October 22, 2024
Owners of old or budget cars drive without an air conditioner, and although the cars themselves are convenient and practical to maintain, in the summer they can sometimes be very stuffy. Therefore, to make driving a joy at any time of year, install an air conditioner in your car yourself, which will serve you for many years.
Weigh all the pros and cons of the advisability of installing an air conditioner in your car. After all, it consumes quite a lot of energy from the car's generator. In addition, engine energy is consumed, and some cars are not very powerful. Therefore, first think about whether it is worth spending your time, effort and money on buying an air conditioner, because without additional modifications in some cases it can quickly put your car out of order.
Choose an air conditioning kit if you are sure that your car will work well with it. As a rule, such a kit includes the air conditioner itself and additional parts that are required for its installation. Currently, you can find a huge selection of such kits in auto stores and car markets.
Remember, you should not install an air conditioner from another brand of car on your car, since in this case you will need to make a number of independent modifications. And the kits already have everything you need for installation without any radical alterations. This means that you will not have to weld or rework the body.
Choose the place where you will carry out the installation in advance. A closed garage with normal lighting is perfect for this. You will also need tools and a small hand-held flashlight to better see hard-to-reach places. Put the car on the parking brake, and then remove the negative battery terminal. Next, dismantle the car's dashboard, as well as the steering wheel.
Carefully read the instructions for installing the air conditioner. The integration process itself is described there in great detail. It is better to start the installation with the installation of the compressor, fan and freon cooling system. Also keep in mind that you will have to cut the standard heater so that you can place the cooling radiator directly behind the fan. Next, connect the air ducts, air conditioner and radiator with tubes through which the air will pass.
Then connect everything to the power supply and do not forget to use fuses. Look carefully at where it is convenient for you to place the on/off button of the air conditioner. You can use standard levers to regulate the air temperature. Then carefully check the tightness of the air duct connection. Perform the final assembly and check whether the air conditioner works normally.
Air conditioning in a car: pros and cons
Car manufacturers are increasingly including air conditioning even in the basic configuration of their models. This is due not only to comfort and fashion. The main thing is safety on the road.
Research by experts shows that when the temperature in the cabin is over 27 °C, the driver's reaction slows down, attentiveness and visual acuity decrease. A favorable microclimate is +23-25 °C and relative air humidity of 50-55%. It is known that high positive temperatures are a real enemy of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. On especially hot days, the risk of heart attacks and hypertensive crises increases.
Of course, the biggest advantage of having an air conditioner in a car is comfort. During periods of extreme heat, the device can provide optimal conditions in the cabin. But the driver will have to monitor their maintenance himself. Car air conditioners are often blamed for the occurrence of various diseases. If you get into the car after a hot street, do not turn on the device at full power.
Some car air cooling systems are equipped with special filters, which means that in this case the air conditioner is an air purifier. Filtration charges the air with positive and negative ions. Ionization affects the strengthening of the immune system, reduction of fatigue, improvement of the psychological state, reduction of bacteria in the cabin.
Like any complex device, air conditioners have their drawbacks. One of them is a decrease in the car's power when the air conditioner is running. This is relevant for small cars. More powerful cars do not lose maneuverability.
It is believed that cooling the air makes it drier. This makes it harmful to the skin, respiratory tract and mucous membranes. Therefore, many modern cooling systems are equipped with humidifiers.
Legionella bacteria, which starts on the air conditioner evaporator, can pose a serious threat. To eliminate it, it is enough to use a special bactericidal filter. Do not forget to periodically carry out its antiseptic treatment. Vapors of freon refrigerants are also dangerous for humans. When they decompose, harmful toxins are released, and when they leak, weakness, drowsiness and suffocation occur. However, any malfunctions and leaks in the operation of a modern air conditioner are blocked by a special warning system. The climate control system will automatically maintain the required conditions. Usually, temperature sensors are installed in various parts of the car. The driver only needs to set the desired parameters using electronic control.