As summer time came, so did the question if it is possible to turn on AC without starting the car. Everyone want to know many unclear things about the cars and it is one of them. Here, we are going to make a clear answer to this question.
AC can’t run without engine on. Have you ever noticed that you will not feel any cooling inside the car when you have turned off your car even so the AC button is turned on. Why there is always a sound of running AC inside the car yet no cooling, answer to this question is that you are hearing a sound of blower not of an AC. The blower which runs on battery of the car will provide you with air but won’t give you any cool breeze.
Turning on AC without starting a car
This question comes to many car users that how long they can run their AC with car off maybe people who are new car owners or many times even the experienced car owners do not know many things that are happening in their cars. An AC will not function if the car engine is not on because for the functioning of components of AC it require energy which can only come from on engine and if a engine is turned off then you are only getting air from the blower which is operating on car’s battery only. And if you keep your car blower on for long time then you soon have a drained battery which will put you in situation of difficulty at the time of jumpstarting your car if your blower drain your car’s battery completely.
Running AC in standing car fuel consumption
When a car is standing and the engine is on however, it is only used for AC functioning then 0.2 litres to 0.4 litres of fuel is used in 1 hour, as the serpentine belt ( Serpentine belt is a component of compressor which is a crucial part of working of an AC ) has to function so that compressor can work which need power and for power generation the car need to do fuel consumption so there would be cool air inside the car cabin. The amount of fuel used is more when standing as compared to usage of fuel while driving with turned on AC.
While driving the fuel used is various for processes as well so turning on AC wouldn’t be an extra load on car’s engine. However, while idling a car’s engine with AC turned on will take more fuel as the car have to work at the stationary position. The fuel consumption in a standing car and running AC will also depend on other factors as well :
- Outside temperature
- Car’s Cabin Temperature
- Car’s Engine functioning ( Efficiency and RPM)
- Compressor size
Can we use fan without AC in a car ?
Yes, fan can be used instead of AC many times this will yield you more benefit yet no cooling. With fan you reduce the extra fuel consumption which happens more when AC is turned on as for the internal processes of AC (like for compression process serpentine belt needed to work, for condensation ) power is needed which comes from burning of fuel.
Use of fan without is more of a function which depends on the battery of the car when a car is standing, so one can use fan without AC in a car. One can also put their windows little down this will bring cool air from outside however putting windows down on a highway that too at high speed is not a good practice as it hinders the aerodynamic flow and this will ultimately impact the fuel consumption of a car.
How does an air conditioner work in a car ?
Working of AC in a car : As summer season is on the way and the very important component which makes top to the priority list in a car is for sure is an ac. AC can make your journey comfortable and pleasant. So, for that reason some knowledge regarding this very important component is crucial. Working of an AC is similar in a car as it is at our home, it works on the principle of heat exchange. The major components of an AC is :
- Evaporator coil
- Compressor
- Condenser
- Blower
The Evaporator coil functions is phase conversion of Refrigerant ( Liquid into Gaseous phase). Refrigerant which are used inside the air conditioner are hydrofluorocarbons for example : R-410A hydrofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons for example: R-22 etc. The function of Compressor is to compress the gaseous refrigerant and in this process so much heat is produced and finally the condenser function is to convert the gaseous form refrigerant to liquid form refrigerant. The function of blower is to blow air into the outside through ducts so that cooled air can reach throughout the car cabin.
Working of an AC is based on the heat exchange principle, when the evaporator coil absorbs heat from the outer environment and cools the air and by further processes the cooled air is pushed out of the ducts with the help of a blower. This cooled air from the AC drops the temperature of the car cabin which will make you feel no heat inside the car. During the working of an AC the internal heat generation also take place while the process of compression and this overheated air is pushed out of the ducts to the outer environment.
The AC no doubt make things easier but it is not a good practice as it impacts our environment as the byproduct of Chlorofluorocarbons are many non biodegradable components that destroys the ozone layer and this ozone depletion is harming us only and deteriorating health and habitat of many Organisms including humans.
Solution to this is that one can lower their windows a little and can use fan instead of using AC. Can keep themselves hydrated which will make you feel less hot.
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Can one sleep inside the car with the ac running ?
Many times a person want to sleep inside the car to save some money on hotel expenses so for this reason try to sleep inside their car, it is no doubt a alluring thought yet not a pleasant option. Many things happen when one try to sleep inside the car with the ac running, actually two things majorly :
- One is you will not feel comfortable inside the cabin. As the structure of seats of a car is build for comfortable sitting purpose only not for sleeping purpose so whenever one decide to sleep inside the car it will be unpleasant or restlessness will happen even after a small nap if you will be lucky enough to get a sleep.
- Two , whenever one sleep inside the car with complete windows shut then they will inhale majorly the air which is present inside the cabin. The air in the cabin do not contain oxygen diffused air rather the air contains more of carbon monoxide as carbon monoxide is a byproduct of refrigerants and this when inhaled makes an unbreakable bond with hemoglobin as affinity of hemoglobin is more with carbon monoxide than oxygen. Thus instead of oxygen, carbon monoxide is carried into the different body parts and our body need oxygen not carbon monoxide so one can say it is a way to slow death if a person practice sleeping more inside car with the ac running .
Frequently Asked Questions :
- How long can you run AC with car off ?
AC will not work if your car is off because AC gives cool air only after series of internal functioning and these internal processes runs on energy and energy is only generated from fuel so if the car is off then many of the internal processes cannot happen which means the AC won’t work and will not bring your car’s temperature down and will not give you cool sensation.
- Does sitting in your car with the ac on kill the battery ?
No, if the car is on then battery will not be drained however if you are running the AC with engine turned off, then the AC will not function yet the blower do the working and this blower works on battery and it will drain battery if you are running it for long time.
- How long can you run AC with running car?
AC in a running car can last for pretty long time as long as your fuel lasts, the AC functioning is dependent on the internal processes which keep working on energy and the energy provided after the burning of fuel. One can simply say the AC functioning will last as long as the fuel lasts.
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