Facts about air-conditioning

Top facts about air conditioning

This time of the year, most motorists rely on their vehicle’s air conditioning to keep them cool whilst on the road.

As air-con is fitted as standard to most vehicles these days, it’s no longer a luxury and more of a necessity throughout the warmer months. Whilst air con servicing and repairs is best left to the professionals, knowing a few simple facts can help you get the most from your vehicle’s AC.

Here’s a few we’ve put together that might help:

How often should I use my air con?

  • Air Con should be used at least once a month to ensure the system remains lubricated and working well. Using air con throughout the year may help avoid costly repairs and will also reduce the amount of gas lost in the system, which will help keep it icy cold. Using your air con to demist the windscreen in the winter is a great way of ensuring it’s kept in use, even in our coldest months.
  • Air Con systems naturally loose around 15% of their gas each year. However, if you don’t use the system regularly then much more gas will be lost, which is why many motorists who only use their AC in the UK’s hottest months (let’s face it – there’s not many!) often find they need an air con regas every year.
  • All air con systems will require a regas roughly every 18 months – this ensures that the system is working to full capacity and your AC is icy cold.
  • Air con does not necessarily increase your running costs, in fact opening your car windows to stay cool could cost you more in fuel. This is because opening windows creates drag on your vehicle and so increases fuel consumption.

Air conditioning top tips

  • Hay fever symptoms can be alleviated by air conditioning. As having air con running allows you to close all windows, the system itself helps to filter pollen from the outside air which can be a godsend for sufferers when the pollen count is high.                                                                                         
  • If your air con has a fusty smell then it might require a specialist anti-bacterial treatment. As the evaporator core is a moist environment, it’s an ideal breeding ground for fungus, bacteria and other microbes. Using an anti-bacterial treatment cleanses these components and leaves your AC smelling fresh.                                                                                  
  • When you turn your air conditioning on in hot weather, make sure to also turn on the air recirculation button. This will ensure that the cabin gets as cold as possible as quickly as possible. If you don’t switch the air-recirculation button on then your air-con will be constantly cooling warm air from outside your vehicle and will have to work much harder, putting more stress on the blower & air compressor.

If you’ve got a problem with your air con system then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local Eden Tyres & Servicing. We offer the standard R134A gas at all of our branches and the new generation R1234YF gas at selected branches. Click here to find out more.