Its that time of year again.
It's hot outside, and it's really hot inside your car. Here are some tips to help you’re A/C work
better.
Park in Shade
It may sound insignificant, but
one way to start to minimize the AC’s work is by parking in a shaded spot if
you’ll be away from your car for the entire afternoon. No matter how hot it
gets throughout the day, the shade will
at least help lower the temperature inside your vehicle for when you get back.
Use window shades
When you park your car, cover all the windows with screens,
especially the windscreen with a reflective screen.
These stick-on screens can be bought at any car accessory shop and are not
expensive. Avoid the cheap net screens,
as they don’t cut out heat. Using these shades
will ensure that your car’s interior stays cooler longer. Or if you can then park the car in the shade.
Parking your car in the shade is one way of making sure the car stays cool
longer.
Use sun visors
Rain guards or sun visors are acrylic or aluminum strips
that fit over the car's windows and
provide a kind of small awning over the windows. In rainy weather, this allows
you to open the windows just a little to provide
some ventilation to the car’s interior. However, you can also use this to good
measure in summer. When you park the car, open all the windows by about 1 cm.
The opening will anyway stay hidden under the visor so that it won’t be a security threat. But at the same time, it
will allow hot air that is building up
inside the car to escape through this gap.
Roll the Windows Down
Another way to help your car cool down quickly without going
straight to the air conditioning is by rolling all four windows down and
driving for a little bit, usually you don’t need to go faster than 10 or maybe
15 miles per hour which will allow fresh air to enter the vehicle while forcing
the hot, stagnant air out.
Start with a Low Setting
Immediately cranking the air conditioning to a high level
will lead to faster wear and tear and can lead to overheating as more energy
than usually is needed to rapidly cool without
any warming up. When you first turn the air on, start with a lower
setting and let it warm up a little bit before turning it up higher if the
weather outside is unbearable.
Recirculate the Air in the Car
Using the recirculation option with your air conditioning
will make sure that the hot air from the outside isn’t being pulled into the
car while the air conditioning is running and trying to cool the interior. With
the interior cooling down, the air
conditioning won’t have to work as hard to continue cooling.
Don’t Immediately Shut off the Air
Possibly one of the most common improper treatments of the
air conditioning is turning your vehicle off immediately upon arriving at your
destination without turning the air conditioning off first. Once you turn the
air off, leave the fan on at an intermediate speed to work to dry out the AC’s
evaporator. It will be near ice cold and
can cause condensation which may lead to a puddle of water forming under your
vehicle, so by leaving the fan running, it
will reduce the moisture and condensation that builds up and will prevent moss
and bacteria from building up on the evaporator and other parts.
Make Sure Your Filter's Clean
Next time you get the chance, check your cabin air filter to
make sure it’s clean. A dirty filter prevents optimal airflow. In newer cars,
these filters are relatively easy to check on; if you see a lot of dirt
accumulated on it, it's time to change it. You can save money if you can
replace the filter yourself—in many modern cars the filter is accessible behind the glove compartment. But that's not
always the case. In some vehicles, such as the first-generation Honda Pilot,
the entire dash must be removed to get at the cabin air filter, and that's not
a job for the faint of heart.