the filters are also wrongly placed. That is why you have to pay special attention during its assembly, as well as when the air conditioning gives problems since it is quite easy to solve it ... unless access is difficult.
In addition to respecting the intervals recommended by the manufacturer when replacing both the cabin filter and other car filters, it is advisable to clean all dirt and dust in the area where they are placed with a vacuum cleaner if possible.
4- Air Conditioning Load Level:
Does your car not cool like before? It is not a cause of climate change, but you may need a gas charge from the air conditioner. If you see that it takes a long time to cool the vehicle, it is best to go to a professional.
In addition to recharging the circuit with gas (normally type R-134-A, type HFC, a refrigerant gas that does not damage the ozone layer, but check it in your car manual), it will check that the circuit is not leaking.
5- Electronic Failures:
In the end, like so many other systems in a modern vehicle, the climate control system is electric. There may be a bad connection of some cables (a friend inadvertently canceled yours when installing a sound system, it is not crazy) or a fuse fails. Or that the temperature sensor has been damaged and is not sending a correct reading.
The variables are many, as in any electrical failure in the car. These are the typical problems that it costs to find them ... so the best and fastest way sometimes is to connect the diagnostic machine, to locate them more effectively.
6- Air Recirculation:
If you are going to spend a lot of time driving, such as during a long car trip, it is better to take advantage of the already cooled air inside to recirculate it. In this way, we will punish the system less, especially the compressor.
On the contrary, when the interior of the car is very hot, it is much more effective to introduce air from the outside to lower the temperature faster. By the way ... do you remember this trick to quickly lower the temperature of the car?
7- Clean Radiator:
The radiator is a vital part of the vehicle's cooling system, in charge of avoiding overheating in the mechanics so that it continues to operate at maximum performance even when the outside temperature is very high.
It is located in the front of the vehicle, behind the grill, to exchange heat with the environment. The cleaner it is, the better it will perform. The area where it is located makes it easy to get dirty ... since it is easy for small objects (plastic, leaves ...) to sneak in that do not let the airflow.
8- Turn it off on Time:
Turn off the air conditioner before stopping the engine to avoid forcing the compressor. Don't be obsessed with this either. Vehicle air conditioning systems have a fairly robust and proven design, they have been designed to last for many years. What undoubtedly helps is that you carry out the maintenance of the car correctly, with which you will avoid, for example, that the auxiliary elements strap is in poor condition or loose. That would cause the compressor to lose power significantly.
9- And ... Plug it in Winter:
In addition to the gas that cools, there is also oil in the circuit, which is used to lubricate the compressor, the circuit itself, and its retainers. Connecting the air conditioning in winter helps move the oil through the pipes and prevent the seals from drying out. You will have verified that air conditioning is an invaluable help when it comes to demisting the windows since it removes humidity from the environment much more quickly than simply using conventional ventilation.
