Using air conditioning

take everything

Today was ridiculously hot.
Was using the A/C almost continuously. Anyone know what the adverse effects of this might be.
On fuel consumption?
On battery?
Could it wear out the A/C itself.
Thanks.

Bigus

It'll just use a bit more fuel but you wont notice in Ireland . These systems are designed to work in the heat of southern Spain etc so work away you won't wear it out.

Please Kill Me

It's there to be used, so don't worry about it. But it does sap the power of the car and obviously is gonna be harder on juice. As for how it affects the battery (if at all) I honestly couldn't tell you.

sf80

Battery/charging system shouldnt be affected, don't worry. It uses extra power, has to c9me from somewhere; more fuel used/engine working harder...a little bit.

CiniO

take everything wrote: »

On fuel consumption?

Will slightly rise. Probably about 5% - 15%.

On battery?

None.

Could it wear out the A/C itself.

No. AC is meant to be used.
It works opposite. If you don't use it, it will break down sooner or later. If you use it regularly it should stay allrite.
In many countries people use AC at all times when driving everyday.

CiniO

Bigus wrote: »

It'll just use a bit more fuel but you wont notice in Ireland . These systems are designed to work in the heat of southern Spain etc so work away you won't wear it out.

What difference does it make for amount of fuel used by AC, whether car is used in Spain or in Ireland?

Ded_Zebra

CiniO wrote: »

What difference does it make for amount of fuel used by AC, whether car is used in Spain or in Ireland?

It's hotter in Spain so the compressor is engaged more to keep the car cool than it would be here.

CiniO

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

It's hotter in Spain so the compressor is engaged more to keep the car cool than it would be here.

I might be wrong, but I don't think it works that way.
AC is either on or off.
Amount of coolness is adjusted just by mixing cool air from AC with normal heating.

Some cars might have few gears on AC. F.E mine have two modes - A/C or ECO A/C. Second one produces less coolness and put's less load on the engine. But in most car's I've seen there was only one AC mode, and therefore it would consume the same amount of energy from the engine, no matter if it's 25 of 40 degrees outside.

L1011

If you don't use your A/C frequently, it'll get moldy and stink and need cleaning. More expensive and hassle-filled than just using it often.

I have it on all the time in my car, it clears the window extremely quickly for starters. Dries the air coming in in winter, makes the cabin much nicer to be in.

Bigcheeze

CiniO wrote: »

I might be wrong, but I don't think it works that way.
AC is either on or off.
Amount of coolness is adjusted just by mixing cool air from AC with normal heating.

Some cars might have few gears on AC. F.E mine have two modes - A/C or ECO A/C. Second one produces less coolness and put's less load on the engine. But in most car's I've seen there was only one AC mode, and therefore it would consume the same amount of energy from the engine, no matter if it's 25 of 40 degrees outside.

No the fuel consumption varies depending on how hard the AC is working. When idling without AC my car uses 0.6-0.7L per hour of fuel (assuming the onboard computer is correct). With the AC on it will use anything between 0.7 and 1.1L per hour depending on how hard it's working.

I never switch AC off because it has the dual function of dehumidifying the air in winter and keeping the windows clear.

MYOB

MYOB wrote: »

.........
I have it on all the time in my car........

I'd be the same, 'tis very rare I'd turn it off

josephsoap

RoverJames wrote: »

I'd be the same, 'tis very rare I'd turn it off

By keeping it on all the time, you mean you have it set to 20 degrees or whatever for normal driving ?

I would usually not use it unless it was cold....maybe that's why my car is blowing out warm air when its set to blow cold air now

Victor Meldrew

take everything wrote: »

Today was ridiculously hot.
Was using the A/C almost continuously. Anyone know what the adverse effects of this might be.
On fuel consumption?
On battery?
Could it wear out the A/C itself.
Thanks.

Wherever they sell your car in the greatest numbers is invariably hotter than Ireland in Summer. So the AC will be on all the time.

If you had Climate control, it would probably be on full time. So the system and the car can take it.. (unless it's a rubbish car... in which case you won''t care about the AC breaking....)

As for fuel cons... a little bit higher, but so what. you were comfortable...

josephsoap

josephsoap wrote: »

By keeping it on all the time, you mean you have it set to 20 degrees or whatever for normal driving ?............

For the winter I set the climate control to 21 degs, for the summer I set the temp lower, at the mo during the day it's set to LO but I turn down the fan speed

CiniO

MYOB wrote: »

I have it on all the time in my car.

RoverJames wrote: »

I'd be the same, 'tis very rare I'd turn it off

Are you really driving all the time with A/C on?
In Irish weather conditions I find it quite rarely needed to cool down the inside of the car. (Maybe 2% max 3% of my driving). Drying the air to demist the windows would be more useful, but also it wouldn't be even 10% of my driving...

What would be the point in keeping it on all the time, provided it uses extra fuel, and reduces available engine power for acceleration?

CiniO

CiniO wrote: »

Are you really driving all the time with A/C on?
..............

What would be the point in keeping it on all the time, provided it uses extra fuel, and reduces available engine power for acceleration?

Yep, all the time in the winter and most of the time in the summer, if I pop a window or two down in the summer I'll turn off though.

I have found it makes little difference to fuel economy (at 20mpg 5% is negligible really) and no noticeable difference to acceleration etc.

A friend has a 1.4 auto Astra and it saps that a bit alright.

DanWall

I might be wrong, but I don't think it works that way.
AC is either on or off.
Amount of coolness is adjusted just by mixing cool air from AC with normal heating.

The later system have variable vane compressors and not a clutch

Leonard Hofstadter

The faster you go, the more advantageous using a/c is from a fuel efficiency point of view over opening windows.

Open windows create a massive amount of drag, so that makes the car far less aerodynamic. This then rapidly increases fuel consumption.

Driving around town or at low speeds though there is no question that using a/c is less efficient.

At higher speeds, especially on the motorway, unless you fancy being baked and refuse to open the windows, then no question that using a/c is much more fuel efficient than opening the windows to stay cool.

Also, as others have said, a/c is designed to be used, so it will cause you a lot more problems in the longer run by not using it.

When I had a car with a/c I had it on about 60% of the time. If I didn't need cool air then I always turned it off, although I always left it on in the winter to prevent condensation and to dry out the air.

mickdw

I run the climate control on full auto at all times. Its set around 20c and only on a very warm day would I have to lower the temp abit. Leaving it running has many advantages to me. No fogging up ever. Less chance of system breaking down and also, no high speed fan blowing in the car trying to keep cool or trying to clear windows etc. Its also intelligent enough on auto not to blow cold air at me on a cold morning. It won't bring up the fan speed at all until there is a little engine heat to supply warmth to the cabin. Again this all when in full auto so not worth turning off and on for the sake of saving fractions on fuel. I just let it do its thing.

Henry Ford III

If it's hot and you need to use the a/c then use it. If fuel consumption is that marginal/critical you seriously need to consider cycling.

bkehoe

CiniO wrote: »

I might be wrong, but I don't think it works that way.
AC is either on or off.

Even the most basic air conditioning systems use an electromagnetic clutch to engage and disengage the compressor as required based on the selected temperature. More advanced systems in modern cars with climate control may even use a PWM modulated signal to engage it exactly as much or little as required.

Driving a car equipped with climate control with the system switchedoff will cost far more money in the long term than the tiny amount of extra fuel consumed. Seals in the pipes will become brittle as they are not being lubricated, leading to the gas leaking and the compressor itself could fair prematurely.

Voodoomelon

As I've not had my car for nearly 3 weeks now, I can't test this out, but how does the A/C operate when the engine is turned off?

With the ignition in position 1, I can operate all heater/blower functions, using residual heat from the engine etc, but I can also hit the A/C button on and off and the LED lights on and off. I'm trying to remember if it actually functions with the engine not running, but I can't see how it can without the belts turning and hence the compressor not operating?

colm_mcm

It doesn't run, the clutch won't be engaged, and obviously the engine isn't turning the pump either way.

Only seen one car that can run the AC without the engine running (Prius)

Voodoomelon

Would have thought they'd disable the LED, or maybe change the colour of it when the engine is off.

dermiek

In hot weather, like now, if you run the a/c with the heater set to recirculate, it cools the air more than when taking in air from outside, as its cooling air already ran through the system. Its also more efficient (so I am told, no proof for that statement though).

Of course, you should periodically turn off "recirc" and bring in fresh air.

If not, you will use up all the Oxygen in the car and die. ( No proof for that either, I just made it up).




:pac:

vectra

Dual zone climate control in my car. Bought it on 5th oct 2010.Never turned the Aircon off since getting it.

after all..That is what it was designed for.

carbon nanotube

CiniO wrote: »

Will slightly rise. Probably about 5% - 15%.


None.


No. AC is meant to be used.
It works opposite. If you don't use it, it will break down sooner or later. If you use it regularly it should stay allrite.
In many countries people use AC at all times when driving everyday.

yea, like in bangkok..

try driving there with hot air ..:)

Where To

Henry Ford III wrote: »

If it's hot and you need to use the a/c then use it. If fuel consumption is that marginal/critical you seriously need to consider cycling.

I'd leave the spare wheel at home to save fuel if I thought I would get away with it :pac:

shawnee

Think this fecking Austerity thing is gone to people's heads. If you are lucky enough to have a/c then use the fecking thing , if you feel guilty about the cost on fuel then you definitely need a high nelly !:D

L1011

CiniO wrote: »

Are you really driving all the time with A/C on?
In Irish weather conditions I find it quite rarely needed to cool down the inside of the car. (Maybe 2% max 3% of my driving). Drying the air to demist the windows would be more useful, but also it wouldn't be even 10% of my driving...

What would be the point in keeping it on all the time, provided it uses extra fuel, and reduces available engine power for acceleration?

I find that the weather is poor enough here to want the inside of the car dried far more often than 3% of the time. Window might not need demisting but it can still be damp.

It doesn't use enough fuel or reduce acceleration enough to bother turning it off; and it significantly reduces maintenance costs by having it on all the time.

Anan1

Any modern car will temporarily disengage the a/c compressor under full-bore acceleration.

dr.fuzzenstein

All I know is that this weekend was the first time since I bought the car (2 years ago) that it was hot enough to actually need the aircon on.
Other than that it's about as useful as a deckchair in the Antarctic in this country.

Anan1

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

All I know is that this weekend was the first time since I bought the car (2 years ago) that it was hot enough to actually need the aircon on.
Other than that it's about as useful as a deckchair in the Antarctic in this country.

Try using it with heat for demisting, you'll be converted in seconds.;)

dr.fuzzenstein

Anan1 wrote: »

Try using it with heat for demisting, you'll be converted in seconds.;)

Heated windscreen FTW!:D
Anyways, might need my system re-gassed, it's not getting very cold, just about barely cools the cabin down.

shawnee

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

All I know is that this weekend was the first time since I bought the car (2 years ago) that it was hot enough to actually need the aircon on.
Other than that it's about as useful as a deckchair in the Antarctic in this country.

Ah you mustn't know how to use it. Aircon is brilliant and having bought a car with it, I wouldn't be without it , even in Ireland !;)

Big Nasty

Use it pretty much full time unless I have the windows open. No point trying to chill the whole of South Dublin.

dr.fuzzenstein

shawnee wrote: »

Ah you mustn't know how to use it. Aircon is brilliant and having bought a car with it, I wouldn't be without it , even in Ireland !;)

I'm mostly struggling with keeping warm, in winter I wear undershirt, fleece, jacket, ski socks and have the heat on the max. On my hours drive I just barely get warm. Once or twice had aircon on by mistake, only saw the light later, made no difference to the car IMO.
How to use aircon? Press button if car is too hot, that's the general idea AFAIK. And I'm always :cool: .

Big Nasty

Peoples general use of heating systems in their cars baffles me. Typical is turn on heat and fan full blast, wipe interior windows with greasy hands, shiver until temp comes up, leave heat on until car is like a furnace, turn fan off and wait for windows to fog up again before turning fan back on.

I always have the fan on low, about 25% power and never have fogged up windows unless it's a pissy wet day and four people jump in the car. In that scenario the a/c clears any added condensation in seconds.

dr.fuzzenstein

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Peoples general use of heating systems in their cars baffles me. Typical is turn on heat and fan full blast, wipe interior windows with greasy hands, shiver until temp comes up, leave heat on until car is like a furnace, turn fan off and wait for windows to fog up again before turning fan back on.

I always have the fan on low, about 25% power and never have fogged up windows unless it's a pissy wet day and four people jump in the car. In that scenario the a/c clears any added condensation in seconds.

Now that's just dumb.
I know people who actually will not turn the fan on in their car, ever. They're usually easily spotted by all their windows running with condensation. And them complaining that every car they ever had was broken because the windows fog up. And when you tell them to turn on the fan they say "But I don't like having the fan on"
I do turn the heat up to max till I'm warm, the GF says I'm like a lizard, I need to sit on a hot stone and soak up the heat, but once I'm comfy, the heat goes down to a more manageable level.
Thinking I should install a sauna at home, or maybe buy a sauna and convert it into a car?
Fan is always set at 2, unless more blow is needed.
Front screen is heated, any condensation is gone within seconds (more useful that aircon 99% of the time in this country IMO) and other than that my windows are always clear.

I do find that aircon clears the windows, but it gets too cold. And once the windows are clear, you can't ever turn it off again, or else everything fogs up again. It's like a vicious circle.

Gregor Samsa

CiniO wrote: »

Are you really driving all the time with A/C on?
In Irish weather conditions I find it quite rarely needed to cool down the inside of the car.

I drive all the time with A/C on. Air conditioning isn't (just) for cooling air down - it's for dehumidifying it too. You can use A/C along with heated air in the winter. Very handy in damp Ireland.

I usually have it running at lowest fan setting, just below mid temperature, with just the windscreen vent on (unless it's very cold, when I crank the temp up. But I prefer the car to be on the cooler side even in winter). Then, scorcher days when I want to cool then car down, I turn the cabin vents on, and set the fan/temperature as needed.

DanWall

Further to my post No.17 there seems to be the misapprehensions that the clutch switches the compressor on and off

The later modern systems have variable vane compressors and not a clutch. This can also cause a problem with the compressor if the refrigerant leaks out fully because there is no lubrication in the constantly engaged compressor