Three air con hacks to keep your car cold as UK temperatures soar – including best way to tilt your air vents
MOTORING experts have revealed three air conditioning hacks to keep your car cold this summer.
As temperatures touch 24C this week and summer rolls in, drivers may not realise they aren’t using their cooler system to its full potential.
From how you tilt your vents to what you should do before setting off, little things mean a lot when it comes to your comfort.
Fortunately, Chris Knapman from Telegraph Cars is on hand to reveal the tips and tricks you need to beat the heat.
Chris said: “Summer has definitely showed up as temperatures continue to soar across the UK.
“In addition to remembering the sunblock, it is also worth knowing how to ensure your car’s air conditioning system is operating at its most efficient.
“Follow these tips on how to make sure an air conditioning system provides the maximum benefits for comfort.”
Keep it up
One of the most important things to remember is that air cons work on the good old “use it or lose it” principle.
Even in winter, you should still be using the blower regularly to make sure the compressor doesn’t seize up or that the intake hasn’t become clogged.
It isn’t a matter of temperature, but in which direction the air is flowing inside the car.
Angel Suarez
Regular maintenance like replacing air filters and re-gassing will also help the system to last much longer.
Not only that, but it could help avoid bacterial buildup and stop leaves and other detritus rotting in the intake, which can cause foul smells.
Open the doors
Every driver hates when, on a warm day, they get in the car only to be greeted with a blast of hot air that could make the Sahara seem chilly.
The temptation is often to whack the air con up to max immediately to cool off – but this must be resisted.
Doing so can put more strain on your car as it works harder to cool the air down and can actually be counterproductive.
Instead of enjoying a cool breeze, you could just find yourself recirculating heat around the cabin.
A better option is to pop the doors open for a couple of minutes before setting off to let some colder air in from the outside.
Try and do at least one on each side to provide some air flow through the cabin.
Tilt or wilt
Finally, a common error when setting your air con is the angle at which you tilt the vents.
It may seem self-evident to point it directly at yourself to get the cooling relief directly to where it’s needed.
But this is actually the wrong course of action as it’s more efficient and effective to cool the cabin as a whole.
Angel Suarez from Seat told Chris: “It isn’t a matter of temperature, but in which direction the air is flowing inside the car.
“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.”