Car air-conditioning (AC) brings relief on hot summer days. Running the AC all the time in hot weather increases fuel consumption, so the AC cannot cool the car properly all the time.
By following some simple procedures, it is possible to reduce the fuel consumption of the car and also increase the utility of the AC.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the use of AC in cars increases fuel consumption by up to 25 percent during extreme heat. It also shortens battery life in electric and hybrid vehicles.
How Car AC Works:
To understand the reason, you need to know how car AC works. It first draws in air and extracts heat and moisture from it. Then this cold air is delivered inside the car. This entire work is done through a device called a compressor. This device takes power from the car engine. So whenever you use AC, the car engine also has to work harder. As a result, the fuel consumption of the car increases.
But the good news is that it is possible to quickly cool the car with AC by using some simple tricks. And it will save quite a bit in fuel consumption.
Parking in shaded areas:
A cool or shaded place should be chosen when parking the car. A car’s air conditioning system can reduce the interior temperature by about 40 degrees on average. If parked in the shade, the interior of the car will already be cooler. So the AC has to work less to cool the indoor air. Also, if the air inside the car is too hot, you should open the windows to let the hot air out before turning on the AC.
Keeping the recirculation system running:
AC recirculation can be enabled in modern cars. The advantage of recirculation is that the AC only draws air from inside the car and cools it. That is, even if it is very hot outside, ACT will only cool the relatively cool air inside the car and deliver it back to the car. By doing this, if the AC temperature is set at 72 degrees Fahrenheit, the compressor will turn off after the temperature inside the car reaches 72 degrees. The AC will then recirculate the cold air in the car. This will reduce the pressure on the car engine and save fuel.
Not turning on the AC before the start of the journey:
Many people prefer to leave the AC on before the journey to cool down the inside of the car. But when the car is not running, keeping the AC on is ineffective. Because AC works best in an environment with good air circulation. And so the AC should be turned on only after the start of driving. This will cool the air faster and save fuel. Even in electric or hybrid vehicles, leaving the AC off before driving shortens battery life. So avoid this practice or turn on the AC while the car is charging.
Changing the air filter regularly:
The air filter works to remove dirt and dust from the air coming out from the air outlet of the AC. When the filter gets dirty, it restricts the airflow. How often a car’s air filter needs to be changed is specified in the car’s owner’s manual. That could be every year or two or every 15-20 thousand miles. Changing the car’s air filter regularly according to this schedule will keep the AC functioning intact.
Don’t ignore corrosion pits:
Many times, if any part of the AC is corroded or has a hole, the refrigerant of the AC decreases. This refrigerant is a chemical compound used in AC to cool the air.
If the refrigerant is reduced, various problems such as hot air coming out of the AC or delayed air cooling can be seen. In this situation, many people add extra refrigerant to the AC, which is known as recharging. But according to experts, this recharging process does more harm than good to the car. If there is a problem with reducing the refrigerant in the car, it should be understood that there are holes or defects due to corrosion somewhere in the parts of the AC. Not fixing this error will not solve the original problem. And so it is necessary to repair this defect as soon as possible with the advice of a professional technician.