Air conditioning has become one of the most ‘obvious’ features in the modern day car. This has led many users to take it for granted and ignore maintenance of the systems.
Air conditioning system of your car, when wrongly used and mot maintained can cause serious damage to the system itself and reduce the efficiency of your automobile. Here are 4 basic tips for taking care of your car’s air conditioning system:
The Compressor
The air conditioning system comes with a conductor which has a gas in it for absorbing the heat from the air in your vehicle. This gas needs to be refilled from time to time and the compressor needs to be checked in order to determine whether the gas is leaking or not. Ignoring this can seriously damage the battery and fuel efficiency of your vehicle and also cause breathing problems for the people inside the car. Have it checked by a professional car mechanic regularly. Traces of the old gas must be removed before refilling the compressor. This process requires an expert, thus avoid doing it at home. In case you are experiencing lower performance from the system, it is a clear indicator that it is time to get your compressor checked for refilling or gas leakage.
Lack of Usage
A sure-fire-hit way of damaging the air conditioning system and the compressor is by not using it over long periods of time. In case you are wary of turning on the air conditioning system during the winter season, try putting it on and stepping out of the vehicle for some time. This will ensure that the system maintains its tip top condition. Air conditioning systems are also known to be able to absorb the moisture from the air. This will help you combat formation of vapour on the windows during winter seasons.
Temperature
As with the air conditioning system installed in your house, turning the temperature setting to extremes on your air condition’s climate controller will have negative effects on the system. This will mean that the compressor of the system has to overwork for marginally additional gains from keeping the system running. This also means that the battery and fuel of the vehicle are used more intensively. Try to tone it down to a comfortable mid-range temperature rather than going for extremely low or high temperatures. This setting also creates problems of acclimatisation when you decide to step out of the car.
Bacterial Infections
If you identify a pungent or unusual smell in the car when you turn on the air conditioning system, it indicates that the filter has a bacterial infection. The best thing to do is getting it serviced by a professional automobile mechanic. This is potentially dangerous if you or any of the regular riders suffer from respiratory problems.
Taking care of your air conditioning system will ensure that you save a lot of money in the long run. A dysfunctional air conditioning system uses up more resources from your battery and also hampers the vehicle’s fuel efficiency.