Many of us spend a lot of time in our vehicles. Whether it’s a car on your commute or a delivery van for your job, staying comfortable in our seats isn’t always easy. With the heat of summer on the way, getting to know what all the buttons do on your dash is going to help you stay cool. Let’s have a look at your AC and how to use the air recirculation button in your vehicle.
Car Air Conditioning
Air conditioning in your car works by pulling in air from outside of the car, cooling it down, and pumping it into your car. This helps to create a cool atmosphere for the occupants of the vehicle. Running your AC can actually increase your fuel consumption by up to 10%. Whilst many think that it doesn’t, consider the workout that your air con has to go through, especially during the summer. It is pulling in hot air and has to cool it down quickly before pushing it into the cabin of the vehicle.
Air Recirculation Button
This is where your air recirculation button can come into play. Rather than pulling in air from the outside, your AC system simply recirculates what is already inside the car. This is perfect once your air con has cooled down your car interior to your desired temperature. It will recirculate the air that is already cool, bringing it down further in temperature which is much easier for the system to do. There will be less wear at tear on your AC too.
Top Tips
Of course, simply turning on your air recirculation button isn’t always the best option.
If your car has been sitting in the baking hot sunshine for hours in your office car park, recirculating the hot air isn’t going to cool you down. If that is the case, open the windows for a few minutes to clear out that hot air. Then turn the AC on by itself before the air recirculation button once the temperature has started dropping.
Another top tip is to switch on the air recirculation button whenever you are stuck in traffic. Think about the number of fumes floating around in the air surrounding your car. All of that carbon monoxide would be pulled in by your air conditioning if you aren’t recirculating. Using the air recirculation button can cut down the amount of air pollution you are exposing yourself to.
The air recirculation button can also be ideal for those who suffer from hay fever. You’ll avoid pulling in any extra pollen to impact your condition.
If using your vehicle in the winter, it is best to avoid using the recirculation button. This is because it will keep moisture inside your car. This can lead to fogging up your windscreen and windows which is less than ideal for driving!
Car Conclusion
Getting to know all the bells and whistles of your car is a great thing to do. Modern cars have great assets that can benefit our car journeys. If you didn’t know what the air recirculation button does, you do now and you can use it in the best way possible to make yourself more comfortable whilst travelling.
