Mistakes we make when using air conditioning in cars

Surviving Costa summers without air-con in your car is virtually impossible, but we don't always use it right. Adriana Ortolá looks at the main mistakes we make as pointed out by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT.

THE days in which people travelled in the early morning to avoid the sunniest hours of the day or they drove with the windows down are over.

Three years are spent developing the air-conditioning for each car model. In this time, the geometry of the air ducts and grille is studied in 3D, and virtual simulations are made to predict the air flow inside the car.

Despite all of this, certain errors are made when using airconditioning. These are the five most common ones and some advice to optimize its use:

1. Turning the air-conditioning to its maximum as soon as you go into your car: In summer, the inside of a car parked in the sun can reach 60 degrees Celsius. In approximately half an hour the temperature can go back to 25 degrees if certain guidelines are followed. Ángel Suárez, engineer in SEAT’s Technical Centre, recommends to open all doors and windows in order to ventilate the space for a minute before activating the air conditioning. With this easy step, you can reduce the temperature naturally. Once ventilated, you can close the doors and windows and turn the air conditioning on.

2. Maintain the air circulation button on: This is another classic mistake because turning this on can make the windows mist up. However, Suárez suggests to drive with this option on due to the fact that it regulates the air flow and makes it homogeneous.

3. Not turning on the airconditioning because it is a “cool” morning: Depending on where in Europe you are, some summer mornings can be cool. Nevertheless, experts recommend turning on the air conditioning, even if it is with a higher temperature. This will help the windows to stay clear when the temperature outside goes up.

4. Not focusing the diffusers correctly: Many times, the air conditioning is working perfectly but, as diffusers are not accurately positioned, it may seem as if you need to turn it up. It is not due to the temperature, but the direction of airflow inside the car. Diffusers must aim upwards, not at your face. With this simple tip, the air will be evenly distributed through the car, and it will reach all passengers equally.

5. Forgetting about maintenance: As it happens with oil, tyres or brake fluid, a car’s cooling system also needs a specific maintenance. It is recommended to change the filters every 15,000 or 20,000 kilometres. In this way, volume and power will not be lost when air comes out.

In summer, the effects of heat on drivers should not be under estimated. According to an expert at SEAT, a temperature of 35º inside the car will make the driver react 20% slower than one with a temperature of 25º. Because of this, it is important to maintain the space cool and well-ventilated.