How to keep your air conditioner running cold

In the Queensland heat, a cold and crisp car air conditioner can be a lifesaver. There is no better feeling than jumping into your car and blasting it immediately to try and get some reprieve from the heat. However, doing this could be doing more harm than good. Like anything with your car, proper maintenance is required to maintain function. So in order to have your air conditioner perfectly running all year around, here are some tips and tricks you should follow.

1)    Recirculate mode

Have you ever been driving behind a car that emits such a strong smell you have to wind up the windows? Well chances are if you were running the AC, you also clicked the recirculate button to get rid of the smell. The recirculate button closes off the vents that brings in the air from the outside. From here, it instead recirculates the air that is already inside the vehicle. Not only is this mode good for avoiding outside smells, but it’s great for your systems longevity. Re-cooling the already cold air from inside the vehicle greatly reduces the load on your car air conditioner. This means it is working less and giving the motor a bit of a break. When you can, try using this mode to not overwork the system. It’s a common misconception that this mode if bad for your health- in fact, we actually encourage it!

2)    AC filter

Most people are consistent with washing their vehicles. They wash the outside, the inside, the wheels, and even the underbody. But what about your air conditioning system? This is the one part of the vehicle that often gets neglected when cleaning. The AC system has an air filter that needs to be cleaned and replaced on a relatively regular basis. This filter is what traps all of the debris when bringing air in, so it can get quite a build up on it. If you don’t clean it, your system will have to work harder to pull air in through the debris. This can put strain on the system and make the air it produces not be as crisp and cold. It is possible to clean and replace this filter yourself, however, we recommend seeing a professional for this.

3)    Patience

This is one of the most important parts of running your cars air conditioning system. While it may be tempting to turn the AC on immediately, this could be seriously damaging it. The system works best when the car is running. You don’t need to wait too long to turn it on, just enough to give it a running start. It’s best to open the windows and just run the fan for a couple of minutes to let the vehicle and system warm up. This is also beneficial for your windscreens. Extreme heat changes can damage these, so turning on an icy cold AC onto a piping hot windscreen can result in cracks and damage.

If you follow these tips and tricks, you should find your air conditioner is performing to it’s top ability in no time. If you still are finding issues with the system or it’s not blowing cold air, contact Red Devil Radiators today. We are air conditioning specialists and will have it running icy cold in no time.