Have You Been Making These Five Air Conditioning Mistakes?

Khodrocar - Have you been making these five common air-conditioning mistakes in your car this summer?

Barcelona-based Spanish carmaker SEAT has said that drivers could be reducing the effectiveness of the systems by not using them properly – resulting in higher cabin temperatures, worsened reaction times and possible dehydration.

A small difference such as 95°F (35 °C) compared to 77 °F (25 °C) inside the cabin can diminish reaction times by 20 percent says SEAT – the equivalent to a blood alcohol reading of 0.05 percent.

With outside temperatures recently soaring above  86 °F (30 °C) in many countries, hurried commuters and holiday makers in particular could be at risk of dehydration.

Cars parked in the sun can reach a startling 140 °F (60 °C). To help reduce cabin temperatures before setting off and while on the move, Ángel Suárez, an engineer at the SEAT Technical Center, says: "Open the doors and lower the windows for a minute before turning on the air conditioning to naturally lower the temperature in the interior."

If rear passengers say they can’t feel the cool air, then the nozzles could be set incorrectly. "It isn’t a matter of temperature, but in which direction the air is flowing inside the car," says Suárez. "The nozzles should be pointing upwards, not towards peoples’ faces. Then the air flows all around the interior of the car and reaches every passenger consistently."

Keeping it on can make the windows fog and reduce visibility. Most cars will have an ‘Auto’ option, which can regulate itself to prevent fog while keeping drivers and passengers cool.

Pointing the air jets toward you

It’s tempting, says SEAT, but it’s counter-productive and stops the car getting an even distribution of airflow. Pointing the jets upward lets the cool air spread around the car more effectively and allows it to reach all occupants.

When entering a hot car, it’s tempting to turn the air-con on to maximum. However, turning on the air conditioning straight away without opening the windows will just recirculate the hot air. Instead, open the doors, lower the windows for a minute or two before shutting the doors and cranking up the A/C.

Just like the oil, tires or brake fluid, the air conditioning system requires maintenance. Failing to change clogged cabin air filters every 10,000 to 15,000 miles (16,000 to 24,000 kilometers) to can stop your A/C working effectively.

Some summer mornings can be cool, but it’s still a good idea to keep the A/C on to prevent windows from fogging up when the outside temperature rises.