Friends have often asked me whether pressing the AC button to turn on the air conditioner in winter is necessary. It is a known fact that the oil price is so high globally. Will pressing the AC button consume more fuel? Today I will analyze this question for you. To put things in perspective, can you save fuel when you turn on the heater and turn off the AC?
Is it possible to save fuel by not using the AC button?
First of all, the automatic air conditioner turns on the AC button by default, so why should it turn on the AC button? In fact, the purpose of doing this is also straightforward: to make the air conditioner comfortable to use, not to save fuel.
So the first question is, will it save fuel if I press the AC button now? On this point, I can tell you with certainty that it must be fuel-efficient.
Because the AC key is actually the switch of the air-conditioning compressor, and on vehicles running on fuel/gas, the air-conditioning compressor relies on the engine’s mechanical energy to directly drive the compressor to run.
If the AC button is turned off, its compressor will no longer work. In this way, the work output by your engine will not be divided by the compressor, and all of it will be used elsewhere.
Then the engine does not need to do extra work; that is, it saves fuel.
The Automatic Vehicle Air conditioner Turns on the AC button by Default
Of course, there are a small number of cars; if you press the AC button manually, it will not start. However, I have come into contact with many cars; as long as the automatic air conditioner is turned on, it will turn on the AC button.
Can You Save Fuel When You Turn on the Heater and Turn off the AC in The Winter?
If you are in your car during winter and turn on the air conditioner to blow out hot air, it should be known that our hot air relies on the engine to generate residual heat and then circulates it in.
Technically, blowing hot air is the same as blowing heating at home, and it will not increase fuel consumption.
However, if you want to control the heat in the car, you can only adjust it by the size of the wind, but once the AC button is turned on, in addition to hot air, there will also be cold air coming in.
At this time, the hot and cold air vent will be adjusted according to your Set temperature to adjust the hot and cold air ratio.
In addition to adjusting the incoming heat through the air volume, the wind blowing out at this time combines the hot and cold air to control the heat entering the car.
In this way, the temperature inside the car will be adjusted More precisely for the occupants to be comfortable.
Especially Relevant:
- Does the Air conditioner Consume More Electricity When Turned On and Off?
- How your Driving Behaviors can Improve your vehicle’s fuel Efficiency
- Four Factors Unrelated to Mechanics That can Increase Your Fuel Consumption.
Turning on the AC Button to Defog The Windshield
In addition to this reason, another very important reason is that if it is raining outside, or the air humidity outside is relatively high.
In cold weather, the outside temperature might be relatively low. If the temperature inside the car is relatively high and the air is very humid, it is easy to fog up on the windshield, including the side mirrors and windows.
At this time, if the AC button is turned on, the air conditioner will also have a dehumidification function. In this way, the air in the car can be quickly made relatively drier, and the windshield fogging can be reduced or made to disappear.
Summary
- Many modern vehicles have an automatic AC button which turns the AC button by default.
- However, if you want to save fuel, you may be willing to sacrifice your comfort. In this case, you can turn off your A/C button so long your local air is relatively dry and not easy to fog. This will not adversely affect you, and it can indeed save fuel.
- If the fog is intense, the air humidity is relatively high, and you don’t care so much about a little extra fuel consumption, and your safety is key, I suggest to everyone that there is no need to turn off the AC button. After all, the difference in fuel consumption between when the AC button is turned on and off is very small.
Lastly,
If it is for your own comfort, don’t worry about it; use the automatic air conditioner.
If it is for the wallet’s comfort, you can turn off the AC button. Of course, if you want to fog, you must not turn it off; safety first.
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