All you need to know about car air conditioning

The air conditioner in the car is a feature that we use daily and without interruption, and it has become part of the daily routine. The air conditioner must be on when we climb into the cabin of the car, especially in hot Arab countries.

On the one hand, the air conditioner refreshes the car’s climate and improves its smell, and on the other hand, most drivers prefer to use it and not open the windows to avoid hearing the outside noise resulting from the crowded cities and the daily fast movement inside them.

But have you ever thought about what this system is? How does it work? How can it improve its performance and enhance its efficiency when needed?

1- How it works

When you press the AC button in your car, you will feel a pleasant cooling breeze passing around you within a short time of turning on the air conditioner.

But how does this device work that facilitates your daily life while driving on the road on a hot summer day?

The air conditioner in your car starts as a low-pressure gas, and this air is compressed to become a high-pressure gas, which causes its temperature to rise.

Then this hot air is passed through the air conditioner towards the condenser, which changes it from gas to liquid.

From there it is filtered and dried where it is converted back into a gas after the liquid moves to the evaporator where the heat is removed and now becomes a low pressure refrigerated gas before it exits the air conditioner blades in the cockpit.

Your body receives this cooled air to refresh you on hot days, but you have to pay close attention to how it works so that it does not turn into an enemy to your health.

Therefore, in the world of cars, we have put together the most important tips regarding the best ways to operate the air conditioner:

2- Basic tips

• Avoid turning on the car air conditioner when the fresh air vents are open to prevent hot air from mixing with cold and thus weakening the coolant’s ability to cool.

When the refrigerant gas is insufficient, it is advisable not to operate the air conditioner in order to avoid any failure of the compressor.

Always ensure that the refrigeration system is cleaned properly before filling refrigerant.

Avoid driving at low revs as your engine may stall or cause poor cooling.

3- Improving the efficiency of the air conditioner

Sometimes you may think that the air conditioner in your car is suffering from a cooling problem. But this may often be due to your lack of attention to some small details that can solve the problem of rapid cooling of your car on a very hot summer day.

Here are the most important things you should pay attention to for greater cooling efficiency:

Before starting the air conditioner, set it to the maximum cooling capacity, and then turn on the fan to spread the air in all corners of the interior cabin.

• After making sure that your car has become very cold, raise the temperature level slightly to avoid any health problems that may result from the extremely cold air.

Park your car in the shade, all you have to do is park the front part of the car in the shade and cover the windshield with a white cloth, as white reflects light.

Leave the doors open to let the hot air out.

4- What is the ideal temperature in the car?

Adjusting the degree of the air conditioner is very necessary for the safety of the passengers inside the cabin, especially the driver who needs the greatest amount of concentration while driving.

Therefore, car experts recommend adjusting the air conditioner at specific temperatures in order to maintain the comfort of passengers and the driver. At the same time, not to distract the driver’s ability to focus, by paying attention to 3 main points when adjusting the temperature:

The difference in temperature between the cockpit and outside must not be less than eight degrees as a minimum

The difference in temperature between the cockpit and outside should not exceed ten degrees Celsius as a maximum.

• The car air conditioner must be set from 21 degrees, provided that the ideal degree for adjusting the temperature of the car from the inside ranges between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius.

5- How to deal with hot air coming out of the air conditioner

If your car’s air conditioner blows hot air, the first thing you need to do first is to schedule a service appointment as soon as possible. Here are the most prominent problems that cause hot air to come out of the air conditioner and how to deal with them:

Compressor damage: The compressor is the heart of the air conditioning system. It circulates refrigeration through a series of stages that allow heat to be removed from the cabin. Like many other auto parts, the compressor can wear out over time. Due to its complex design, compressor failure can be attributed to its contamination or to failure of other parts of the system.

There are a few things you can do to help extend the life of your car’s compressor. First, make sure to run the compressor for 10 minutes once a month even when it’s not hot and no matter what the temperature is outside.

Refrigerant leakage: Refrigerant evaporates into gas when pressure is applied inside the closed air-conditioning system, which does not require the addition of refrigerant. But if this liquid is below the normal level, this means that there is a leak in a specific place and it must be addressed.

Check the system for leaks and remedy them before the problem escalates.

#car conditioner #Car maintenance #Air conditioner malfunctions