Should You Use Your A/C During Winter?
The cold air outside brought by the winter breeze can be taken as a sign to save yourself from energy cost because it can be a signal that you can turn your air conditioning system inside your home for the time being. Except if you have heaters in your home, imagine how much savings you will get when you practice this.
You are hoping you can do the same thing too with your car. Meaning, it can be good to turn the A/C off all the time during winter. But is this practical? Is this really a good thing to do during the cold months? The answer to whether or not you should use your car A/C during winter will be explained below.
Misconceptions
There are certain misconceptions which have been carried on from time to time when it comes to using your car’s A/C system. You have to remember that A/C systems have not been made just to simply cool the air during summer. If you really want to make the most out of your existing A/C system in your car then you have to make use of it all-year round or at least once a week during the winter to prevent it from freezing and malfunctioning later on.
A/C Systems Condition the Air
It is true that A/C systems were made to cool the air inside the vehicle. Apart from that notion, however, you must remember that the function of the system goes beyond that. As the name implies, A/C systems are also made to condition the air in the vehicle. This can help as you regulate temperatures during the cold months of winter.
Expect that the rainy season brings in very cold air from the outside. This can mean a combination of damp shoes and wet clothes with that of your warm breath during these months. The car interiors turn out to be humid and expect too that the windows will get covered due to the condensation process.
If you are feeling cold and you do not want to blast off cold air coming from your A/C system to your face, then you have to make sure that you turn the heater on using the warmest setting. After that, you can turn on the A/C too. When you do, you will be surprised at how fast the windows become free from frosts. This will make you feel more comfortable inside your car even when it is cold outside.
A/C Systems Need to be Used Frequently
And yes, that is also the case during winter. Otherwise, you will lose the A/C to possible problems later. As you know, A/C systems are supposed to last the same way as the life of your car but will not be able to enjoy it for that span of time if you do not turn it on during winter. You think it is best to stop using the air conditioning system so that you will save it for a longer timeframe. The truth is the more you do not use, the greater the chance for other parts like the A/C compressor to seize. Oils and refrigerant has to circulate even during winter to keep the parts lubricated.
Prevent Mold and Spore Buildup
One of the reasons behind why A/C systems turn moldy is the fact that you have left it idle for some time especially during the winter months. Come to think of it, humidity and moisture can easily come in during this season and when the A/C is not turned on at all, these molds and spores will be very jubilant.